Eastbourne Eagles escaped a fourth successive defeat when last night's match at Swindon was abandoned after nine heats because of heavy rain.

The Sussex side were trailing 33-22 when the action was halted. The result will not stand, and the teams will have to try again at a later date.

Nicki Pedersen and David Norris again led the Eastbourne resistance, but there was a worrying lack of points throughout the team with Pedersen and Norris contributing half the score from just two rides each.

World champion Pedersen won both his races, while Norris won his opening ride and then finished second to Swindon's main man, Leigh Adams.

The heats involving Pedersen and Norris were the only ones in which Eagles shared the points.

The home side raced into an early lead with a 5-1 in heat two when their reserves, Claus Kristensen and Oliver Allen, outgunned Peter Ljung and Edward Kennett.

The gap grew wider with another one-two in the last race to be staged through David Ruud and Steve Johnston, alt-hough Adam Shields did pick up an extra point as a tactical rider inclusion, and Eagles will claim the weather by then had taken over.

In between, Swindon bagged a couple of 4-2 heat wins. Adams won two out of two, while Charlie Gjedde dropped his only point in two outings to Pedersen in the opening race.

Swindon: Leigh Adams 6, Steve Johnston 6, Oliver Allen 6, Charlie Gjedde 5, David Ruud 5, Claus Kristensen 3, Andy Smith 2.

Eastbourne: Nicki Pedersen 6, Adam Shields 6, David Norris 5, Peter Ljung 3, Joonas Kylmakorpi 1, Ulrich Ostergaard 1, Edward Kennett 0.