ROUND 8 of the Vitality Netball Superleague proved to be a very interesting week in netball, with more close matches than not. Team Bath finally experienced a home win in 2019, while London Pulse put in a four quarter effort, pushing Loughborough Lightning to earn their win.

Opening Round 8 was a tight tussle between Team Bath and Manchester Thunder in front of a capacity crowd at Team Bath Arena, with both sides battling for dominance as Bath beat the third-ranked side 60 – 56. Team Bath got the bragging rights, winning their first home game for 2019, beating the Thunder by four points and handing them their second loss of the season. Team Bath impressed in what was a four-quarter, full court effort, with a level of consistency that the side has only shown patches of so far this season. Goal attack, Sophie Drakeford-Lewis was named Bath player of the match with 95 per cent accuracy, pairing exceptionally with shooter, Kim Commane who shot at 93 per cent. Imogen Allison, Eboni Usoro-Brown and Summer Artman were stellar down back, producing turnovers throughout defence, with Artman producing two crucial intercepts in the dying minutes of the match. Meanwhile, Thunder struggled under Bath’s full court pressure, making numerous uncharacteristic changes throughout the match to try and combat the constant dominance. Despite issues and mistakes all over the court, Thunder shooter, Joyce Mvula was dominant under the ring for the visitors, while Rebekah Airey starred defensively, coming on in the second half and pulling off exceptional turnovers.

Celtic Dragons came away with their third victory for 2019, taking on Surrey Storm and registering a two-goal win, 48 – 46, to boost the side higher up the ladder. Despite a slower final quarter, the Dragons’ efforts throughout the first three terms were just enough to get them over the line against a fighting Storm side. Coupled with unforced errors across the court from both sides due to constant pressure, it was a tough and physical matchup, with both sides attempting to capitalise off every possession and unwilling to let up the intensity downcourt. The partnership of Dragons’ circle defenders, Dee Bolakoro and Stacian Facey was phenomenal, with the pair growing in strength week in and week out, while Abby Tyrrell also made her mark defensively through the second half. With cautions across the court, Storm attempted to pull back the infringements, but were unable to drag back the momentum that they let slip away early in the match. Storm goaler, Rhea Dixon put her mark on the match after taking the court midway through the first term, pairing well with shooter, Sigi Burger, while defensive efforts from Shadine Van Der Merwe and Katy Holland kept Storm in the match in the dying minutes.

London Pulse pushed hard in their Round 8 matchup against the Loughborough Lightning, but were unfortunately unable to pull out a surprise win over the Lightning, going down by five goals, losing 56 – 51. A 17-goal third term from the Pulse narrowed the margin and proved they had the ability to take the game, however could not capitalise on their third quarter efficiency to come out winners. But, this match shows a great deal of improvement from the Pulse, who should be happy with the tight margin given Lightning’s current fourth place on the ladder and winning streak. Pulse shooter, Shantal Slater continued her impressive form under the ring, shooting 34 goals at 100 per cent accuracy, and proving her necessity as a target in the goal circle. Slater’s dominance is pivotal to the Pulse’s further success in the competition, and her performance should be the spark that will boost Pulse back into their second win of the season in the coming weeks. Lightning player of the match, Tuaine Keenan was phenomenal defensively, pairing well with Vicki Oyesola who was dominant through the midcourt and defensive end. Mary Cholhok was her normal dominant self at the post before coming off midway through the third term after a poke in the eye, while wing attack, Hannah Joseph was phenomenal through the midcourt, landing on the edge of the circle with precision.

Wasps Netball continued their dominant 2019 campaign in Round 8, winning convincingly over the Strathclyde Sirens 61 – 34, maintaining their comfortable position in top spot on the ladder. The Sirens never looked to stand a chance, only shooting 14 goals in the first half, compared to the Wasps’ 30. Despite holding the Wasps to a 13-goal first quarter and disrupting the flow with consistent defensive play, it was the Sirens’ attacking end that could not capitalise while missing star shooter, Cat Tuivaiti, though Bethan Goodwin proved her selection for the side, silkily moving through the circle in goal shooter. Wasp, Jade Clarke was pivotal through the midcourt, providing constant assistance, while Bongi Msomi also made her mark. Rachel Dunn was her regular, consistent self, unphased by the rotation in at goal attack highlighting her ability to adapt to work with different players. A comfortable lead saw the Wasps make a number of changes, ensuring players shared time on court to boost consistency throughout the entire playing group ahead of a tough Round 2 replacement match on Wednesday.

To close out Round 8, the Severn Stars hosted the Saracens Mavericks, a side that has been consistently impressing in 2019. The Mavericks dominated from the beginning, shooting 17 – 10 in the first quarter, on their way to a 46 – 64 goal victory. The Stars are another side that show patches of brilliance, but cannot stand up consistently when the opposition takes charge. Mavericks’ player of the match, Jo Trip was key in slowing the Stars’ momentum, showing off her defensive footwork in her classy intercepts and deflections and proving why footwork is key to any player on court, regardless of position. The Mavericks were effective at capitalising on the Stars’ errors, making it more difficult for the Stars to fight back into the match. The Stars’ defenders, Sam Cook, Jodi-Ann Ward and Halimat Adio battled hard to keep the ball from Mavericks shooters, Kadeen Corbin and George Fisher, to no avail, while Stars’ centre, Lucy Harris kept pushing throughout the match.

Wasps Netball hosted Manchester Thunder on Wednesday night for a replacement Round 2 clash that looked to change the course of the competition. As predicted, it was a tough match between two of the top teams of the competition, with Thunder establishing themselves as the team to watch out for as they came away with a huge nine-goal win over the ladder leaders, 55- 64. It was the Thunder’s dominant first half, shooting 23 – 38, that knocked the Wasps out of the match, relegating the Wasps to a quarter score under ten for the first time in 2019. It was Thunder’s composed 22-goal second quarter that continued to cause issues for the Wasps, going into the second half with a 15-goal lead. The Wasps won the second half, beating the Thunder under the post for the first time in the game, but despite a final push it was well and truly Thunder’s victory. Thunder’s defence stood up in the exceptional win, with Kerry Almond and Emma Dovey well and truly holding down the fort, proving Thunder’s strength in the defensive end. Wasps shooter, Rachel Dunn was as composed as ever, but was unable to get the job done against Thunder’s relentless pressure around and inside the circle.