The Co-operative International Netball
The top three netball teams in the world were in action in The Co-operative Internationals played at the University of Bath. England played World Ranked number 1 and 2, Australia and New Zealand. England faced world number one team and reigning world champions Australia at the Sports Training Village on Tuesday 13 October.
Then two days later, on Thursday 15 October, England took on the mighty New Zealand Silver Ferns, the reigning Commonwealth Games champions and currently ranked two in the world. Below are the match reports for both matches.
All images courtesy of SWPix.com
Programme design and sponsorship by Mercer Print
England v Australia
Tuesday 13th October 2009
Q1: 15-12
Q2: 25-27
Q3; 37-41
Q4: 44-55
Australia showed why they are still the world's best team by coming on strong to make it a convincing win over England in the Co-operative International Series. A 55-44 result maintains an impressive test record against their great rivals; if you don't count the weekend's defeat in the Co-operative World Netball Series( because it was Fast Net and not the full traditional game) then you have to go back to the early 80s to find the last time they were beaten by England. Back then England's head coach Sue Hawkins and assistant coach Kendra Slawinksi were on opposing sides and squaring up on court, and as TV commentator Charlie Brougham notes in the Sky Sports coverage, out of the current England squad only Karen Atkinson and Sonia Mkoloma had been born then.
All in all the meeting at the University of Bath Netball Centre meant a change of pace for those who had battled through the six minute quarters in Manchester. England took the first centre but were turned over early on by the strong Australian defence and it was the Diamonds who put the first goal on the board before attempting to bully their way into a lead. They were looking strong at 5-3 ahead but as the ball slipped through the net England woke up. Co-captain Sonia Mkoloma bellowing out defensive calls as she marshalled the impressive Aussie skipper Sharelle McMahon in the GA bib. McMahon, like many of our netball stars is such a great athlete to watch playing at full tilt. One move in the first quarter saw her in he process of tumbling off court and yet she still managed to turn, shoot and score. Jade Clark, England WD, had a big influence on the second part of the quarter with a number of key interceptions and with Louisa Brownfield finding the net with her shots the momentum swayed England's way.
The second quarter had it all, England started three goals ahead, moved into a five point lead, were hauled back to level pegging before ending the fifteen minute period on the wrong end of a 25-27 scoreline. It should have been time to consolidate the good work from the first 15 minutes but it was frustrating to watch as a fan because the home side were looking so good, putting together some slick passages of play, but then so were the Australians and the Diamond's lustre sparkled a little longer. It made fine entertainment for the packed crowd at the University of Bath Netball Centre who were merrily tootling on the endlessly irritating vuvuzelas - those giant kazoos that African football fans love so much.
A physically strong performance by the home side in the attacking circle helped build that five goal lead, it was two and a half minutes before the ball made it to Australian shooter. Karen Atkinson's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" inspired flying interception early on was one of the highlights of an impressive passage of play. Unfortunately it was shortly after that the team allowed mistakes to creep in which did not impress England head coach Sue Hawkins, "error after error after error, they'll turn it into a shot and you can't afford to do that." Failing to capitalise on the centre pass was also something the team will have to improve on according to Hawkins. "At this sort of level as soon as you have possession of the ball you need to score off it." The world champions turned a two goal deficit into a two goal advantage.
Quarter three should have been about playing catching up for England but that did not quite go to plan. The long ball tactic seemed to catch on for a bit after Pamela Cookey intercepted an Aussie pass by the centre circle and hefted it down to shooter Jo Harten for an easy score. Australia were forced into their long passing in the periods where the England defence gave them no other choice. Sonia Mkoloma needed ice on an eye injury and went off later in the quarter with an tweak to the ankle replaced by Eboni Beckford-Chambers. England had brought Sara Bayman on at WD for the quarter, Jade Clarke moved to centre, Karen Atkinson to WA with Louisa Brownfield making way for Jo Harten. Australia were more select shuffling the positions of McMahon and Pratley while taking off Gerrard and bringing on Rachel Bulley.
The final assault by Australia came in the last quarter and they sealed the deal by haring into attack from the openoing whiste, racking up the score with relative ease. Serena Guthrie added to her cap-book with a battling performance but it was pretty much a lost cause for England by then. Sharelle McMahon's overall shooting success was at 85%, but she landed 91% of her attempts in the last quarter helping earn her Co-operative Player of the Match. Another gong for the dazzling Diamond. "I think you saw a tired game", said Head Coach of the Australia Diamonds Norma Plummer, " I thought we came home with the goods especially our squad in the last quarter with McMahon and Pratley just opening up the game."
Final Score - England 44 Australia 55
England will be looking to re-group ahead of Thursday's Co-operative International Series meeting with New Zealand in Bath.
STARTING LINE-UPS:
England:
GS: Louisa Brownfield, GA: Pamela Cookey, WA: Tamsin Greenway, C: Karen Atkinson, WD: Jade Clarke, GD: Sonia Mkoloma, GK: Geva Mentor
Bench: Jo Harten, Serena Guthrie, Stacey Francis, Nadia Hutchinson, Eboni Beckford-Chambers
Australia:
GS: Susan Pratley, GA: Sharelle McMahon, WA: Kim Green, C Natalie von Bertouch, WD: Renae Hallinan, GD: Mo'onica Gerrard, GK: Bianca Chatfield.
Bench: Natalie Medhurst, Kate Beveridge, Lauren Nourse, Rebecca Bulley, Susan Fuhrmann.
England v New Zealand
Thursday 15th October 2009
After defeat to Australia in the first match of The Co-operative International Series, the last thing England head coach Sue Hawkins wanted her side to do was start by giving the ball away or fail to convert the centre pass. Annoyingly that was how this match started but unlike the game two days ago, England rallied at the next starting whistle and returned the favour to the Silver Ferns.
And that was how this remarkable international got underway and it continued to be pretty unpredictable. No shooter missed a pop at the posts in the first 15 minutes of this match, all four recording a 100% hit rate. England however turned-over the ball more, giving New Zealand more shots at the target and they made the most that cruising into a seven goal lead by the end of the first quarter. The home side struggled to get the ball to where it was meant to be, the placement and passing errors gave the Silver Ferns the chance to move well in front.
A seven goal deficit going into the second quarter was also not part of Englands pre-match game plan. Sue Hawkins, England head coach, shuffled her pack moving Mentor into GK and Mkoloma to GD bringing Sara Bayman on at C after Karen Atkinson was struck by a flailing arm before the final whistle of the opening quarter. The team tried to knuckle down to the task of reining in the Silver Ferns but fluffed key passes and a couple of cases of butterfingers saw the Girls in Black extend their lead to nine. This was quality netball and it was unnerving to see how quickly one or two small mistakes from the girls in Red were punished. It galvanised them though and by cutting out the errors by shutting out the Silver Ferns shooters , goal by goal England clawed their way back into the match.
Inspired shooting continued on England's side another 100 percent record from Brownfield and Cookey while Tutaia and Van Dyk slipped up after 25 minutes of play failing once each. By half-time they had closed the gap by three goals but still trailed by four.
Brownfield and Cookey's unblemished circle-partnership continued through the third quarter - neither missed a shot there either. England really came out fighting and as they tried to boss the Silver Ferns around they missed a couple of opportunities to get back on level terms and by not scoring off their centre passes were behind by eight goals with seven minutes on the clock. Tamsin Greenway picked up an ankle problem and after treatment was unable to carry on which saw the return of Karen Atkinson, head coach Sue Hawkins felt that was a turning point. "She did a tremendous job with the centre pass we were getting a bit clogged up on that.. she opened it up."
Going into the fourth quarter the gap was still four but the game turned with around 9 minutes left on the clock. Sonia Mkoloma made two key interceptions sent quickly down court by Jade Clarke, Pamela Cookey lost and regained possession before netting her shot 44-45. It was England's centre, the ball was fed into Brownfield who levelled the match for the first time since the start. England went into defensive overdrive - Van Dyk and Tutaia were marked off the court, the turned-over ball returned to England's end and in it went they were in front. At first by one and then by two 47-46.
Pamela Cookey was forced to call a time-out with a cramp-like injury but after treatment played on the score crept to 48-46, England's defence hassled the Ferns off the ball, less than five minutes to play and it was looking good 49-46. The crowd was roaring the teams on, the energy in the room was palpable, hope was high for the home-side supporters.
But the Ferns would not give up; Laura Langman, in full flow running style, stole a pass that gave Van Dyke the chance to make it 49-47, from their centre another mental push and the score was 49-48, the clock continued its countdown. England's centre-pass 50-48, New Zealand responded 50-49 and back to the England pass and into Brownfield who missed. It was turned over the Ferns scored and when the whistle finally went it was 51-51.
The extra-time was dominated by the Silver Ferns who switched on from the first whistle they were 54-60 head at the change of ends and finished 59-65 victors. Sue Hawkins said after the game: "We had an opportunity to step up and learn how to win and that's a lesson that we'll take away from this game - when you are in front by two, or up by one then you do take the next step. I think that's what they'll be disappointed in, they didn't , in that fourth quarter take the win and mistakes snuck in at the last moment."
Final Score - England 59 New Zealand 65 (aet)
STARTING LINE-UPS:
ENGLAND:
GS: Louisa Brownfield GA: Pamela Cookey WA: Tamsin Greenway C:Karen Atkinson WD: Jade Clarke GK: Geva Mentor GK: Sonia Mkoloma.
BENCH: Sara Bayman, Eboni Beckford-Chambers, Stacie Francis, Naida Hutchinson, Jo Harten
NEW ZEALAND:
GS: Irene van Dyk GA: Maria Tutaia WA:Temepara George (Vice-Captain) C:Laura Langman WD: Joline Henry GD: Casey Williams (Captain) GK: Katrina Grant
Liana Barrett-Chase, Paula Griffin Laura Langman, Wendy Telfer, Anna Thompson, Larrissa Willcox
SHOOTING STATS:
ENG: Louisa Brownfield 33 from 35 = 94%
ENG: Pamela Cookey 23 from 24 = 96%
ENG: Jo Harten 3 from 5 = 60%
NZ: Maria Tutaia 29 from 31 = 94%
NZ: Irene Van Dyke 36 from 38 = 95%
© Copyright England Netball 2006-2010. Web design by Theme Group
