Silver Ferns claim decider over England
- editor59343
- 2 minutes ago
- 3 min read
The Silver Ferns have claimed the Netball International Series against England 2-1 following a grinding 55-49 win in the decider in Manchester.
As with the opening two matches which ended up with each team posting respective 61-58 wins, the series decider was another close tussle before the world No 2 Silver Ferns pulled out the big plays when it counted most to shake off England.
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Winning all but the opening quarter, the Silver Ferns bounced back time and again when England often threatened to break their resolve.
The Silver Ferns stuck with the same seven throughout while forcing England to use four different shooters in the host’s bid to change the outcome.
With a four-goal lead heading into the final quarter, the Silver Ferns, through the fine efforts of defender Kelly Jackson, the midcourt unit and stellar shooting of Grace Nweke, eventually got the better of the gallant Roses to finish the job following a demanding late season schedule.
Following 12 tests in the space of a few short weeks against four different opponents, the Silver Ferns head into their summer break with a commendable nine-win three-loss record.
Both teams tinkered with their midcourt starters, the Silver Ferns opting for their first test combination of Mila Reuelu-Buchanan (wing attack) and Maddy Gordon at centre. For the Roses, Lois Pearson (wing attack) and the well-performed Amy Carter at centre, got their first start of the series together.
Both sides lacked the urgency of the previous two matches while making slow starts to the decider. Strong midcourt defence from the Roses slowed the Silver Ferns progress who relied on a methodical, deliberate and patient attacking build-up.
Neither side had fluency, with the lead changing hands several times but eventually, it was the Roses taking advantage of some uncharacteristic lapses from the Silver Ferns to win the opening quarter for the first time in the series 14-11.
The Silver Ferns made the perfect start on the resumption, nailing the first four goals to squeeze back into a narrow one-goal lead. In a familiar trend of the series, a goal-for-goal pattern ensued with England shooter Liv Tchine finding her range with some decisive shots from distance.
However, England struggled to find their flow, the Silver Ferns defenders forcing their opposing attackers wide and posing problems with their shooting opportunities. Fortunes ebbed and flowed with the New Zealanders negotiating the Roses suffocating midcourt defence with patient play and an improved delivery ball into key shooter Nweke’s hands.
In a bid to find more fluency, England replaced Tchine with Helen Housby (moving back from goal attack) while Pearson took over at goal attack and Jess Shaw came off the bench and into wing attack.
In a strong quarter, the Silver Ferns kept England at arm’s length, winning the quarter 16-11, to take a small 27-25 buffer into the main break.
Sticking with their staring seven, the Silver Ferns overcame their third quarter nemesis in an increasing physical contest during a stanza that swung back and forth as England looked to make their move.
With Pearson slotting in well to goal attack and providing a moving circle and accurate shooting, the Roses clawed their way back into the lead. That stretched out to a three-goal advantage as the signs looked ominous for the Silver Ferns before they rebounded strongly.
Key steals from Jackson and Kate Heffernan changed the momentum for the Silver Ferns who finished with a flourish by slotting the last four goals.
The Silver Ferns changed that trend of struggling in the third quarter with a 15-13 turnaround which propelled them to handy 42-38 lead at the last turn.
