Although Cheetahs would go on to secure a 95-85 aggregate victory, the aggregate score was level with just three races to go.

However, two 5-1s from skipper Scott Nicholls and No 1 Sam Masters in Heats 13 and 15, alongside a fantastic 4-2 from guest Dan Gilkes and Luke Killeen in Heat 14 saw Cheetahs into the final.

The dates have already been confirmed as September 25 for the home leg, and two days later for the trip to Poole.

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Against Scunthorpe, Cheetahs had a two-point advantage after a 46-44 victory, but Scorpions charged into an early 18-12 lead at Sandy Lane.

The Cheetahs fightback started in Heat 6, with a 4-2 from Cameron Heeps and Masters, with Heeps flying round Kyle Howarth on the second turn to win the race.

Heeps and Killeen pegged back a further 4-2 in Heat 8, which reduced the deficit to two points on the night and levelled the scores on aggregate.

Scorpions were not finished and took a 4-2 in Heat 9, although Gilkes restricted the damage by fighting back past Nathan Ablitt into second place. A big 5-1 from Masters and Heeps in Heat 10 levelled the scores on the night.

Scunthorpe levelled again on aggregate with a 4-2 in Heat 12. Simon Lambert and Ashton Boughen came down on the first bend, not something that Boughen needed since he is already carrying a leg injury sustained at Redcar.

Lambert and Ablitt hit the front in the re-run, but Killeen battled into a priceless second place.

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In the first leg at Scunthorpe, Cheetahs did not take the lead on the night until Heat 14. In the second leg, it took until Heat 13, after Nicholls and Masters posted a 5-1 to move Cheetahs 40-38 ahead.

More importantly, Cheetahs were now four points ahead on aggregate. Heat 14 saw Scorpions on a 5-1 from the tapes, but a superb opening lap by Gilkes saw him race right round the outside to power around Jake Allen and Ablitt.

Killeen then charged round Ablitt after two laps and Cheetahs had the 4-2 they needed to progress to the final.

Nicholls finished off the night in style, by overtaking both Allen and Howarth in Heat 15, to join Masters for a concluding 5-1.

Oxford team manager Peter Schroeck said: “We knew Scunthorpe would throw everything at us. They wanted to bite us, and it took us a long time to find our feet.

“Reaching the final was never going to be easy, but we’ve got there and I couldn’t be any prouder of our riders.”