NEW ZEALAND has won the third match of the 2024 Taini Jamison Trophy, winning 61-56 over England to pick up a consolation win despite having lost the series already.

The match was tight early, but New Zealand pulled away in the end and contended with multiple England fightbacks to take the win.

Early it was as tight as it could get, with the respective goal shooters really dominating.

Up one end Grace Nweke was really taking full advantage of the height mismatch between her and direct opponent Razia Quashie, while up the other end Olivia Tchine was finding great space and movement away from her direct opponent Kelly Jackson.

As Parris Mason and Imogen Allison were able to prove, it really was a game of inches early on.

Off the back of a flying intercept from Alison, it was the English who were the first to build and hold a proper lead, but it was hardly one they could rest their laurels on. New Zealand proved that when the Silver Ferns reeled the lead back in mere minutes later.

The Silver Ferns then took the lead for themselves in the final few minutes of the term, but England got back within one in the dying seconds of the term. However, with a final second goal to Nweke, the Silver Ferns took a two goal lead into the first change.

New Zealand maintained its lead early in the second term, but about a third of the way through the term and off the back of some strong intercepts from its defenders, England had got proceedings back level and going goal for goal.

The lead changed a couple of times as the quarter progressed, but ultimately the Silver Ferns pulled away late to take a four goal lead into the main break.

In the third term, New Zealand started well and maintained its lead for much of the term, even growing it out to as much as six goals.

However, as the quarter progressed into its back end, England kicked back into gear, and after scoring nine of the last 13 goals of the quarter, were back within one goal of the Ferns heading into the last quarter.

However in the final term New Zealand got off to a strong start, and held off a bit of a Roses fightback to earn the consolation win.

NEW ZEALAND              18 | 14 | 12 | 14 (61)
ENGLAND                       16 | 12 | 18 | 10 (56)

STARTING SEVENS

New Zealand:

GS: Grace Nweke
GA: Ameliaranne Ekenasio
WA: Claire O’Brien
C: Maddy Gordon
WD: Karin Burger
GD: Parris Mason
GK: Kelly Jackson

England:

GS: Olivia Tchine
GA: Helen Housby
WA: Lois Pearson
C: Imogen Alison
WD: Ellie Rattu
GD: Fran Williams
GK: Razia Quashie