Another 500-plus crowd at sunny Iwade on Sunday saw a hard-fought first-ever NORA International Speedway Challenge go the way of England, beating their old rivals Australia 50-38.

England skipper, Ben Morley continued with his purple patch on his home track with a barely-troubled 18 points maximum – adding the Kent Supporters Trophy to his silverware tally in the second half.
Also recording double figures tallies for the host nation were Rhys Naylor, paid 14 and Jacob Clouting with 12.

For the Aussies, Matt Marson and Paddy Hamilton impressed with 13 and paid 11 respectively; while teenager Senna Summers will be happy with a heat win in his first visit to the Kent track.  Hamilton flies back home later this month and will be trusting that his excellent performances in recent weeks riding at Iwade will have put him sufficiently in the shop window that a Championship berth can be his in 2025.

Two evenly-matched sides saw the opening salvoes remain close with just a two point lead for the England side after four heats.  The first opening up into a significant lead for the hosts came in heat five with the impressive once-more Clouting partnered by Jack Kingston grab a maximum over Marson and the youngster Summers.
 

Hamilton was in typically lively mood storming to victory in the following race to peg back the England advantage, but the first stanza of this 15 heat international closed with things going very much England’s way, when first Morley produced the ride of the match storming from behind after an tumble in the first staging of heat seven to pass his opposing counterpart, Aussie skipper and number one Dayle Wood; quickly followed by a Clouting & Naylor combo delivering the Lions’ second maximum heat advantage of the afternoon: 29-19 after eight heats.

The antipodeans are nothing if not plucky though and they launched a counter offensive in the next three heats: wins for Summers and the now well-dialled in Marson brought the margin down to just six with four heats to go.

But with Morley in such an incredible run of utterly devastating form and combining brilliantly in a team riding masterclass with his mate Naylor, there was to be no way back into the match for the Aussies, as two more 5-1s courtesy of the hugely reliable Kent Kings pairing clinched a very deserved and rapturously acclaimed England victory.

Team boss Ben Clifton was exuberant,
“It was a huge honour to manage the England team today and what a performance they put it.  Ben, in this form he’s shown this season, cleaning up in all the NORA team and individual events here at Kent and on the Isle of Wight is showing he’s at the peak of his powers.
“The Aussies have been a great addition to the Kent Kings meetings this term – we wish them all the best for their forthcoming season down under”.

England                                                           50

Ben Morley      3  3  3  3  3  3                          18[M]

Rhys Naylor    1′  1  2  2′ 2′  2′                        10 + 4
Jacob Clouting 1  2  3  3  1  2                         12
Jack Kingston   2  2′  1  1  FX  FX                  6+1
Sam Woods (track res.) 0 0 0 2 2                  4

Australia                                                          38
Dayle Wood    2  0  2  2  1  1                          8

Patrick Hamilton 3  2  3  2′  EF  0                   10+1
Matt Marson    0  3  0  1  3  3  3                      13

Senna Summers  0  1  0  3  inj.                      5

Nathan Hargrave (track res.) 1 1 0 F F F       2

Heat details;

1 Morley, D. Wood, Clouting. Marson 60.8  [4-2]
2 Hamilton, Kingston, Naylor, Summers 61.8  [7-5]

3 Marson, Clouting, Hargrave, S. Woods 62.3  [9-9]

4 Morley, Hamilton, Naylor, D. Wood 60.6  [13-11]

5 Clouting, Kingston, Summers, Marson (fell rem.) 61.0  [18-12]

6 Hamilton, Naylor, Hargrave, S. Woods 62.3  [20-16]

7 (rerun) Morley, D. Wood, Kingston, Summers 60.9  [24-18]

8 Clouting, Naylor, Marson, Hargrave 60.4  [29-19]

9 Summers, Hamilton, Kingston, S. Woods 69.2  [30-24]

10 Morley, D. Wood, Clouting, Hargrave (fell rem, fell) 64.0  [34-26]

11 (rerun) Marson, S. Woods, Summers, Kingston (fell exc.) 63.4  [36-30]

12 Morley, Naylor, D. Wood, Hamilton (EF) 60.9  [41-31]

13 (awarded) Marson, Clouting, Hargrave (fell), Kingston (fell exc.), Summers (inj.) no time  [43-34]

14 Morley, Naylor, D. Wood, Hamilton 62.3  [48-35]

15 (awarded) Marson, S. Woods, Harhgrave (fell) [three riders only] no time  [50-38]

2024 Kent Kings Supporters Trophy
S/F (1) Hamilton, Marson, D. Wood 47.0*
S/F (2) Morley, Naylor, S. Woos, Clouting 46.3 *
* = 3 laps only
Final: Morley, Hamilton, Naylor, Marson (ret.) 60.6

Pictures supplied by Niall Strudwick.