SPEEDWAY: Mildenhall Fen Tigers team manager Rob Henry declared himself more than happy with the outcome of his side’s NL Knock-Out Cup clash with Hackney at West Row on Sunday.

“It was crucial that the boys built up a big lead to take to Rye House next Saturday and they did exactly that. It’s great that Joe Jacobs’s return to form continued, and Lewis Blackbird was brilliant as well.

“But for me the man of the match was Aaron Baseby. He was outstanding, especially the way he won the last heat from a difficult position.”

A flying start by the Fen Tigers saw them build up a healthy to take into the second leg. They took full advantage of the Hawks losing star reserve Shane Hazelden, ruled out of the meeting after a frightening Heat 2 spill.

Mildenhall had to overcome their own handicap using rider replacement for injured skipper James Brundle.

But led by superb displays from Baseby, Jacobs and Blackbird, the match was soon over as a contest, with the visitors’ Ben Morley the only rider to offer any resistance to the Tigers’ onslaught.

Hackney didn’t claim a race winner until Heat 11 when Morley helped stem the tide, claiming a double points tactical win in the re-run after Jack Hargreaves had been controversially excluded for bringing the Hackney number 2 down.

Mildenhall immediately hit back though with a 5-1 maximum from Jacobs and Daniel Halsey.

Hackney finally made a match of it in the closing heats as they tried to limit the damage, but a brilliant Heat 15 ride from Baseby insured that Mildenhall had done enough to go into the second leg as favourites to progress to the next round.

Looking ahead to the second leg, Henry commented, “It would be silly to think we’ve won the tie, but as long as we keep our heads we have to be confident that 28 points is too much for Hackney make up.”

Mildenhall Fen Tigers: 60

Aaron Baseby - 3, 2+1, 3, 2+1, 1+1, 3 = 14+3; Daniel Halsey - 2+1, 1, 3, 2+1, X = 8+2; Lewis Blackbird - 3, 3, 1, 3, 3 = 12; Jack Hargreaves - 1, 2+1, 3, X, 2 = 8+1; Nick Laurence - 2+1, 0, X, 0 = 2+1; Joe Jacobs - 3, 3, 3, 1, 2, 3 = 15.

Hackney Hawks: 32

Barrie Evans - 0, 0, 1, 3, 2 = 6; Ben Morley - 2, 2 , 2, 6, 0 = 12; David Mason (c) - 1, 2+1, 0, 1 = 4+1; Ben Hopwood - 0, 2, 1, 2 = 5; Marc Owen - 1, 1, 2, 0 = 4; Brandon Freemantle - X, 0, X, 0, 0, 0, 1+1 = 1+1; Shane Hazelden - F = 0.