The Kent SLYDE Kings brought the curtain down on their 2015 National Trophy campaign in a rain-affected match away at Mildenhall on Sunday (23/8).
This was effectively a ‘dead rubber’ fixture (both the home side and Kent already resigned to their fate as make weights in the four team competition after earlier reverses to the finalists Rye House & Eastbourne). So it was a relief that thanks to excellent work by all involved, not least a referee in Dave Robinson who ensured proceedings were administered with all due haste, the match reached an outcome. That looked in danger with the heavy rain which swept most parts of the UK this unseasonable August Sabbath forecast for 5pm; and with this in mind all at the track and in the ‘box’ were intent on moving proceedings along - such timing was impeccable, as just as heat ten finished and a result could be declared, the heavens really opened and abruptly brought the match to a close.
It was a great shame though, as those that turned out witnessed some excellent racing before the weather intervened. With the visiting top three of Ben Morley, James Shanes and Danny Ayres always in the mix, this was an away tie the SLYDE-backed Kings were always in contention with and who knows what would have been the eventual outcome should the abortive last five heats actually had been staged.
The match started with last minute disruption for Kent, when no. 4 Jamie Couzins failed to make it to the circuit after his van suffered a mechanical breakdown on the journey. Team boss Chris Hunt had to draft in Rob Watts to fill in for Couzins – adding to the pressure on a side already having to utilise Rider replacement for the absent one-time Fen Tiger, Aaron Baseby.
Heat one featured a sizzling pillar to post victory from the homesters' no 2, Tom Bacon over renowned West Row track expert Ben Morley and for a crowd (including a good sized contingent from Kent) the exciting action on show in the opener was a precursor for what was to follow.
A fine heat three saw Mildenhall’s rider of the year, Connor Mountain hunted down by the charging Danny Ayres - who executed a fine pass round the outside of the home rider before pulling away for the win. Two heats later and it was Mountain doing the charging as he hauled in Morley lap by lap and only just failed to catch the visiting number one with the finishing line coming just in time for the SLYDE Kings’ skipper.
Heat six and this time it was Morley’s counterpart in the Fen Tigers’ line up, Danny Halsey and James Shanes who provided excellent entertainment as they battled for the three points with Shanes covering every inch of the track as he tried desperately to overhaul Halsey, The reigning NL Riders champion though used all his track knowledge to cover Shanes’ every move.
Heat eight saw the SLYDE Kings gate on a 5-1 which would have levelled the scores but both the sizzling Bacon and Luke Ruddick chased and passed Ben Basford to share the heat, Ruddick just getting there as the finishing line approached.
The action was coming thick and fast and although the times were getting considerably slower as the rain grew in intensity, a fine gate in heat nine from Mountain saw him ahead of Shanes and again the all-action diminutive Kings rider tried everything but couldn’t get in a blow on the impressive Fen Tiger.
Heat ten saw an early battle between Halsey and the unbeaten and highly impressive Ayres before Ayres hopes of a fourth straight win was extinguished as he shed a chain. The track was now getting more difficult as was shown by a winning time in advance of 60 seconds! Referee Dave Robinson immediately came down to speak with the riders and with the rain starting to get heavier the meeting was abandoned with the result standing. This proved to be a correct decision as moments later the sky opened and the track was under water within minutes.
The hopes now are that the rain will have done its worst over the latter part of this weekend and the Tunnel Trophy match between Kent and the Arena Essex Hammers scheduled for Monday (24/8) can go ahead as planned. The final bit of team news for that local derby much anticipated by all at Central Park, is that Dan Greenwood, the former GB Youth champion and several times a Bronze Helmet winner this term (including twice at Kent when visiting with his Coventry Storm side) is to cover for the still absent Aaron Baseby as a ‘Guest’ for the SLYDE Kings.
Scorers -
Mildenhall Fen Tigers 34 [Danny Halsey 7 (3 rides), Tom Bacon 8+1 (4), Connor Mountain 7 (3), Connor Coles 1+1 (3), Jack Kingston 3+1 (2), Nick Laurence 2+1 (2) and Luke Ruddick 6+1 (3)]
Kent ‘SLYDE’ Kings 26 [Ben Morley 5 (2 rides), R/R, Danny Ayres 9 (4), Rob Watts 2 (3), James Shanes 7 (3), Adam Sheppard 1+1 (4) and Ben Basford 2 (4)]