WELLINGTON - Australia continued their netball dominance over New Zealand when the under-21s beat their Kiwi counterparts 64-52 at a quadrangular tournament in Birmingham yesterday.
The junior Silver Ferns came within seven of their opponents in the third quarter but a crucial substitution allowed Australia to pull away in the latter
stages. Australia led throughout the match. Quarter advantages of 16-10 36-22 and 49-35 meant their lead was never seriously threatened.
A far from despondent New Zealand coach Georgie Salter was pleased with the fight her inexperienced team showed.
In only their second game together, Salter said the team were feeling their way at this level and she used 13 substitutions in yesterday's match.
"This is the stage where we want to measure where we are at," Salter said, with a view to next year's World Youth Cup in Wales. "One part of me said, 'I don't want to beat them just yet'."
Captain Adine Harper, who Salter is playing at centre during this tour, was the rock of the team, her steady mind and playing ability marking her out as the key player.
Sixteen-year-old Taranaki schoolgirl Daneka Wipiiti played a leading role in the New Zealand shooting circle yesterday. Under some close attention from the Australian defence the lofty Wipiiti returned an admirable 84 per cent success rate with her shooting.
Others to catch Salter's eye were wing attack Anna Tai, from Manukau, and Otago wing defence Tara Pate.
"The difference at the moment is the international experience," Salter said. "At halftime it was looking like we were going to get a hiding but we actually won the second half.''
New Zealand will play a practice match against Wales before meeting the England under-21 team in their final match in Cardiff early tomorrow morning. The New Zealanders lost their opening match 53-50 to the Australian Institute of Sport on Thursday. - NZPA
