Following an early cancellation on Saturday (29/10) due to overnight rain in the East Midlands area, the second leg of the National Development League Grand Final has been rearranged for today [Sunday 30th. October) – with Mildenhall Fen Tigers, proudly sponsored by Manchetts Rescue and Recovery, travelling to take on Leicester Lion Cubs aiming to turn around the not so-sweet sixteen points deficit from Thursday’s first leg.
And the side looking to put behind them the disappointment of that reverse at home shows three changes following the loss to injury of the Essex-based pairing of Alex Spooner and Jack Kingston.
So the Rider Replacement facility transfers to cover Spooner’s rides, while this time the absence of long-term injury victim, James Shanes is covered (as indeed was the case when the Fen Tigers visited Leicester last, in the KOC Final) by ‘Guest’, the hugely popular Lee Complin.
Moving up from reserve where he made his West Row debut on Thursday is the first of two 15-year-old starlets in the Mildenhall side (marking it on that occasion with a rare high spot on the night by winning his opening ride), Ashton Boughen. The second new teenager who’s made a impact in the closing salvoes of this 2022 season for the Fen Tigers is Luke Harrison. Luke rode for Mildenhall in both legs of the NDL Play Off semi, memorably being the youngest rider ever to score a maximum for the Suffolk side.
Luke Muff is showing his traditional Yorkshire grit coming back from a shuddering fall which ended his night on Thursday;, and Josh Warren will be looking to bounce back from a night to forget, at a track where he’s impressed previously.
The hosts, Leicester didn’t come out of Thursday’s first leg unscathed either – by no means, indeed, as they suffered the blow of losing to a collarbone injury their third heat leader Connor Coles. So, it’s the R/R facility to cover for Coles’ absence, with the same no. 8 they used to good effect in the KOC Final on Thursday (the second part of that particular double header), Max James looking to make the transition from former club mascot to a title winner.
It's a double header at Leicester today too – with the meeting beginning at 5pm and first up is the senior Leicester Lions side taking on Poole Pirates in the Championship (ie Speedway’s second tier) Play Off Final second leg. The Thompson twins, Dan & Joe ride for that side also so will have a busy evening as, of course, they carry the hopes of the Leicester NDL side for whom they’ve been so dominant all year, into the second part of the double header vs. Mildenhall – which is anticipated to start around 7pm.
Fen Tigers’ skipper and number one, Jason Edwards is clear-headed about the challenge his charges face this evening,
“It was obviously a tough one on Thursday – Leicester were clearly the better team on the night , which is a hard thing to say riding for an opposing team.
“But going into the second leg, I feel that we won’t be under any pressure now – and it’s our job to go out there and restore some ‘Tiger Pride’.
“Conversely for Leicester, having taken the Cup already and having a lead going into their home leg with everyone now expecting them to add the NDL title, the pressure is all on them. We just want to put up a good display and see where it leads us”.