Netball: Australia power home to win first test

Adine Wilson attempts to pass the ball over Australian centre Natalie von Bertouch. Picture / Mark Mitchell

Australia weathered a strong Silver Ferns start before winning the first trans-Tasman netball test 51-47 in Wellington tonight.

With coach Norma Plummer opting to start with the same line-up who beat the world champions in Sydney in July, Australia remained calm in the face of a confident New Zealand beginning.

The extra drive sisters Laura and Natalie von Bertouch provided for the Australians in the midcourt was again apparent, while Susan Pratley's combination with captain Sharelle McMahon was a real feature.

There were no surprises in New Zealand coach Ruth Aitken's starting seven either, as Temepara George returned from a side strain, an injury which contributed to her team's 38-48 loss three months ago.

While the Silver Ferns led 26-23 at halftime tonight, Australia clawed their way back in the second spell, shutting down the path into the New Zealand circle and making the most of every intercept at the other end of the court.

The Silver Ferns started a little tentatively, with a miss from Maria Tutaia giving the Australians an early break and a 3-1 lead.

But with George controlling the midcourt, and Irene van Dyk showing her usual accuracy, New Zealand remained calm until Tutaia cut loose midway through the quarter with four successive goals and the Ferns were out to a five-goal lead.

Australia came out fighting in the second quarter, Pratley getting through some excellent work in the midcourt and backing that up with some excellent work in the circle, sinking 10 goals from 13 attempts while McMahon managed two from two.

With some rapid turnovers on the back of a series of puzzling umpiring decisions that incensed a parochial crowd, Australia drew level midway through the second quarter before some inspirational work from George led to a Silver Ferns fightback which gave them a halftime lead.

Coach Ruth Aitken rang the changes at halftime, bringing Vilimaina Davu and Anna Scarlett off for Leana de Bruin at the back and Joline Henry at goal defence.

The two teams matched each other goal for goal in the third quarter, with George marshalling the midcourt in tandem with captain Adine Wilson.

But some excellent defensive work from the Australians led by Mo'onia Gerrard at goal defence and athletic wing defence Selina Gilsenan paid dividends and New Zealand's ball supply dried up in the countdown to three-quarter time.

With 15 minutes to go, the scores were tied at 37-37, and Aitken opted to pull de Bruin and bring back Davu to goal keep in a effort to rein in Pratley and McMahon.

Intense pressure on every pass meant incessant turnovers, with both sides struggling to get the ball into the circle.

With barely five minutes left on the clock, the Australians cut loose as some uncharacteristic hesitation with the feeding into the New Zealand circle being punished by an increasingly confident opposition.

Aitken expressed disappointment with her side's performance.

"We ended up not working together. Australia sort of split us apart and we have to have a real team effort to beat Australia," Aitken said.

"We have to play with a lot more confidence and let the ball go."

The Silver Ferns' defence showed some shortcomings against the determined Australians but Aitken said that was nothing that could not be improved on.

"Our defence was not as effective as we'd have liked and we're still toying with different combinations.

"Our players have the responsibility to make sure it happens in the time available."

Although New Zealand were on the receiving end of a number of contentious calls from match officials, neither Aitken nor captain Adine Wilson dared to offer that as an excuse for the result.

"We did not adjust to the number of calls that went against us and I think we got a bit down with that," Aitken said.

Wilson said it was up to her players to adjust to the officials.

"We just have to adjust and keep grinding on. We talked about grind in the breaks and we did not do that.

"We have to step above it and change our game if need be and move on."

Australian captain Liz Ellis was delighted to secure her country's second successive win over their main rivals.

"It was a bit of a grind but that's the sort of game we enjoy," Ellis said after her side took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

"The confidence we gained from that win in July allowed us to have the resolve and belief in ourselves. We believed if we kept working to our gameplan that things would eventually come our way."

The second match in the three-test series is in Auckland on Saturday night.

- NZPA