Am surprised with the comments by some about the Pairs. With a 12 rider field it's obvious that the home squad of 8 (assuming Berwick is now in the field to become the no. 8 or indeed one of the reserves) were all going to feature and that leaves just four other spaces.
Those 4 include two riders who last year were good enough to receive call-ups to the Elite League FT draft in Johnson and Ritchings, a PL rider in Chapman, and Banks who gets the pick because of his family connection with Crayford.
Not sure how that constitutes a very weak field?