Ice Hockey: Devils make a final date with Racers: Cardiff and Murrayfield to meet in Benson and Hedges Cup showpiece

CARDIFF DEVILS, the Benson and Hedges Cup holders, reached the final again after beating Nottingham Panthers 7-4, giving them an 11-9 win on aggregate. They will now meet Murrayfield Racers, who defeated Durham Wasps 17-9 overall but were held to a 6-6 draw in the second leg.

Devils were 5-4 down from the first leg but by the end of the first period scored two short-handed goals to Panthers' one, levelling the aggregate score to 6-6.

Panthers replaced their goal-minder, Stephen Butler, with the more experienced David Graham but to no avail. Minutes into the third period, Devils were 6-1 up on the night, and despite a Ross Lambert goal and a Graham Waghorn slapshot from the centre line for Panthers, they lost 7-4.

With a big first-leg lead, Racers were always in control but Wasps battled hard, scoring five goals either side of the last break.

BENSON AND HEDGES CUP Semi-finals, second leg: Cardiff 7 Nottingham 4 (agg 11-9); Durham 6 Murrayfield 6 (agg 7-19).

BRITISH LEAGUE Premier Division: (Saturday): Basingstoke 7 Peterborough 9; Sheffield 4 Humberside 4; Fife 14 Whitley 1; Teesside 5 Bracknell 3. (Sunday): Bracknell 10 Durham 7; Cardiff 9 Humberside 3; Whitley 3 Sheffield 3; Murrayfield 17 Billingham 6; Nottingham 5 Fife 6; Peterborough 5 Basingstoke 5.

First Division: (Saturday): Milton Keynes 10 Solihull 3; Paisley 9 Swindon 6; Romford 9 Dumfries 7; Slough 13 Lee Valley 7. (Sunday): Blackburn 15 Swindon 7; Guildford 6 Romford 6; Lee Valley 4 Chelmsford 8; Medway 7 Slough 5; Oxford 17 Dumfries 8; Paisley 3 Trafford 4; Solihull 16 Streatham 4; Telford 6 Milton Keynes 8.