Netball: 2021 Hawke's Bay finalists start 2022 strongly

2021 finalists Central Sports Netball Club: Vet Services and Otane Sports Club: Thirsty Whale are off to a strong 2022 start. Photo / NZME

The 2021 Hawke's Bay Super 8 premier club netball finalists have both made dominant starts to this year's campaign.

Reigning champions Otane Sports Club Thirsty Whale produced a suffocating defensive performance against Hastings Girls' High School Senior A to claim a 55-19 victory in the first Section A match on Friday night at the Pettigrew Green Arena.

The schoolgirls hung tough to trail by just three points after one quarter, then 23-14 at halftime.

Hastings Girls' only managed five further goals after the main break as Otane dialled up the pressure to eventually win by 36.

Title rivals All In Elusive beat Napier Girls' High School by a similar margin but it was their attack that did the damage in the 74-40 win in Section B.

All In shot into the lead with a 21-goal first quarter before Napier Girls' were able to stem the bleeding, drawing the second period 12-all.

Elusive kicked on again after halftime with 23 goals in the third quarter to put the result beyond doubt.

In the other Section A matchup, 2021 semifinalists Central Sports Netball Club Vet Services defeated All In Mavericks 55-35.

Central jumped out to a 14-6 first-quarter lead and carried that eight-point margin into halftime.

They then held All In to just 16 second-half goals for a convincing victory over the late qualifiers for the division.

Outkast Sports RDCL were the other team to qualify for the Super 8 earlier this month and they, too, were beaten 53-33 in their opening game against Hastings High School Old Girls: Huia.

The third-placed team in 2021 were too good for Outkast, holding them to 10 goals or less in each quarter.

Outkast could take some solace from their final term in which they were outscored by just one goal, 8-7.

They have an even tougher task on Friday when they take on All In Elusive at the same venue at 7.30pm.

The 6pm game for Section B will see Napier Girls' High School take on Hastings High School Old Girls Huia.

Otane Sports Club will be heavy favourites again for their 6pm Section A match against All In Mavericks.

Hastings Girls' High School Senior A play Central Sports Netball Club Vet Services at 7.30pm in the final game of round two.