Mildenhall Fen Tigers begin new National Development League season with home win against Kent Royals

Mildenhall Fen Tigers started their 2023 National Development League campaign with a 53-37 home victory over Kent Royals on Sunday.

The fixture opened with a thrilling battle between two riders who last season (and indeed in a number of previous campaigns too) were team-mates, the hosts’ new number one Alfie Bowtell and his counterpart on the visiting Royals’ side, Ben Morley.

Kent’s Morley holds the record for the most appearances at Mildenhall Speedway as a visiting rider and his familiarity with the circuit showed as he perfected a pass of Bowtell on the second bend of lap two; and then there was not the proverbial cigarette paper between the two rival number ones as they threw their 500cc machines into the tight bends with Bowtell getting past Morley on the back straight of the final lap, only for the Kent number one to just prevail exiting the final bend and on the run in to the chequered flag.

Bowtell was unlucky to have to settle for second in such a titanic scrap but he was not to be bested again, going through the rest of the card undefeated to finish his first match since returning to the Fen Tigers’ fold on 14 points, including two revenge victories over Morley in heats 13 and 15.

Both those heats were to be maximums for the home side, with new skipper Lee Complin combining with Bowtell to put the stamp on the victory. Complin also finished on paid 14 and he too was only headed home by an opposing rider the once, in another epic clash with Morley where the Mildenhall captain was locked together with Morley, neither rider giving an inch for four breath-taking laps.

But this was also an all round team showing with Josh Warren carrying on from where he left off in 2022, with a storming burst from the tapes to win his opening heat, Arran Butcher doing likewise to mark his own return to the Fen Tigers’ ranks with a first ride win too and Kiwi George Congreve getting dialled in quickly in just his second competitive ride on the West Row circuit to partner Bowtell for a 5-1 in heat six. And the long-travelling Ben Trigger recorded his first win in the Fen Tigers’ race jacket in heat 12 as the Devonian held at bay the visitors’ captain Tom Woolley and their top-scoring reserve Connor King.

It was not a fruitful afternoon points wise for NDL debutant William Richardson, but the experience gained was invaluable and he came very close to a first point in competitive speedway in his second ride being held off narrowly by the far more experienced Joe Alcock.

Team boss Jason Gardner said: “It was a very solid performance, all but in a shift and it’s very pleasing to have six out of the seven riders score at least one paid win. It was also marvellous after the winter of uncertainty and all the efforts made by supporters, sponsors and the management to keep us on track, to see such a brilliant turn out.”

Turning to next week, when the same two sides reconvene down in the Garden of England for the first of a two-legged Knock-Out Cup semi-final on Easter Day, Gardner added: “I can’t see any reason why we can’t go to Iwade (Kent’s home track) and get a result there too.”

Mildenhall Fen Tigers 53

Alfie Bowtell 14, George Congreve 6+2, Ben Trigger 9+1, Josh Warren 5+1, Lee Complin 12+2, William Richardson 0, Arran Butcher 7+2.

Kent Royals 37

Ben Morley 11, Rhys Naylor 3, Tom Woolley 6, Joe Alcock 3+2, James Laker 1, Sam Woolley 1+1, Connor King 12.