It’s Westward Ho! for the Mildenhall Fen Tigers – proudly sponsored by Manchetts Rescue and Recovery – this Tuesday (5th. July) when they make the long journey out to Plymouth to take on the Devon city-based Centurions in their latest National Development League [NDL] fixture.

The sides did meet earlier this season at West Row but sadly the weather intervened when the Fen Tigers had already built up a commanding lead (31-10 after just seven heats) and so no result was able to be declared then. So, with the reigning NDL champions playing catch up in the current table, another win on the road (having already enjoyed one long distance victory up at the opposite end of the UK when beating Armadale in Edinburgh last month) is very much the order of the day.

The new averages apply from the start of July and that’s catapulted Jack Kingston into one of the heat leader berths as his new figure is 7.16.  Unfortunately Alex Spooner is still unfit to return for the Fen Tigers – still suffering from the after effects of that dislocated shoulder he suffered in a track crash at the Isle of Wight two weeks ago. The Rider Replacement facility will cover for the rider from Wickford with fellow Essex Boy, Jason Edwards leading the otherwise unchanged side and determined to bounce back individually and team-wise from that “bad day at the office” suffered in the home defeat against Leicester in Mildenhall’s last track outing.

The hosts are still without a fixed replacement for their injured number one, Dan Gilkes and bring in as a ‘Guest’ the two-times National League Riders’ Champion, Ben Morley. The Centurions have a mix of experience and newcomers to this level of Speedway. Club captain Richard Andrews and Adam Extance have many laps under their belts in the NDL – with Andrews having tasted success previously with another south coast club, winning the National Tropht/Gold Cup/KOC ‘treble’ with the Eastbourne Eagles seven years ago.

Local rider Ben Trigger has cause to be contented with how this first season at his home city club and made a successful jaunt over the channel in June, taking the Heusden-Zolder International Masters at Helzold in Belgium.

The new faces coming into the side since that abortive match at West Row in May are NDL newcomers Ben Phillips and David Abraham – both on 3.00 point averages. And completing their line-up is a former GB Youth Champion, on the comeback trail after well over a decade out of the saddle. Rhys Naylor actually beat fellow Essex rider Ben Morley to the inaugural national 250cc British title in 2009 and on his reappearance in the NDL after such a long period away impressed with paid five points against a very strong Oxford Chargers septet. 

Teams [in alphabetical order] with averages are:

Plymouth Centurions:
David Abraham 3.00; Richard Andrews (Captain) 6.15; Adam Extance 5.00; Ben Morley (Guest) {10.30}; Rhys Naylor 3.00; Ben Phillips 3.00; Ben Trigger 6.17

Mildenhall Fen Tigers:
Sam Bebee 5.16; Jason Edwards (Captain) 9.20; Jack Kingston 7.16; Luke Muff 3.00; James Shanes 8.66; Josh Warren 3.00; R/R for Alex Spooner 6.40