South East Division One, 9th September
Hethersett 83 : Leigh Cossey 19 , Lee Grange 12, Dan Chambers 11, Dave Martin 11,Phil Adams 10 , Harley Hamill 9, Oliver Buxton 9, Calvin Grimes 2.
Ipswich 95 : Jamie Chittock 20 , Ashley Hill 15, Josh Brooke 15, Charlie Rumbold 13, Jordan Stant 10, Leon Mower 10, Matthew Hill 10, Lauren Jacobs 2 .
Referee : Bill Brooke (Suffolk ) .
Ipswich made the trip to Norfolk for this tough looking fixture. Hethersett were bouyed by their success at Great Blakenham on Saturday night and were able to field a strong line up with Lee Grange back in the saddle after his lengthy lay off due to a groin strain .
The early indications suggested likewise as the home side looked to pressure their visitors taking the first heat 6-4 through Chambers /Grange and then sharing heat two ,they went out to secure another 6-4 in heat three. Heats four and five were shared as Ipswich looked to get a foot hold in the match and duly arrived in heat six when Chittock /Rumbold recorded a 6-3 to reduce the rears to one point.
This then was followed by a fine 7-3 by Hill / Brooke in heat seven to open up a three point lead and a lead they were never going to surrender. In heat eight Stant /Mower overcome Adams/Martin 6-4 and the very next heat the impressive Chittock partnered with Rumbold were able to increase Ipswich’s lead with another 6-3 after Lee Grange wa excluded for bringing Chittock down on the final bend and referee Bill Brooke awarded the heat to Ipswich to take Ipswich into the half time break eight points up 40-48 .
The second half stared with Ipswich sending young pairing out in the shape of Rumbold and Clarke and the young riders let no-one down settling for the shared heat. Ipswich took complete control in heats eleven and twelve; firstly Hill/Broke got their second 7-3 of the afternoon and before the dust had settled young Rumbold and Chittock punish Hethersett’s Chambers /Buxton for another 7-3 opening up a sixteen point gap.
Hethersett response was to claim the inside grids and the tactic seemed to be working after heats thirteen to fifteen saw the Norfolk outfit produced three 6-4’s on the bounce. Heat sixteen saw Stant /Rumbold stop the charge with a shared heat and effectively kill off any hopes of a come back. The match was duly put to bed went Chittock /Brooke hampered out a 7-3 taking Chittock to his maximum for the afternoon. Ipswich had the luxury of putting youngsters Hill and Clarke out in the final heat and though they were unable to prevent Cossey picking up his fourth race win of the match. All in all another great alround team performance .
The win sees Ipswich move eight points clear and surely see them retain their title with four matches left to race .