Elite League speedway champions Oxford Cheetahs have been given the honour of staging the first official fixture of the new speedway season on March 15 when they take on Coventry Bees at Oxford Stadium.

Cheetahs face the Bees in the first of a two-legged challenge, with the second leg taking place at Brandon 24 hours later.

Oxford promoter Vanessa Purchase said: "As league champions, it seemed only right that we should start the season off and I could not have wished for a more attractive team to ride against than Coventry."

It will be the first time in their history that Cheetahs have staged speedway's opening match to the season.

They will also launch Sky Sports' coverage of the 2002 campaign as they feature in the first of this year's live matches on the digital channel, away to Ipswich on April 11.

Purchase added: "Sky obviously wanted to feature their reigning league champions in their first match and we were more than happy to accommodate their request."

Following last week's news that the Premiership match against Peterborough could not be accommodated, Purchase has organised a special Inter League challenge with one of the leading lights from the Premier League, Workington Comets.

She explained: "The Comets' management approached us some time ago and invited us up to Derwent Park for a challenge match. At first it did not seem as though it would be possible, but I must thank them for their commitment to the fixture as we have now been able to arrange for the Comets to visit us on March 22, and we will return the compliment 24 hours later."

"Workington will bring in a guest to bolster their squad to make the teams more even."

Cheetahs' press and practice day has been confirmed for March 13.

FIXTURES FOR 2002

MARCH

15 COVENTRY (Ch)

16 Coventry (Ch)

22 WORKINGTON (Ch)

23 Workington (Ch)

29 Peterborough (ELA, 11.30),

29 PETERBOROUGH (ELA, 7.30).

APRIL

5 IPSWICH (ELA)

10 King's Lynn (ELA)

11 Ipswich (ELA)

12 EASTBOURNE (ELA)

15 Belle Vue (ELA)

19 COVENTRY (ELA)

26 POOLE or WOLVERHAMPTON (KO Cup)

MAY

3 KING'S LYNN (ELA)

4 Eastbourne (ELA)

8 Coventry (ELA)

13 Wolverhampton (ELA)

17 POOLE (ELA)

20 Belle Vue (ELB)

22 BELLE VUE (ELA)

24 Peterborough (ELB)

29 Poole (ELA)

31 IPSWICH (ELB)

JUNE

5 WOLVERHAMPTON (ELB)

14 POOLE (ELB)

15 Eastbourne (ELB)

19 WOLVERHAMPTON

26 RESERVED (KOC)

JULY

3 Poole (ELB

10 Wolverhampton (ELB)

12 EASTBOURNE (ELB)

7 BELLE VUE (ELB)

24 Kings Lynn (ELB)

26 KINGS LYNN (ELB)

AUGUST

1 Ipswich (ELB)

11Coventry (ELB)

16 PETERBOROUGH (ELB)

28 COVENTRY (ELB).

All other dates reserved.

Key: CH - Challenge, ELA - Elite League A, ELB - Elite League B, KOC - Knockout Cup.