There were 4 matches in the Suncorp Super Netball League this weekend, with all eight teams taking to court.
England Rose’s Helen Housby and Stacey Francis-Bayman, Jamaican Sunshine Girl’s Shamera Sterling and Jhaniele Fowler, and Malawi Queen Mwai Kumwenda were among the standout international players.
Vixens 66 – 64 Firebirds
Melbourne Vixens made a comeback from their derby defeat to Magpies in Round 7, as they beat Firebirds 66-64 to reclaim the top spot in the league until Fever took to court the next day.
It was a close encounter, with Vixens down by 4 at half time, leaving it all still to play for in the second half.
It wasn’t until Malawi Queen, Mwai Kumwenda, went on a 5-0 scoring surge in the dying minutes of the final quarter that Vixens were able to secure the win and celebrate.
Thunderbirds 51 – 44 Sunshine Coast Lightning
Thunderbirds then ended their 5-game losing streak with a 51-44 victory over Sunshine Coast Lightning.
It was an all-round strong performance from Thunderbirds, with Jamaican Sunshine Girl Shamera Sterling once again excelling in defence making seven rebounds, five deflections, and three intercepts.
Whilst at the other end of the court the Thunderbirds shooters, Stephanie Wood (Australian Diamond), Reilley Batcheldor, Cara Koenen, shot at 92% compared to Lightning’s 62%.
Fever 74 – 69 Magpies
Following a goal for goal first half, Fever managed to edge ahead in the final quarter to beat Magpies 74-69 knocking Vixens off the top spot.
Two players that made a difference for Fever were Jamaican Sunshine Girl Jhaniele Fowler and England Rose Stacey Francis-Bayman.
Fowler shot 61 goals from 63 attempts in the clash, making sure that Fever capitalised from every opportunity they had in the close contest.
Whilst at the other end of the court, Francis-Bayman, made an impact at Goal Defence as she changed the momentum of the game with her interception whilst her team were trailing by 4, to get them back on track.
Giants 43 – 52 Swifts
In the final game of the weekend, Swifts returned to winning ways as they beat Giants 43 – 52 at the Ken Rosewall Arena.
Maddy Proud was the standout player in this match, as she worked tirelessly at centre making an outstanding 57 feeds into the circle.
Capitalising on those feeds into the circle, was England Rose Helen Housby, who scored 35 goals at 81% accuracy.
It was a big win for the reigning league champions, as they moved up to 7th.
Coming up…
Round 9 of the Suncorp Super Netball League begins on the 14th May , and you can view the fixtures and previous results here.
You can view the league table here.
International fans can watch every game of the 2022 Suncorp Super Netball Season live and on-demand as part of NetballAustralia.TV, the official international subscription service for fans outside of Australia and New Zealand.
To find out more about elite domestic netball leagues in other World Netball Regions, click here.
