CRAIG Watson suffered last-heat double heartache as Newport Everest Group Wasps were forced to settle for a Premier Trophy draw against Mildenhall Fen Tigers at the Hayley Stadium yesterday, the return leg at West Row next Saturday.

Australian Watson was a first bend faller from the tapes along with fellow countryman Jason Lyons, referee Dave Watters ruling an unsatisfactory start.

But Watson, who two heats earlier had set the fastest time of the meeting, had to ride his second bike in the re-run and it was left to the evergreen Neil Collins to rescue the Wasps as Watson failed to finish.

Wasps led by two points going into the last heat but the Fen Tigers gained a 4-2 win, thanks to Lyons and third-place Daniel King.

Watson said: "It was a big disappointment not to have won because I think we deserved to, and by a few points, especially after we had done so much hard work to get back in front."

Wasps slipped 25-23 behind after heat eight but two heats later led by two points. Watson added: "We just needed three points from the last heat and normally you would have said that we'd do it pretty easily. I was confident I could provide the three points because the bike was going extremely well and I felt on form."

And, really, no-one could have argued with Watson because he was heading for a five-ride maximum and his 60.41sec in heat 13 was the fastest of the meeting.

Watson added: "There was so much damage to the bike that there was no time to get it sorted and I had to jump from my first bike to the second. It just was not suited to the conditions."

It was only last week that Watson took his number one bike to fellow Aussie Craig Boyce for one or two refinements to be made.

He added: "It is probably the fastest thing I have ridden. I could do with another similar machine! It was very disappointing not to have won because such a good day ended horribly. It was a shame for the team after all the hard work."

The two teams were so well matched that the largest gap between the two was four points when Wasps won heat 13 to hold a 41-37 advantage, but Fen Tigers finished with two 4-2 successes to tie the meeting.

Carl Wilkinson opened with two heat wins, coming from behind to win heat three, and at times he looks more like Frank Smart than Frank Smart! His style is very similar to the Aussie who was such an immense favourite with the Wasps' fans and there is little double that Wilkinson can assume that mantle.

Heat ten was the best of all as Chris Schramm won his tense tussle with Shaun Tacey and the consistent Collins - he scored in all his five heats - came through to figure in the meeting's only maximum heat win, eight of the heats finishing all square.

Everest Group Wasps: Neil Collins 9+1 (5), Chris Schramm 6+1 (4), Carl Wilkinson 8+2 (4), Tony Atkin 5 (4), Craig Watson 12 (5), Joel Parsons 4 (6), Sam Hurst 1+1 (3). Mildenhall Fen Tigers: Jason Lyons 12 (5), Jason King 5+2 (4), Shaun Tacey 4 (4), James Brundle 5+1 (4), Daniel King 8+1 (5), Jon Armstrong 8 (5), Barry Burchatt 3 (3).