An epic comeback from the Kent TouchTec Kings from ten points behind with five heats to go to force a draw at Newcastle on Sunday afternoon (22/8) meant that they finished the Northern Tour unbeaten.
The odds of both matches finishing as draws (this result following the 44-44 result at Edinburgh on Friday) would’ve been bordering on the huge; and quite extraordinarily, in a sport where draws aren’t common, the Kings now have three away draws on their racing record in this first season in the SGB Championship.
Leading the way and providing the three 5-1s in heats 11, 13 & then 15 to pull off a sensational comeback were maximum man Troy Batchelor and top scorer, the inspirational skipper Scott Nicholls – but special mention is also required for the resurgent Cam Heeps, whose win in heat seven really steadied the ship for the visitors after a difficult first half of the match and Jack Thomas, who though riding ostensibly as a ‘Guest’, showed that he is a King through and through with a superb contribution from the reserve berth of paid nine.
The match started inauspiciously for Chris Hunt’s charges – after Batchelor’s opening race win, the next two heats were damaging maximums to the hosts. With the experienced Alfie Bowtell somewhat controversially drafted in as a ‘Guest’ for the Diamonds’ rookie Archie Freeman (away like the TouchTec Kings’ Dan Gilkes taking part in the GB U19 Final – ironically, a meeting rained off) there were concerns from that heat two 5-1 that this might prove decisive – but actually that paid win was to be Bowtell’s only points scoring contribution and Thomas was destined to outscore on his own the total of the Newcastle reserve pairing of Bowtell and the vastly experienced Adam Roynon.
Heat four arrested the Diamonds’ early charge with Thomas combining with race winner Nicholls for a first heat advantage of the afternoon for the visitors and then another 4-2, courtesy of Heeps’ win and Paul Starke (suffering with machinery problems after his bike frame getting bent from a crash up at Edinburgh) reduced the initial eight points deficit to a more manageable four.
Thomas was the winner of the always crucial heat eight, though Ben Morley after blowing yet another engine on Friday was having a difficult night; and when the impressive Clegg inflicted what was to be only defeat of the match by an opponent on Nicholls the gap was back to six points. Things were to get significantly worse one race later with a 5-1 to the hosts that could’ve been terminal for Kent’s chances. But cue the dynamic duo of Batch & Scotty. Nicholls was able to come into partner the rampant Aussie in heat 11 – 5-1 number one achieved.
Thomas ran James Wright incredibly close in heat 12 but the former Riders’ Champion at this level pipped him on the line and so the gap was back to eight points with just three heats remaining. Totally necessary was for the big two to do the business in heat 13 and in the rerun top riders’ race, yep 5-1 number two achieved.
Before they could get a chance to reprise the trick, there was the not small matter of the penultimate heat where nothing less than a shared heat would keep the visitors in it - and featuring the Diamonds’ rider of the meeting Clegg that put the pressure on Heeps and Thomas, in for the struggling Tom Woolley. The Kings pair did what was needed and set up the finale. Yet another last heat decider and this time the maximum (yep, 5-1 number three by Batchelor and Nicholls, the latter coming from behind to overtake his counterpart captain Ben Barker on lap three) went the TouchTec Kings’ way to the delight of the extraordinary 50 plus travelling Kent supporters .
If the return fixture in two days’ time at Central Park is even half as good it will be a classic – that match Kent vs. Newcastle is at Central Park on Tuesday 24th. August, 6.30pm start time.
Newcastle Diamonds 45 Ben Barker 2, 2, 2', 1, 0 =7+1 Connor Mountain 1', 1', 2, 3 = 7+2 James Wright 2', 1', 1, 3 = 7+2 Max Clegg 3, 2, 3, 3, 1 = 12 Ricky Wells [G] 2, 2, 1, R = 5 Alfie Bowtell [G] 2', F, M, 0, 0 = 2+1 Adam Roynon 3, M. R, 1', 1 = 5+1
Kent TouchTec Kings 45 Troy Batchelor 3, 3, 3, 2', 3 = 14+1 [PM] Ben Morley 0, 0, 0 = 0 Paul Starke 1, 1, 1, 0 = 3 Cameron Heeps 0, 3, 0, 2 = 5 Scott Nicholls 3, 3, 2, 2', 3, 2' = 15+2 Tom Woolley 0, 0, 0 = 0 Jack Thomas [G] 1, 1, 3, 2, 1' = 8+1
