Netballers retain World Games title

Press, 29 July 1989, Page 15

Netballers retain World Games title

PA Karlsruhe New Zealand saved its best performance until it really counted when it beat Australia, 33-29, to retain its World Games netball title yesterday. It was the world champion’s fourth win in as many matches over its toughest rival this year, and perhaps its most satisfying. New Zealand beat Australia, 3-0, in the international home series in May, but the captain, Waimarama Taumaunu, will have fqnder memories of this victory. “This is more satisfying because we.had to work harder. I think the series result was a bit of a surprise. Here we were favourites so we had to maintain our position,” she said after the match. By half-time the match should have been dead and burled as a contest, New Zealand having taken its chances and built a 10-point lead, 21-11. However, Australia fought back stubbornly, reducing the deficit from 23-13 to 2319 as the shooters, Vicki Wilson and Sue Kenny, battled to keep Australia in the hunt. That was as close as Australia got. New Zealand managed to swap goal for goal and at 32-27 inside the last two minutes seemed to have the match in control. Then Australia had one final chance. Incredibly the usually reliable Kenny missed

a sitter from right under the • hoop, then another seconds later and Australia would have had the centre pass with three points separating the teams. Instead New Zealand kept its composure and was worth at least its four-point margin at the final whistle. The coach, Lyn Parker, plumped for her most experienced line-up and it did not disappoint in a very physical confrontation. Taumaunu and Sharon Burridge worked efficiently against Wilson and Kenny, whose shooting was a major disappointment for Australia. Julie Townsend, the centre, Sandra Mallett and the wing attack, Rita Fatialofa, were a tidier mid-court combination than Australia’s while the shooters, Julie Carter and Tracy Eyrl, reacted well under heavy defensive pressure. In the other final round matches, England wrapped up third place with a 34-11 win over Scotland while the Cook Islands continued its improvement with a 40-32 victory over Fiji. Two Fijian players were carried from the court on stretchers in a bruising contest Final points: New Zealand 10 (224 goals for, 98 against), Australia 8 (243-115), England 6 (176-112), Cook Islands 4 (140-206), Scotland 2 (81-198), Fiji 0 (93-248).