The Kings were led by contributions of 13 by captain Luke Bowen and 12 from Nathan Stoneman, the pair of them winning 7 of the 15 heats between them. Jack Thomas, Anders Rowe and Taylor Hampshire also registered one heat win apiece. There were useful scores all down the Kent score chart with home debutant Nick Laurence who again deputised for the injured Jacob Clouting, chalking up a highly credible paid 6..
In contrast,the visitors were largely a two man team with guest Danny Ayres and captain Ben Hopwood – both former Kent riders – scoring 21 of the teams 33 between them, 11 and 10 respectively.
The meeting started in tight fashion with the opening two heats being shared with the visitors’ Ayres and their own debutant Connor King taking the chequered flag; but the deadlock was broken in the third race with a 5-1 heat advantage from Stoneman and Hampshire, the latter leaving it late before making a pass on Chris Widman.
The Kings really took control of the match in a six heat spell from Heats 4 through to 10 where they registered five 4-2’s and a 5-1. The scores stood at 14-10 before this spell and after three consecutive 4-2 heat wins (courtesy of Stoneman and Hampshire, Bowen and Rowe then lastly Thomas and Laurence) there was a fantastic maximum heat advantage registered by the young duo of Anders Rowe and Alex Spooner. The two youngsters certainly provided the Teenage Kicks from the start getting the better of another former Kent rider Danno Verge. Two further 4-2 heat wins followed to leave the home side 18 points up with five races to go.
Heat 11 saw Ayres register his second heat win and the visitors first heat advantage as home rider Jack Thomas managed to split the pairing of Ayres and Verge as Isle of Wight picked up a 4-2.
Two 5-1 heat advantages from Stoneman and Spooner in Heat 12 and Hampshire and Laurence in Heat 14 either side of a 4-2 really put the gloss on what was a fantastic all round display by the SLYDE-sponsored Kings.
This win moves Kent onto 11 points in the National Trophy Southern Group – as a big weekend looms for the Kings as they take on Stoke in the Knock Out Cup (away up in the Potteries on Saturday), then the following day facing Travel Plus Tours National League [TPTNL) newcomers Coventry Bees in what’s actually the Kings’ first away league match of the season.
Next up at home is the second leg of that cup tie against Stoke Potters at Central Park Stadium on Monday 4th. June (6.30pm start time).
Kent SLYDE Kings 57
L Bowen 2 3 3 3 2 13
A Rowe 1′ 1 3 1 6+1
N Stoneman 3 3 3 3 0 12
T Hampshire 2′ 1 1 3 7+1
J Thomas 2 3 2 1 8
N Laurence 1′ 1 0 2′ 4+2
A Spooner 2 1′ 2′ 2′ 7+3
Isle of Wight Warriors 33
D Ayres 3 0 3 2 3 11
D Verge R 0 2 1 1 4
Rider replacement – Scott Campos
C Widman 1 0 0 0 1
B Hopwood 3 2 2 2 R 1 10
C King 3 X R 0 1 0 4
S Tedham 0 F 2 1 3
Heat Results
1 Ayres, Bowen, Rowe, Verge (ret.) 58.2 (3-3)
2 King, Spooner, Laurence, Tedham 63.1 (6-6)
3 Stoneman, Hampshire, Widman, Verge (exc. 2M) (fell rem) 63.0 (11-7)
4 Hopwood, Thomas, Spooner, Tedham (fell) 61.8 (14-10)
5 Stoneman, Verge, Hampshire, Ayres (fell rem.) 60.9 (18-12)
6 (rerun) Bowen, Hopwood, Rowe, King (fell exc.) 60.3 (22-14)
7 Thomas, Tedham, Laurence, Widman 62.4 (26-16)
8 Rowe, Spooner, Verge, King (ret.) 61.4 (31-17)
9 Stoneman, Hopwood, Hampshire, King 65.1 (35-19)
10 Bowen, Hopwood, Rowe, Widman 60.1 (39-21)
11 Ayres, Thomas, Verge, Laurence 60.3 (41-25)
12 Stoneman, Spooner, King, Widman 62.3 (46-26)
13 Bowen, Ayres, Thomas, Hopwood (ret.) 59.1 (50-28)
14 Hampshire, Laurence, Tedham, King 63.0 (55-29)
15 Ayres, Bowen, Hopwood, Stoneman 59.5 (57-33)
Picture supplied by Elizabeth Leslie.