Three tightly contested games took place live and on demand on NetballPass* in Round 3 of the ANZ Premiership (ANZP) this weekend.
Here is our International Player Watch:
Pulse vs Robinhood Stars
Robinhood Stars recorded their second victory of the season with a 55-59 win over Pulse in Round 3 of the ANZP.
With both teams looking to bounce back from Round 2 defeats, they started the first half strong with not much separating the sides as they were drawing after the first 15 minutes and Pulse then won the second quarter by just one.
The real change in gear from Stars was seen in the penultimate quarter, with the combination of Amelia Walmsley at goal attack and Martina Salmon at goal shooter causing Pulse all sorts of problems.
The Silver Ferns duo worked well together, as Salmon held her space in the circle acting as a target for Stars as they won this quarter 8-18.
Pulse called in the defensive changes ahead of quarter four to try and contain the on-form opposition shooting circle, however, Salmon and Walmsley continued to find a way through as Salmon scored 32/35 a Walmsley 25/26.
You can catch up on this match on NetballPass*, here.
Magic vs Tactix
Game 2 of the round was top vs bottom, as 6th placed Magic welcomed the unbeaten 1st placed Tactix at the Claudelands Arena.
However, powered on by their home fans Magic made Tactix work for a full 60 minutes to keep their unbeaten record alive.
The league leaders would go on strong spells to take the lead, but Magic would always respond coming back from seven goals down at one stage in the first quarter to 26-26 four minutes into quarter two.
Following a period on the sidelines in the first quarter the re-introduction of Silver Fern Saviour Tui for Magic made a real difference, as she helped her team return to their attacking flow and was ever accurate under post.
However, Tactix showed their Championship qualities as they remained calm and used the two-point shot effectively to ensure they remained just in front of Magic.
Silver Fern Amorangi Malesala was clinical from the two point zone, as she netted two at the end of quarter two and two more at the end of quarter three to set her Tactix side up for their eventual 46-53 victory.
You can catch up on this match on NetballPass*, here.
Mystics vs Steel
With both teams entering Round 3 off the back of strong wins, this match-up between Mystics and Steel promised to be a competitive, end to end encounter.
The first 30 minutes lived up to its expectations as nothing could separate these two sides at the main break as they drew 12-12 and 14-14 in the opening quarters.
It was Steel that showed their strength from the 3rd quarter though, taking control of the game and winning both the penultimate and final quarters.
There were Silver Ferns in each third of the court that made the difference for Steel, with Aliyah Dunn scoring 47 from 47, Kimiora Poi dominating the midcourt as she made 11 goal assists, 25 feeds and two interceptions, and at the far end Carys Stythe made two interceptions and eight deflections, all which provide crucial as Steel won 46 – 57.
You can catch up on this game on NetballPass*, here.
Head to NetballPass* now to catch up on all the action ahead of Round 4 which starts on Saturday 2nd May.
To view all the fixtures, results, where to watch information and more visit our ANZP page, here.
*Restrictions are in place – viewers New Zealand should head to TVNZ to watch the matches live and on demand.