Believing in the fighting qualities of the Diamonds, netball coach Lisa Alexander is hopeful that her team can equalize the three-Test series against New Zealand following their exhilarating one-goal defeat in Perth on Sunday.
After trailing by 11 goals in the third quarter, the Diamonds made a comeback and took the lead with just four minutes remaining before the Silver Ferns rallied to secure a 49-48 victory in the first match of the three-Test home series.
Maria Tutaia scored the decisive goal in the final minute, granting the Kiwis the lead, and a subsequent turnover off the restart solidified the visitors’ 2-1 lead in the best-of-five Constellation Cup series.
This outcome reversed the result of this year’s World Championships final, with veteran goal shooter Irene van Dyk converting 27 of 29 shots to guide New Zealand to victory before a packed crowd at the Burswood Dome.
However, Alexander expressed confidence that the Diamonds could reverse their fortunes in the upcoming second Test in Adelaide on Wednesday.
“What I’ve witnessed in this group is their tenacity to recover from a significant score gap, and it’s encouraging to know they have that capability,” she remarked.
“Today, we created far too many turnovers. We gave the ball away to them excessively, and it’s unrealistic to expect not to face consequences from that.
“Yet, I felt we demonstrated tremendous fight in the end, so we’re ready to come back.”
One setback for the Diamonds was Julie Corletto’s thigh injury, which removed her from play in the second quarter. Alexander noted it was in the same area as a previous knock she sustained during the series against England.
Ineffective shooting was a crucial factor in the Diamonds’ defeat, as they converted only 22 of their 35 attempts in the first half.
After half-time, Caitlin Bassett played a vital role in Australia’s resurgence, scoring 19 of her 21 shots after taking over for stand-in captain Catherine Cox. Alexander described her performance as “a joy to watch.”
Silver Ferns captain Laura Langman was satisfied with her team’s intensity but cautioned that there is significant room for improvement.
“We were incredibly focused in that first half, and we need to determine how to maintain that level of intensity after a break,” she commented.
Buford Balony says: When will they realize that Caitlin Bassett needs to start the game on the court instead of coming in as a substitute?
