Round 2 of the ANZ Premiership took place this weekend, and it was a round all about the defensive dominance, which International fans were able to tune in and watch live on NetballPass.
From Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit making her 200th national league appearance, and Elle Temu her 50th Premiership appearance, to Kelly Jury’s MVP performance, there really was so much to celebrate in defence.
Here are just some of the international stars that made a mark…
Magic 47 – 66 Stars
Both Magic and Stars started Round 2 in search of their first win of the season, having both lost their opening matches in Round 1.
It was Stars that bounced back the best from defeat, as they shot into the clash taking an early 5 goal lead into the second quarter.
From there, Stars continued to shine throughout the court with international players making their mark in each third, as they continued to extend their lead.
From Silver Fern’s Captain, Gina Crampton, at wing attack who made 55 feeds and 37 goals assists, to fellow Fern’s Elle Temu in defence, and Maia Wilson in the shooting circle, they all played their part in Stars eventual 47-66 victory.
Pulse 57 – 37 Steel
It was all about the defence in the second match of the day, with defenders being celebrated on both sides.
First up, it was Steel’s captain Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit who was acknowledge by the crowd as she played in her 200th national league match, making her only the 5th player to reach the milestone.
However, as the match got underway the tables turned and it was Pulse and Silver Fern defender Kelly Jury that caught the eyes of the netball family.
Jury made an instant impact when the first whistle blew, and throughout the match managed to make five interceptions, seven deflections and five rebounds, in a performance that eventually saw her awarded ‘Most Valuable Player’ and her team take a 57-37 win.
Tactix 45 – 54 Mystics
Both Tactix and Mystics went into this match off the back of victories and on the hunt to remain unbeaten, as they both put out their strongest starting line-ups.
Keeping with the theme of Round 2, it was all about the defensive dominance with both teams sporting well-known internationally decorated defensive-duos in their circles that were hard to breakdown.
For Tactix, it was Silver Ferns’ Jane Watson and Karin Burger, whilst Mystics had two Silver Ferns of their own, Sulu Fitzpatrick and Phoenix Karaka.
The constant pressure from the defence of both teams made the opening quarter a low scoring one, with Mystics taking a marginal 10-11 lead into the first break.
From there Mystics slowly but surely edged their way to victory, winning both the third and fourth quarters.
Stars 74 – 40 Steel
The last match of the round saw both Stars and Steel return to court, with Stars beating Steel leaving them without any points on league table.
There were more defenders to celebrate in this clash, with Stars Elle Temu making her 50th premiership appearance, and marking it in style with nine interceptions, four gains, and three rebounds.This see’s Temu sit top of the leagues interception charts.
After the defender was taken to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, as a travelling reserve, she will be hoping that some more stand-out league performances like this might help with her chances of selection for the Vitality Netball World cup 2023.
Another Silver Fern that had a stand-out performance in this match and now tops the leagues’ goal scoring charts was Maia Wilson.
Wilson converted 59 of her 61 shots on Monday evening, which is her highest goal scoring tally in elite netball, and her shooting masterclass also helped Stars to beat one of their own records, as their eventual 74-40 win was their highest score in the ANZ Premiership to date.
More information…
International fans can catch up on any of the action they have missed on NetballPass now.
To view the full fixture list, click here.
To find out more about the ANZ Premiership, click here.
To find out more about the start date of the other domestic leagues around the world, visit our Domestic League page here.
