A plucky performance by the Kent SLYDE Kings at Travel Plus Tours National League pace-setters Mildenhall on Sunday (1/7) ended in a 52-38 defeat, following a mid-meeting surge from the unbeaten Fen Tigers.
Facing frankly long odds against the strong Suffolk side, Kent opened up in impressive style – with the SLYDE Kings’ number one Luke Bowen roaring away in the opening race and teammate Anders Rowe carrying on his good form from Friday at Plymouth, to overhaul Josh Bailey and Sam Bebee to post a maximum and the best possible start for the visitors.
Alex Spooner’s pass of Aussie reserve Matt Marson in heat two and then a Jack Thomas heat win with Taylor Hampshire taking a point for a 4-2, meant after three heats the lead for the visitors was four points.
It was ultimately to be as good as it got though and by heat six the homesters got into a lead. Two points margin became ten by heat eight and with Drew Kemp pushing onto yet another paid maximum from the reserve berth and fellow in-form Ryan Kinsley recording two heat wins (both inflicting defeats on Bowen), it was an uphill struggle to look to hold onto the host’ tail jackets.
Bowen’s wins in heats 13 and 15, getting the better of ex-Kings’ man Danny Ayres and his opposite number one, Bailey were certainly moments for the large visiting contingent of Kings’ fans to cheer though – both opponents seemed unduly aggrieved by the reverses.
Next up for Chris Hunt’s charges is a return to home sweet home, when Stoke Potters visit Central Park Stadiumon Monday 2nd. July – 6.30pm start time.
Mildenhall Fen Tigers 52
1. Josh Bailey 1 3 3 1′ 2 10+1
2. Sam Bebee 0 1 3 0 4
3. Danny Halsey F 1 3 2 6
4. Ryan Kinsley 2 3 1 3 9
5. Danny Ayres 3 2′ 1 2 0 8+1
6. Drew Kemp 3 3 3 2′ 11+1 [PM]
7. Matt Marson 1 1 2 0 4
Kent SLYDE Kings 38
1. Luke Bowen 3 2 2 3 3 13
2. Anders Rowe 2′ 0 1 0 3+1
3. Jack Thomas 3 1 2 3 1 10
4. Taylor Hampshire 1 0 1′ 1 3+1
5. Nathan Stoneman 2 2 2 0 6
6. James Laker 0 X 0 0 0
7. Alex Spooner 2 0 0 0 1 3
Heat Results
1) Bowen, Rowe, Bailey, Bebee 51.6 (1-5)
2) Kemp, Spooner, Marson, Laker 52.0 (5-7)
3) Thomas, Kinsley, Hampshire, Halsey (fell) 52.5 (7-11)
4) Ayres, Stoneman, Marson, Spooner 52.9 (11-13)
5) Kinsley, Bowen, Halsey, Rowe 51.8 (15-15)
6) Bailey, Stoneman, Bebee, Spooner 53.0 (19-17)
7) Kemp, Ayres, Thomas, Hampshire 52.5 (24-18)
8) Bebee, Marson, Spooner, Rowe 55.5 (29-19)
9) Halsey, Stoneman, Kinsley, Laker 53.5 (33-21)
10) Bailey, Thomas, Hampshire, Bebee 53.3 (36-24)
11) Kemp, Bowen, Ayres, Rowe 53.8 (40-26)
12) Thomas, Halsey, Spooner, Marson 55.4 (42-30)
13) Bowen, Ayres, Bailey, Stoneman 54.6 (45-33)
14) Kinsley, Kemp, Hampshire, Laker 55.9 (50-34)
15) Bowen, Bailey, Thomas, Ayres 54.6 (52-38)
