One of year’s top games in offing

PRESSURE PLAY: YMP goal shoot Paku-Jane Skudder catches the ball under pressure from Whangara goal keep Nadia Hohipa. Their teams meet again tomorrow. Picture by Paul Rickard

NETBALL

THE premier-grade netball spotlight falls on YMP and Whangara Old Girls tomorrow, and the top-of-the-table clash looms as one of the games of the year so far.

In late July, Whangara ended the unbeaten run by YMP Sunshine Brewery and did so in style with a 10-goal victory — 36-26.

Their PAK’nSAVE competition match starts at 11am tomorrow, without spectators, due to Covid-19 Level 2 restrictions.

“Both teams have suffered a loss this season and YMP’s loss was to Whangara,” netball commentator Sherrill Beale said.

“Both sides have been playing as a team throughout the court in their matches, and have managed to ‘keep their heads’ when pushed by the opposition.

“This will be a close contest between teams with experienced players who know each other’s play.”

YMP go into the game on the back of a three-goal win against Claydens Waikohu last Saturday and Whangara, off a strong win against Ritana Senior A.

Whangara coach Ronnie Martin picks it to be the “game of the day”, and “a pretty tight one”.

She said what a team had done against another team before would not count.

“You can’t rely on what you’ve done in the past; it all comes down to what you do on the day.”

Martin said Whangara had had player availability issues at times this season.

“But that’s starting to settle down now, at the right time, as we head towards the big games of the season.

“Hopefully we are starting to peak at the right time.”

At 12 midday tomorrow Gisborne Girls’ High School Senior A take on Horouta Gold.

“It was a draw last time those teams met,” Beale said.

“The students have been playing some good netball and sit fifth on the table.

“Although they were well beaten last week by Taste One High School Old Girls, they were just pipped at the post by top-of-the-table Whangara the week before.

“Horouta produce passages of good play, but struggle to maintain it for the full game.

“They will need the full-game connections tomorrow, because I think Girls’ High will come out firing.”

The final premier game, at 1pm, has Claydens Waikohu (1) in action against Ritana Senior A from Lytton High.

“Fourth-placed Waikohu have been steadily improving and have pushed top-of-the-table teams in the past couple of weeks.”

They defeated HSOG and had bonus point losses to YMP and Whangara.

“Ritana will need to stick to their own game plan if they want to stop the Waikohu flow.”

Beale said it was a joy this weekend to have all netball grades playing.

That included the Year 1 and 2 juniors who played on Thursday, and the Year 3 and 4s this afternoon, albeit without spectators.

Gisborne Girls’ High School provided courts for intermediate and secondary grade games.

Primary and senior grades will be at the Victoria Domain courts.

•