REINING World Champions, New Zealand claimed the Taini Jamison Trophy with a strong second half guiding them to victory against England (54-47). Down at half-time, the Ferns looked more settled in attack and were able to fight back against the Roses – who held much of the control in the opening half of the match – to walk out with a win next to their name and the silverware.

The Silver Ferns got the action underway but a sloppy start to the game gifted the Roses with a wealth of opportunities to capitalise and that they did. Some strong defensive pressure from Fran Williams and quick transition down court enabled England to bypass the Ferns and push out to a three goal lead early. But the Ferns fought their way back into the contest to get within one. The circle of Eleanor Cardwell and Sophie Drakeford-Lewis paid dividends for England with the moving shooters keeping the defenders guessing.

The long arms of Jane Watson started to come into play with the goal defence getting a perfectly timed deflection on the shot to reclaim possession. With under six minutes in the quarter the Ferns levelled the scores through the hands of Maia Wilson however it was no easy feat given the immense defensive pressure stemming from the Roses. Hitting the lead thanks to some consistent play down the court, the Ferns seemed to settle into their rhythm weathering the fast starting Roses. Some Serena Guthrie magic sparked the Roses back into action with the centre taking an impressive intercept in the defensive third and propelling the ball back down the court.

Facing a two-goal deficit the Roses made a wealth of changes at quarter time, as George Fisher pulled on the goal shooter bib making no mistake while in goal defence Vicki Oyesola made her way onto the court. With the Ferns getting out to as many as four goals in the early stage of the quarter Fisher’s increased movement caught the Ferns defenders off-guard and enabled her to reign the margin back in. England showcased their improved connections down the court to slice the margin while the old firm in Jade Clarke and Guthrie got to work to pick-up a stellar intercept and once again level the scores. The ball ebbed and flowed up and down the court as the lead fluctuated with neither side able to solidify a lead in the second quarter.

Some wayward passes from the Ferns gifted the Roses a chance to put the foot down. A run of four goals saw them swing the lead in their favour skipping out to a three goal lead with Fisher the main source of their problems under the post. Some disconnect in attack for the Ferns saw them struggle to bring the ball down the court with conviction allowing Razia Quashie to come out hunting and win ball back. Karin Burger worked her way into the match after being injected into the term getting hands to ball to turn it over and disrupt the flow of play. The Ferns looked frazzled across the court unable to find any continuity in their ball movement with Shannon Saunders well covered by Guthrie. With a two goal buffer against them, wholesale changes were made for the Ferns with Burger pushed across to wing defence, Watson re-emerged but in goal defence and Claire Kersten made her way from the bench into centre, a move that proved to work well given the increased pressure.

In an unfamiliar position, down at half-time the Ferns rallied with Kersten showcasing her defensive nous to reel in an intercept and push the Ferns forward. This win prompted consecutive goals as the Ferns wrestled back the lead and momentum to hit the front by two goals. The Ferns had a real pep in the step and a renewed sense of confidence going on a six goal run with Ameliaranne Ekenasio using her speed to lose Williams and convert under the post. The ball started to fall the way of the Ferns even despite a couple of errant shots.

The speed of Whitney Souness started to come to the fore while centurion Guthrie was forced to the sideline with a suspected ankle injury. With just over six minutes to play the Roses managed their second goal for the term while up the other end the Ferns continued to run rampant and push out to a five goal lead thanks to their increased defensive pressure. Ekenasio found her range able to cover the court and hit the scoreboard with relative ease while Fisher continued her merry way under the post for the Roses albeit it at a reduced rate.

With a quarter left to play and everything on the line the Ferns dug deep to fend off the resurgent Roses who were determined to leave no stone unturned. Wing attack Laura Malcolm proved to be in ripping form hitting the circle edge with great ease to continuously deliver into Cardwell who had re-entered the game after two quarters on the sideline. Kelly Jury was brought on to combat the high ball going into the circle before they reverted to their original duo in Watson and Sulu Fitzpatrick with the latter however out in goal defence. It was a much more even quarter with only a goal separating the two sides as the changes seemed to answer the question the Ferns were asking however the damage had already been done with New Zealand holding strong to sew up the series with a seven goal victory.

It was a dominant shooting performance by Wilson as the goal shooter proved to be an easy target inside the circle amassing 38 goals from 41 attempts at 93 per cent while partner in crime, Ekenasio also played a handy role sinking 16 goals from 18 at 89 per cent. Fisher was the most accurate for the Roses with the goal shooter nailing 17 straight while Cardwell led the way with 19 from 21. Drakeford-Lewis was not only a playmaker but also a viable option under the post with 11 goals and 12 goal assists. In terms of goal assists Malcolm was the go to girl collecting 18 while for the Ferns, Kersten showed her keen eye to deliver a team-high 14 goal assists. Defensively Fitzpatrick was the main ball winner notching up five gains, four of which were rebounds while Quashie starred with two intercepts.

STARTING SEVEN:

New Zealand:

GS: Maia Wilson
GA: Ameliaranne Ekenasio
WA: Gina Crampton
C: Shannon Saunders
WD: Sam Winders
GD: Jane Watson
GK: Sulu Fitzpatrick

England:

GS: Eleanor Cardwell
GA: Sophie Drakeford-Lewis
WA: Laura Malcolm
C: Serena Guthrie
WD: Jade Clarke
GD: Fran Williams
GK: Razia Quashie