Basketball: Tigers pin hopes on Holley to stop Jets

Thames Valley Tigers will make their fourth National Cup semi-final appearance in the past five years at Ponds Forge today, hoping veteran Tony Holley will be the lucky talisman to pull them through to their first final since 1998.

The 35-year-old Holley, a 6ft 6in power forward from New York who now has a British passport, rejoined Tigers two weeks ago having earned a Cup-winners medal with them in 1998 in the final season of his first five-year spell with the club.

Crucially, Holley gives Paul James, the Tigers coach, another body to throw at holders Chester Jets, who were narrow 98-94 winners over Birmingham Bullets in the quarter-finals. Robbie Peers, the Jets coach, will want to use just six players, his five Americans and New Zealander Pero Cameron.

"Holley will really help them because he is experienced," Peers said. "He is an all-round quality player who plays defence, who rebounds." James added: "They have excellent strength in all their starting five, so it's a question of whether you can get them to be more tentative."

Tigers tip off against Jets at 4pm, with London Towers facing Brighton Bears at 6pm. Brighton are aiming for their first final, but after going 10-games unbeaten at the start of the season they have lost their last three, including a 105-87 Trophy defeat against Towers. Towers will be without the Cup-tied Shaheen Holloway.