Thunder are back home - but Kestrels spoil the party

By Dave Marshall
Published 26th Jan 2021, 11:17 BST
Updated 26th Jan 2021, 11:19 BST
Action from the Worthing Thunder v Solent Kestrels match at Durrington High School / Picture: Luke Simcock / LS_MEDIA_Action from the Worthing Thunder v Solent Kestrels match at Durrington High School / Picture: Luke Simcock / LS_MEDIA_
Action from the Worthing Thunder v Solent Kestrels match at Durrington High School / Picture: Luke Simcock / LS_MEDIA_
High-flying Solent Kestrels prevented Worthing Thunder from celebrating a new temporary home with a win, inflicting a 107-57 defeat on their hosts.

Thunder’s first home game of the 2020-21 season finally arrived last Saturday and it couldn’t have been a tougher match-up as the Kestrels were the opposition at the Durrington High School court.

The school is now the temporary home of Thunder after pandemic restirctions meant they had to vacate Worthing Leisure Centre, and an enormous amount of work by Thunder’s band of volunteers had ensured the fixture could go ahead under government guidelines and big thanks went out to them.

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The first period of play was terrific end to end stuff with Thunder fast into the action.

Action from the Worthing Thunder v Solent Kestrels match at Durrington High School / Picture: Luke Simcock / LS_MEDIA_Action from the Worthing Thunder v Solent Kestrels match at Durrington High School / Picture: Luke Simcock / LS_MEDIA_
Action from the Worthing Thunder v Solent Kestrels match at Durrington High School / Picture: Luke Simcock / LS_MEDIA_

Two treys saw Thunder into a 6-0 lead and hopes of a shock were raised.

Solent, however, had other ideas and began to up the tempo as the period progressed.

Thunder stayed with them and matched the scoring – Tom Ward and Howard Crawford worked hard but as the quarter finished it was the visitors who had pulled into a 32-23 lead.