Mildenhall Fen Tigers – proudly sponsored by Manchetts Rescue and Recovery – stormed back into National Development League [NDL] play off contention with a 20 points victory away at Plymouth on Tuesday (5th. July).

An excellent all round team showing saw all six of the Fen Tigers record at least two paid wins in a performance which swept the home side away in a pulsating display: from parity after six heats to a 55-35 win at the competition of proceedings.

Co-Team Manager Jason Gardener was very proud of the increasing maturity and team spirit shown by his charges.

“In many ways it was the two back-to-back 5-1s in heats 7 & 8 which turned the match our way. It was great to see Sam [Bebee] go high, wide and handsome in a classic around the boards manoeuvre in heat 8. It’s a sign of how he’s matured as a rider this year that he can race on a trickly Plymouth track like that,

“And Jason [Edwards] was riding way beyond his 19-years-of age in what was effectively the match decider with another 5-1 in heat 11 – a text book display of team riding, protecting his team mate Sam out in front by keeping the experienced Plymouth captain Richard Andrews at bay. I know plenty of riders who wouldn’t have entertained the thought of team riding in such circumstances but it shows how committed to getting the result for the team our skipper is.”

The opening stanza of the match had seen some points thrown away by the visitors with a fall when leading by Jack Kingston in his opening ride and Luke Muff also taking a tumble in heat 4.  A 5-1 by the Centurions in heat six courtesy of a controversial decision to exclude James Shanes after a coming together with Plymouth’s maximum man Guest, Ben Morley meant it was 18-18,  But the team regrouped  to bang out five 5-1s in the remaining nine heats to ensure all four match points were heading back to West Row,

Gardner concluded,

“It really was an excellent all round team performance. Rider Replacement [for shoulder-injury victim Alex Spooner] worked out well for us this time. To have four of the six riders on double figures scores was very heartening. For Josh [Warren] it was the first time he’d ever ridden at Plymouth, and he scored a career best paid 14.

“Ironically one of the two riders who just missed out of double figures was Jack – and he won all three of the rides he completed! And a word too about Luke, who recovered from a tricky first couple of rides to combine with Jack to secure two maximum heat advantages in his last two rides. That will do wonders for his confidence!”

Next up for the Fen Tigers is a trip to Manchester to take on Belle Vue Colts at the National Speedway Stadium on Friday week (15th. July) before looking to get a first home win of the NDL season against Scottish side, Armadale Devils on Sunday 17th.

Plymouth Centurions 35

Ben Morley (G)        3, 3, 3, 3, 3   = 15
Adam Extance         0, 2’, 0, 1      = 3+1
Ben Trigger             2, 2, 2, 0, 0   = 6
Ben Phillips             1’, 0, 0, 0      = 1+1
Richard Andrews     2, F, 1, 0       = 3
David Abraham       2, 1, 0, 1       = 4
Rhys Naylor             F, 1’, 1, 1     = 3+1

Mildenhall Fen Tigers 55

Jason Edwards        2, 3, 2’, 1’, 2   = 10+2
Sam Bebee             1’, 1, 3, 2, 3    = 10+1
Jack Kingston          FX, 3, R, 3, 3  = 9
Rider Replacement -  Alex Spooner
James Shanes         3, FX, 3, 2, 1’   = 9+1
Josh Warren            3, 3, 1, 2’, 1, 2’ = 12+2
Luke Muff                1, F, 2’, 2’        = 5+2

Heat details

1 Morley, Edwards, Bebee, Extance  52.19 [3-3]  
2 Warren, Abraham, Muff, Naylor (fell) 52.60 [5-7]
3 (rerun)  Warren, Trigger, Phillips, Kingston (fell exc.)  54.90 [8-10]
4 (stpd; awarded) Shanes, Andrews, Naylor, Muff (fell) no time [11-13]
5  Edwards, Trigger, Bebee, Phillips 52.75 [13-17]
6 (rerun) Morley, Extance, Warren, Shanes (fell exc.) 52.84 [18-18]
7 Kingston, Muff, Abraham, Andrews (fell) 53.03 [19-23]
8 Bebee, Warren, Naylor, Extance 53.03  [20-28]
9 Shanes, Trigger, Warren, Phillips 53.37  [22-32]
10 Morley, Bebee, Extance, Kingston (R) 53.56  [26-34]
11 Bebee, Edwards, Andrews, Abraham 53.32  [27-39]
12 Kingston, Warren, Naylor, Trigger 52.87 [28-44]
13 Morley, Shanes, Edwards, Andrews 52.01 [31-47]
14 Kingston, Muff, Abraham, Phillips 53.09  [32-52]
15 Morley, Edwards, Shanes, Trigger 52.66  [35-55]