Oxford Cheetahs' dreadful start to the season continued, as they were turned over 58-34 by a swashbuckling Poole Pirates side at Sandy Laneon Friday.

The Cheetahs' achilles heel again proved to be their abysmal gating, as they were regularly left trailing into the first corner by the visitors.

World champion Jason Crump and Danish international Bjarne Pedersen both took maximums for the Pirates.

Oxford got off to an awful start and Poole flew into a 18-6 lead after four heats.

Crump won heat five by a street, but Jesper B Jensen and Steve Johnston came through to relegate Troy Batchelor to fourth, as the race was shared.

Heat six was brought to a halt after Freddie Eriksson clattered into the back of Craig Watson on the fourth bend.

The re-run saw some fine riding from Jensen, who picked off Craig Boyce from behind to become Oxford's first race winner of the evening.

Eric Andersson was harshly excluded from a opening bend incident with Edward Kennett in heat seven, and then Kennett and Pedersen picked up a 5-1 over the subdued Pepe Protasiewicz in the re-run.

Eriksson was nominated as Oxford's tactical ride in heat eight. Piotr Swist and Batchelor hit the front, but an aggressive third bend from Eriksson took him inside Batchelor and created a hole for Andy Smith to follow through. With Eriksson's points doubled, it meant a 5-3 to the Cheetahs.

Protasiewicz won heat nine, as the Cheetahs took a 4-2, but the Pirates hit back with a 5-1 in heat ten, after Kennett passed both Jensen and Eriksson.

Andersson produced a terrific effort in heat 11, rounding an astonished Crump on the back straight. It took Crump until the start of the third lap to regain second place.

Meanwhile, Batchelor threw away a certain victory after spinning around and falling on the third lap.

Heat 12 saw Johnston controversially excluded after an accident saw Watson crash into the Oxford man, and the Pirates signed off with 12 points from the final three heats, in another sorry night for Cheetahs' fans.

Oxford: Jensen 9, Eriksson 7, Dryml r/r, Johnston 4+1, Protasiewicz 6+2, Andersson 4, Smith 4+1. 34 pts.

Poole: Crump 15, Batchelor 2+1, Pedersen 13+2, Kennett 9+1, Boyce 7, Watson 3+1, Swist 9+1. 58 pts.