Tony Atkin, the Newport Wasps rider recovering from a broken left arm (in a crash pictured right), took a step towards making a return after yesterday's Conference League meeting between GMB Mavericks and Oxford Academy.

Atkin took to the track for practice between veteran racing and declared: "I am on the road to recovery."

Atkin, apart from a brief and painful attempt, has not ridden since the early-May spill at home to Rye House. He added: "The arm is sore but it is now a matter of building up my strength. I think I am two or three weeks away from making a return, so long as I get plenty of practice.

"It is weird when you have not ridden for a while but each lap I did I felt better."

Neil Street, Wasps team manager, said: "He feels he's making progress but it will still take time. People do not realise what physical effort is required."

* Craig Watson, Newport Wasps skipper, warmed up for tonight's Premier League meeting at Reading with a victory over Somerset's John Jorgensen for the bonus point in a highly-charged clash at Highbridge on Friday night.

Somerset won the meeting 51-39 for an aggregate score of 93-93 and in the race off for the bonus point Jorgensen, leading by quite a distance, punctured to gift victory to Watson.

Watson scored 13 points with three heat wins and two seconds from five rides. Jorgenson top scored for Somerset with 17 while Newport's Carl Wilkinson had a paid eight from six rides, guesting for Matt Read.

And there was no shortage of Newport supporters in the crowd for what was described by the fans as one of the best meetings at the Oak Tree Arena.

Watson, Newport's top rider, said: "Carl looked really good and I am quite pleased because he is back to riding the way he used to."

Reading lost 51-45 at Glasgow yesterday, Danny Bird and Welshman Phil Morris failing to finish the meeting, Bird falling in heat 13 while Morris took a tumble first time out and withdrew. Chris Schramm didn't ride because of an injury picked up during the 48-45 defeat at Berwick the previous evening.

* Mads Korneliussen has qualified for the World Under-21 final, the second successive year a Newport rider has got through, following fellow Dane Niels Kristian-Iversen. Korneliussen finished on eight points to make sure of his place in the final in Poland on September 11.

* Cwmbran's Tom Brown and Luke Priest, former Newport rider, joint top scored with 11 points apiece in Stoke's 50-42 defeat at Carmarthen yesterday in the Conference League.