Netball: NZ lead shooting stats at world champs

11.45am - By SHARON LUNDY

KINGSTON - New Zealand have the edge over the rest of the world when it comes to shooting, statistics from the first four days of the world netball championship show.

New Zealand's four shooters -- Irene van Dyk, Belinda Colling, Tania Dalton and Jodi Te Huna -- have all done their part to give the Silver Ferns 89 per cent accuracy over their first four games.

Van Dyk has the best statistics, shooting more than 90 per cent in each game to average 93 per cent.

Only four other teams have averaged 80 per cent-plus accuracy; Jamaica with 85 per cent and Australia, South Africa and Trinidad and Tobago each with 83 per cent.

Shooting has let Niue and Samoa down badly. Niue have averaged just 55 per cent and Samoa 66 to be the only teams below 70 per cent.

Meanwhile Lesley Nicol -- if she takes the court against Fiji today (12.15pm, NZ time) -- will become the first New Zealander to play 100 netball tests.

Nicol passed Sandra Edge's 94-game record during last month's three-test series against England in New Zealand.

Silver Ferns coach Ruth Aitken this week paid tribute to Nicol, saying she was going from "strength to strength".

"I think she's having some of her best netball," Aitken said.

Aitken is likely to give some of her less experienced players a run today.

Te Huna, who has played just three quarters at test level, will probably get a run, as will defenders Anna Scarlett and Leana du Plooy.

Vilimaina Davu is itching to play against her former Fijian team-mates.

The game is the last in pool play for both teams.

While New Zealand have won their previous four games, Fiji's form has been mixed.

The Silver Ferns beat England 60-41 yesterday in their toughest game yet. That followed easy wins over Niue (99-11), Barbados (84-45) and the Cooks (107-17).

Fiji went down to Barbados 35-49 and England 30-62 before beating Niue 59-17 and the Cooks 67-40 yesterday.

The Fijians, with Davu in the team, made their mark at the last world championships, in Christchurch in 1999, moving from 28th in the world to sixth.

Leading the charge was their star defender Davu. She was so good that the Canterbury Flames recruited her and within six months she had moved to live in Christchurch.

Silver Ferns selectors then noticed the 1.90m defender and she was named in their squad to tour South Africa later that year. She's now considered New Zealand's best goal keep and she can't wait to play Fiji.

"I'm really looking forward to playing them (but) it'll be kind of funny," she told NZPA.

"I know most of the girls. Half of the girls who played with me at the world champs in '99 are still in the team."

Fiji are coached by Australian Margaret Corbett, who has been aided by former Silver Fern player and coach Yvonne Willering in their build-up.

Corbett said her team knew they would not beat the Silver Ferns but had set their own goals.

"I think the big countries have a lot over the smaller countries but we're determined not to let them win by too many," she said.

Silver Ferns goal attack Belinda Colling said Fiji had an Australian influence in their game.

"Their style is quite Australian, the old one-handed pass and cut kind of style, which is quite good to have a bit of a taste of," she said.

- NZPA