MATT BEECHEY got his World Rowing Championship medal hopes back on track at Eton's Dorney Lake with a stylish victory in the Great Britain lightweight four.

The Worcester Rowing Club 28-year-old's crew stayed in the middle of the pack thr-ough the 1,000 metres half-way mark before bursting into the lead with 700m to go.

They came home with clear water over second-placed Hol-land to make tomorrow's semi-finals, with early leaders Egypt and Greece eliminated alongside tail-enders Portu-gal.

Beechey's crew were a disappointing fourth in Monday's heat after leading through the first mark. Yesterday they looked like they had a real battle on their hands against the Egyptians and Greeks who both beat GB at last month's Lucerne World Cup Regatta.

But they bounced back by rowing a more controlled first half that allowed them to strike in the third quarter. It was the two pre-race fav-ourites who paid as Holland went with the Brits.

GB were second a canvas behind Egypt after 500m and were back in third feet down on the Greeks before making a move.

The other crews had no answer to their push as they took more than a length in the next 50 strokes from Egypt, who then missed out on the line to the Dutch as Beechey and crewmates Daniel Harte, Paul Mattick and James Clarke held their distance.

Meanwhile, 2005 world silver medal lightweight sculler Zac Purchase is in semi-final action today, racing against competitors from Guatemala, Greece, New Zealand, Canada and Germany.

The former King's Worcester student set the quickest time in the heats and will want to maintain his dominance thr-ough to the final.

Greece's Elias Pappas was second fastest chasing home the River Severn oarsman in the heats and could pose the biggest threat, although Purchase looked to have his measure in Sunday's qualifier.