KEY POINTS:
As England raced out to a 6-0 lead against Malaysia in a couple of minutes yesterday, a wag muttered: "what happens if they don't score?"
Rest easy, old son. Within moments it was 6-1, they'd doubled it by the end of the first quarter and finished a tough
day with 16 goals. England, meanwhile, rattled up 99, the highest total of the world championships.
Wimbledon's court 1 is known as the graveyard, strewn as it is with the bodies of beaten favourites and champions.
This contest took place on the outer court 2. In similar vein, this is not the court of choice for the 16 teams, tucked away behind the show court, with its crowds, boisterous atmosphere and booming music. This is the place the players want to strut their stuff.
But unlike Wimbledon, there was more chance of finding a dog in a spacesuit outside the Trusts Stadium yesterday than England getting tipped over by the plucky but outclassed Malaysians on the back court.
It was a game which raised the point - what is the point of these games?
Just as rugby's World Cup had it's Portugals and Namibias, so netball's Botswanas and Malaysias are battling away, always facing mountains at the other end of the court.
But what of England? At the same time as the court 2 carnage was unfolding, the Silver Ferns were cleaning out Wales over on the other side of the temporary seating.
It's hard to get an accurate gauge on how the leading teams are really performing on days like yesterday. But England made the most of what was little more than a training run.
The defensive trio of goal keep Geva Mentor, goal defence Sonia Mkoloma and wing defence Ama Agbeze, and later captain Amanda Newton, were slick. Long limbs got them to a truckload of intercepts against smaller, less seasoned opponents. Shooters had plenty of chance to get their eye in.
England Netball have spent buckets getting up to the Formula One speed of world champions New Zealand and rivals Australia. The coming days will tell if it's been money well spent.
With a minute left, they needed four for the ton, and almost made it. Still Newton, 30 years young but whizzing about like a teenager, reckons things are coming together.
"Everybody's good, everybody's enjoying it," she said. "It's the best place to be at the world champs."
Even the hapless Malaysians, judging from their smiles, agreed, although they probably didn't risk a glance at the final scoreboard.
