This was a remarkable match that was completely turned on it's head after six heats. By that time, the Braves had established an eight point lead, with little sign at that stage that in the remaining nine heats, they would only be able to add a further 16 points to their tally.
The Braves scored four 4-2's in that opening period and looked much stronger than their opponents, who had borrowed David Osborne to replace phil Pickering
Heats 7, 8 and 9 were critical with Adam Allott and James Mann looking comfortable in winning the first of them, with promising debutant Mann combining with Paul Burnett to achieve a similar result next time out.
The youthful Mann appeared again in Heat 9, this time with another youngster Mark Steel, who won the race with Mann third to give Buxton a lead they never looked likely to surrender.
Despite a brief rally by the home side, the gutsy Hitmen clinched victory with a heat to go, earning a slightly flattering scoreline when both Braves were excluded from the last race.