Match Report
England Netball
England Netball
England made a fantastic start to the competition with a convincing win over underdogs Fiji. An evenly contested start to proceedings saw both sides turn the ball over with players getting used to the conditions on court and the noise made by a frenzied crowd! The hosts settled the better, and with the return of a fit again Sara Bayman, the crowd roared the team into a 7 – 4 lead at the end of the first quarter. A mesmerising two pointer from Jo Harten ensuring that the quarter ended with a bang.
From then on England controlled the flow of play and dictated the speed of the action. Passing moves were working and great movement in defence from Stacey Francis, Eboni Beckford-Chambers and Emma Dovey ensure that Fiji were living on no more than scraps. Although, it has to be noted, that when the Fijian shooters had the chance, they were making their shots. At half-time England were 14 – 9 ahead.
For the second game in a row the Powerplay was called in the third quarter by both sides, England sneaking theirs in at the last possible second as the teams took to the court. Fiji immediately missed and with Harten still nonchalantly finding the net with Pamela Cookey and Rachel Dunn for support, the lead stretched and Fiji were staring down the barrel. A great quarter to the delight of the Echo Arena crowd so England all but wrap up victory with a 28 – 13 lead.
The fourth quarter, much as the same as the Australian game, was more of a procession as the tempo slowed and the results becoming increasingly clear. This allowed Kadeen Corbin to come into the game and find her range, sinking a couple of goals in the closing stages, Laura Malcolm also made her way on at C as the England squad were all taking time on court ahead of the much bigger prospect of New Zealand this evening.