LADDER movement was a big feature of Round 12 of the Vitality Netball Superleague, with the end of the season approaching and pushing teams to their limits. Two close matches were significant in changing up ladder positions, with the Mavericks dropping from second to fifth after a five goal loss to the Lightning, while Bath won their sixth game on the trot to move up to third. Two blowouts saw the percentage of high flyers, Thunder and Wasps jump up again, seeing the Wasps return to second place after being knocked down to third at the end of Round 11. This round’s results may end up being pivotal in finals chances for the top five, with one team always chasing the rest of the group and well ahead of the lower end of the ladder.

Round 12 started with an absolute nailbiter as the Celtic Dragons hosted Severn Stars, going down by one goal after dominating throughout. It was the Dragons’ last quarter effort that let them down, shooting only eight goals and allowing the Stars to skip ahead to get their fourth win (52 – 53) despite it being their third match in eight days. The Stars will be happy with this match, coming back after being down by five goals at three quarter time, however will want to work on their defensive ball movement after letting the Dragons shoot 17 goals in the second term. With Sam Cook heading the circle in defence and Georgia Rowe on form in goals the Stars had a good day out, taking advantage of opportunities and proving they can claw back matches. The Stars took a more defensive approach to the game after the second quarter form from the Dragons, which seemed to give them better opportunities around the ball. The Dragons held on well until injury caused disruption through attack, with dominant Round 11 shooter, Chelsea Lewis coming off early in the final quarter. The Stars capitalised and came out with the win, while the Dragons will be rueing another lost opportunity after as much as an eight goal lead earlier in the game came down to a single goal deficit. Despite good performances from defenders, Kalifa McCollin and Dee Bolakoro, the Stars’ movement through goal was too efficient in the dying stages to draw back the margin.

It was a tale of two halves when the Loughborough Lightning hosted the Saracens Mavericks, seeing the Mavericks drop down the ladder to fifth after a second half blitz brought the Lightning back into contention for the win, beating their top five rivals 54 – 49. The Lightning have been an unknown quantity in recent weeks, contending well against top sides and almost dropping matches to lower sides on the ladder, so their seventh win on the trot will be a big confidence booster on the road to finals as we reach the pointy end of the season. Lightning’s second half was almost unrecognisable after a tight start to the match, seeing the home side down by three at half time, before they were able to take control in the second half, with the momentum swinging their favour after an 18 goal third quarter took the sides back to square one, even at the final change. Having now won against every side in the top five except Team Bath, Lightning are big contenders for the flag if they keep up their winning ways. Ella Clark was exceptional for the Lightning in the second half, flawlessly shooting from afar to take her side back into the match, while aided well by Nat Panagarry, who was dominant through the centre third, feeding ball back to attack when turnovers were in sight. Defensively the Lightning sparked up in this match, seeing Vicki Oyesola and Tuaine Keenan force Mavericks attackers to a standstill and making movement through attack difficult for Sasha and Kadeen Corbin, while also reducing oppotunities for goal shooter, George Fisher. The Mavericks’ attack wasn’t as switched on as they tend to be, however defender, Jo Trip was dominant in defence until the very end. The Mavericks are usually very composed through the full court, however struggled offensively in the second half, showing holes in their structure and proving a very difficult loss at this point of the season.

Wasps Netball were unstoppable against the London Pulse, dominating from the get-go and not letting up, proving that their losses over the past few weeks will not shake them from chasing their 2019 finals goal. The Wasps brought back some of their early season dominance with a big 32 point win over the Pulse, beating the bottom of the ladder 67 – 35. This match proves that the Wasps won’t let a few mid-season losses get in their way, making the remaining weeks of the season hard for the struggling Pulse who are still yet to get a second win for the season. The game was over by halftime, as the Wasps flawlessly shot 32 goals to 21 in the first half to make it difficult for the Pulse to come back into the match. Wasps showed off their offensive skill as they equaled Pulse’s final score in the second half alone, shooting 35 goals to a poor 14 point second half effort from Pulse. Jade Clarke’s influence in the midcourt was the gamechanger for the Wasps, working tirelessly and linking well through the midcourt, providing opportunities for both offensive and defensive play. Tamsin Moala took the court in goals with Rachel Dunn, showing a new side to the Wasps and proving to be another fantastic pairing in the goal circle as Pulse defenders were put under the pump. Goal keeper, Loreen Ngwira was sent off by the umpire in the dying minutes after persistent infringements, reducing the side to only six players on court and leaving the Pulse with yet another issue to tackle ahead of the pointy end of the season.

Strathclyde Sirens will be disappointed in their Round 12 effort, with a 26 goal deficit to the Manchester Thunder a sloppy display of their skill and easily gifting the Thunder another week at the top of the tables. It was a first quarter dominance from the Thunder that set up the big win, with a 19 goal to 10 first term, with a final score of 36 – 62. The Sirens defence just couldn’t hold up against the silky movement of Thunder goalers, Joyce Mvula and Kathryn Turner, though certainly made the top side fight for the win, especially in the first half. Thunder midcourters, Liana Leota and Amy Carter showed off their attacking prowess in the goal third, using their clever vision into the circle to connect well with Mvula and Turner and provide constant backup opportunities around the ring. Thunder’s extensive defence was tough, with the pairing of Emma Dovey and Kerry Almond working seamlessly in rotation to put consistent pressure on the opposition. The Sirens’ connection in the goal third and around the circle was effective, however the Thunder’s midcourt movement proved difficult to get through, meaning the Sirens were limited in their forward opportunities. The Thunder used this game as an opportunity to show why they’re at the top of the ladder at this point of the season, creating errors and capitalising on opportunities to run over the ninth placed Sirens.

Team Bath were just too strong for the Surrey Storm this time around, capitalising well on the Storm’s sloppy third quarter to take hold of the match and win by a convincing nine goals (48 – 57). Bath looked like a different side coming into this match, confidently winning their sixth game in a row and sneaking back into the top four after an up and down start to the season planted doubt in the minds of opposition. Despite an even first half leaving the sides on an even footing come second half, Bath were just too good away from home. The settled side proved their ability to capitalise on opportunities this time around, swapping players on and off court based on ability rather than form in a big comparison to their Round 3 encounter, with the Bath side confident in rotating through players to make play difficult for the home side. Forcing changes and disrupting momentum seemed to be key for the Storm first time around, so to see Bath settle despite difficulty proves they are more than ready to fight for their spot in the top four come finals. Laura Rudland, Leila Thomas and Abi Robson all enjoyed court time in the victory, while the ever reliable Serena Guthrie and Kim Commane combined well in attack to produce scoring opportunities and nudge Bath ahead. Internationals, Shadine Van Der Merwe and Sigi Burger provided extensive connection as always, keeping the Storm in close proximity to Bath, but couldn’t get the job done.