Temporary forward Lijah Perkins announced that in two weeks' time he will join a team in his wife's home nation, the Czech Republic. This forcefully renews Thunder's quest to replace Pat Bates, whose arm injury has prevented him joining the roster this season.

Coach Gary "Chicken" Smith said: "Pat's a class act and we'd welcome him with open arms but I understand he's still injured. There aren't many other big men about. There are one or two I'm looking at. It'll be a British or a Bosman player."

The 31-year-old Perkins, an experienced 6ft 6in Birmingham-born player who has played in Finland, Spain and Iceland, travels 2¼ hours from north London on a weekly Thunder contract. But he was cross on Saturday evening after not being called onto court during the comfortable win over London Capital.

He commented: "I'm the most experienced player on this team and I've never had a DNP (did not play] in my career."

Apart from the proof that Thunder had not needed him, Smith's retort was simple: "We pay him, but that doesn't mean I have to play him."

The coach, though, had an inbuilt reason for leaving Perkins benched: "Lijah was not at training this week. I'm very old school when it comes to things like that. There are 11 or 12 other guys busting a gut at practice."

Smith is evidently carrying forward this policy from Thunder's semi-pro English Basketball League days.

As it is, Perkins trains only once a week with the team. He threatened not to go with the team to Glasgow to meet title dark horses Scottish Rocks tonight (Thursday): "I'd be wasting my time. Chicken hasn't been playing me regularly so I can't get any rhythm. But I hope for the best for the team."

Thunder have nothing to lose at Kelvin Hall tonight but on Saturday, nicely timed, comes a game at home to Milton Keynes that offers Thunder the chance to build on their third victory. Above second-bottom Thunder, in a ladder back up into the play-offs zone, are four teams with only four wins – MK and Sheffield (who meet tomorrow), Guildford and Worcester.

Thunder did not need their fans to get behind them as a decisive factor against a London Capital line-up whose only foreign player was Josh Clark, a guard from New Zealand, who scored five points.

For the first time this season, the supporters could clap time to Zorba The Greek to close out the victory. But against Lions it will be a close finish if Thunder can match them, and then the crowd will need to play their role.

Lions are experienced, with BBL household names, Mike New, Robert Youngblood, Terrell Brown and Yorick Williams. They outscored Worcester 110-102 last Friday with starters Jason Obazuaye and Dru Spinks adding 32 points between them.

Against Capital, Worthing's centre Janis Ivanovskis (25 points, 10 rebounds) and forward Jonathan Woods (15 and 13 plus four blocks) snuffed out London's 6ft 11in Ajou Deng and 6ft 9in Ibrahim Gariba. And although guard Marcus Knight (31 points), Simon Bucknor and Daren Mills went to the hoop to reduce Capital's damage late on, Thunder's job was already completed with several 22-point leads, thanks also to some sharp shooting.

Aussie-born off-guard Dan Wardrope made all three of his three-pointers and all six free throws for a 100 per cent night while point-guard Daniel Hildreth made six of his seven shots and shared 10 assists with point-guard Ryan Patton. A bench five of four guards and centre Ciaran Burns played plenty of the final minutes.

Match reaction

On the game – Patton: "We wanted to move the ball for longer periods, pass it inside to Janis and Jonathan, then get it outside to our outside shooters, Dan Wardrope, James Brame, Colby Bargeman, Jonathan and Daniel. It's a learning curve but a couple of wins and we'll be in mid-table."

Smith: "We had to stop London getting second shots, take them out of their comfort zone, and run our fast break. We all needed to be on the same page defensively and being that will win us games."

THUNDER 92: Ivanovskis 25, Woods 15, Wardrope 15, Hildreth 10, Bargeman 9 (3 steals), Paton 7, Berry 4.

CAPITAL 79: Knight 31, Deng 12 (7rb), James 10, Mills 7. Gariba 7rb.
Plymouth beat leaders Newcastle 88-85 in the 2nd v 1st clash on Saturday.

Thunder owner Frank Gainsbury next season will seek to avoid the kind of recent back-to-back double headers that have taxed the team in their Friday evening games at Newcastle and Everton. He smiled: "We will try not to be quite so naive when we agree to our fixtures."

He also spoke about club development: "In stepping up to the BBL, we have devoted our resources to establishing the club and set off in a professional manner focusing in particular on the senior team. But our schools development and community schemes need our future attention so we can involve sponsors well and attract more children to watch the sport."

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