It was an action-packed weekend of netball across the globe, as club netball continued to produce some thrilling contests. Here’s our report from around the courts….
Suncorp Super Netball League
Credit – NSW Swifts
The second round of fixtures in Australia’s Suncorp Super Netball League produced more tense finishes as three sides keep their 100% winning record in tact. West Coast Fever leads the way on top of the league standings due to having the most bonus points.
Jhaniele Fowler-Reid impressed yet again for West Coast Fever, converting 62 of her teams 68 goals. Last week Fowler-Reid broke the record for most goals in a single Super Netball League game with 66. Scoring 62 this week, you get the impression she may beat her own record before the season is over…
The Giants and Melbourne Vixens have two wins from two and follow West Coast Fever closely behind in second and third place respectively.
The Vixens were involved in one of the games of the weekend against the NSW Swifts. They won 63-61, following a late fightback in what was a back and forth encounter.
Aussie Diamond Jo Weston went off injured early on but later returned to the court and epitomized the Vixens’ fightback. Swifts would be leading at the main interval and were taking most shooting opportunities but found themselves up against a relentless Vixens in the final quarter and didn’t get much possession of the ball.
Reigning champions Sunshine Coast Lightning lost their second game of the season in a very closely contested Queensland derby. Jamaica shooter Romelda Aiken converted 39 from 45 attempts en route to the victory.
Full Results
Adelaide Thunderbirds 48 – 71 Giants Netball
West Coast Fever 68 – 57 Collingwood Magpies
Queensland Firebirds 55 – 52 Sunshine Coast Lightning
Melbourne Vixens 63 – 61 NSW Swifts
Next weekend current league leaders West Coast Fever play the reigning champions Sunshine Coast Lightning. For the full fixture list click here.
Credit – Suncorp Super Netball League
Vitality Superleague
Credit – Team Bath
In the UK, it has been a busy weekend in the Vitality Superleague with games taking place Friday, Saturday and Monday. The league leaders Wasps were not in action which allowed the chasing pack to make up some ground. Loughborough Lightning and benecosMavericks reduced Wasps’ lead to six following their wins over the weekend.
Loughborough’s Peace Proscovia leads the way with the most goals scored in the competition with 456. She outscored everybody last season and was in fine form yet again over the weekend.
Elsewhere, the fight to finish inside the top four is closer than ever. Team Bath were three points behind Thunder before the weekend’s fixtures took place, but two wins over the weekend and with Thunder losing to Loughborough sees Team Bath leapfrog Thunder into fourth place on goal difference.
Layla Guscoth put in a Player of the Match performance for Team Bath against Severn Stars which helped them on their way to their seventh win of the season.
Full Results
Team Bath 66 – 39 Celtic Dragons
UWS Sirens 42 – 64 Manchester Thunder
Surrey Storm 43 – 56 benecosMavericks
Loughborough Lightning 65 – 45 Team Northumbria
Surrey Storm 70 – 42 Celtic Dragons
Team Bath 51 – 35 Severn Stars
Manchester Thunder 56 – 62 Loughborough Lightning
Team Northumbria 47 – 42 UWS Sirens
Next weekend will see the league leaders Wasps return to action when they play UWS Sirens. For a full fixture schedule click here.
Credit – Vitality Superleague
ANZ Premiership
Credit – Pulse Netball
It was the opening round of the ANZ Premiership over the weekend. New Zealand’s premier netball league started off with a ‘Super Sunday’, which saw all six sides compete at the same venue.
It was a mixed weekend for defending champions Southern Steel. They opened the weekend with a 55-47 victory over Northern Mystics. However, on Monday night they came up short and fell to a 62-51 defeat against Central Pulse. This is the first time in history that Southern Steel have lost a match in the ANZ Premiership, ending a 17-game winning streak.
Young shooters Aliyah Dunn and Tiana Metuarau caused all sorts of problems for the Steel defenders. At just eighteen years old, Aliyah Dunn who has been working with Pulse shooting specialist and Silver Fern legend Irene van Dyk, is certainly one to watch in this ANZ Premiership.
There was a dramatic conclusion in the contest between Northern Stars and Silvermoon Tactix. 60 minutes of netball couldn’t separate the two sides which meant extra time had to be played, following the 55 all stalemate. This is the first time in ANZ Premiership history that a game has gone to extra time, in which Silvermoon Tactix held their nerve to secure their first points of the season.
Silver Fern Temalisi Fakahokotau and captain Jess Maclennan saw a lot of the ball in the final quarter and were influential in Tactix’ comeback. They were trailing by five in the final quarter before equalizing and forcing extra time.
Full Results
Northern Mystics 47 – 55 Southern Steel
Central Pulse 45 – 33 WBOP Magic
Northern Stars 60 – 61 Silvermoon Tactix
Central Pulse 62 – 51 Southern Steel
The final game of round one will be played this Wednesday where Northern Mystics take on Silvermoon Tactix. Full schedule can be found here.
For international fans, every game in the ANZ Premiership is live-streamed on the ANZ Premiership website which can be found here.
Credit – ANZ Premiership
M1 Netball Super League
Credit – Netball Singapore
Blaze Dolphins will play Mission Mannas this Saturday (12th May) in the Grand Final.
Brutal Fruit Netball Premier League
Credit – Netball South Africa