By Adam Summers - Dorset Echo

New-Signing Lee Herne will now make his debut for the Weymouth Doonan Wildcats at the Wessex Stadium this evening (7.3Opm) after last night’s Knockout Cup first leg clash at the Plymouth Devils was called off due to rain. The Aussie ace only arrived on these shores on Wednesday night and so far he has not even been able to sit on a bike. He was scheduled to take a practice ride after a Poole Pirates meeting on Thursday night but wet conditions also put paid to that.

On the positive side for the Wildcats, they will now assume home advantage in the first leg which will hopefully enable them to build a big lead to take back down to the St Boniface Arena where they have suffered defeat on their last five visits. Wildcats team manager Jem Dicken said: “It is a bit frustrating to get all the way down here for it to then be called off but that is just speedway and the British weather for you. What it does mean is that we now have the chance to build a big lead at home, which is what we will need if we want to progress. As yet a date for the second leg has not been decided but whenever it is it is vital we come back down here with a good advantage because it has always proved a difficult place for us.”

As for the prospect of Lee Herne making his first appearance for the Wildcats in front of a home crowd, Dicken added: “Lee is fine. Understandably he still feels a little jet-lagged but he is now looking forward to making his debut at the  Wessex which I think will be better for him. It is better that he gets a go at home before we go away, especially as he has not even had a ride over here yet and he has already said that he cannot wait.”

Lee Herne has been drafted in as a replacement for injured number one Jon Armstrong and Weymouth fans cannot wait to see how he compares to his brother Jay, who is also expected to ride tonight at number five. Andrew Bargh would have taken the number four slot at Plymouth last night but this evening that berth will be filled by returning skipper Karl Mason.

Tonight's Line Ups
Weymouth Wildcats: 1 Lee Herne, 2 Brendan Johnson, 3 Luke Priest, 4 Karl Mason, 5 Jay Herne,
6 Kyle Newman, 7 Tim Webster.

Plymouth Devils: 1 Seemond Stevens, 2 R/R, 3 Tom Brown, 4 Nicki Glanz, 5 Mark Simmonds,
6 Jamie Pickard, 7 Paul Starke.