MATCH REPORT: Experienced Monarchs progress to Quarters

Hethersett Hawks/Swinton & Co found out that there is no substitute for experience as they faced a Leicester team with an average age of 42 and stacked with riders who had tasted success both individually and with Leicester teams in the past. 

The first round tie in the British Team KO Cup started with a well-worked 5-5 for Hethersett but as early as heat two things went wrong as the two home riders knocked each other off.  A seat falling off and an exclusion before the interval added to their woes and they were nine points down.

Leicester just concentrated on good skills from the tapes and blocking any attempts to pass them. Their path to the quarter-finals seemed only to be threatened by rumbles of thunder nearby.  Hethersett did have a few successes in the second half and a 6-3 win in heat 15 brought the deficit to six points.  Any chance of a late revival was stamped out by two 6-4 wins.  Nick Myhill was outstanding for Hethersett and looked set to record a maximum when he was well clear in the final heat.  The race was stopped after an incident and in the restart Myhill spun on the start and, although he caught the others, a last-ditch dive proved fruitless. Among the victorious Leicester side was a former Hethersett rider Mick Skinner.

HETHERSETT 84 LEICESTER 94
(N.Myhill 17, L.Grange 13, O.Riley 11, R.Williamson 11, D.Adams 9, D.Chambers 9, L.Cossey 9, O.Buxton 5)

There was better news in midweek when Katie Adams won the Norfolk Ladies title, holding off a strong challenge from club mates Carly Grimes and Beth Allen.  Alfie Nixon and Giles Awbery finished second and third in the Norfolk Under-10s Championship with Leo  Mallett and Toby Dunne also qualifying for the East Anglian Final.  Roger Carter finished third in the Norfolk Vets Championship.

Picture by Brian Barnett.