Silver Ferns 4, Australia 2 - that was the final tally in an exciting year of international netball involving the two best teams in the world. After a mid-year clean sweep of the tests in New Zealand, the world champion Silver Ferns were beaten 2-1 in Australia,attracting some criticism for losing. However, without injured captain Anna Rowberry and Belinda Colling, the series was highly useful for bringing forward players like Jodi Te Huna and Anna Scarlett and, as rugby has shown, it is better to get it right in world championship years than in other years.
STING STILL STINGING 'EM
Six National Bank Cup titles in a row - and the Sting are the pride of Southland and the South Island with one of the most complete dominations by any team in New Zealand sport. They dismissed the Canterbury Flames in the final and names like Donna Loffhagen, Lesley Nicol, Natalie Avellino and Adine Wilson came to the fore as the Sting at times embarrassed the Flames' Silver Ferns defender Vilimaina Davu.
NATALIE AVELLINO
Avellino returned later in the year to sting the Silver Ferns. Nine years out of the Australian team, she played a major role in the Australians' comfortable first-up victory over the Ferns at wing attack, using all the skills and confidence gained with the Sting. A case of being stung by your own Stinger?
IRENE VAN DYK
Won player of the tournament as she helped Waikato to win the Smokefree Championships - now the Scottwood Trust Champs - for the second year in a row.
ADINE WILSON
Became Adine Wilson when she married former All Black Jeff Wilson - goalkicker, try-scorer, international cricketer - and the geneticists may be thirsting to see the results of this union, a wunderkind who may be able to play any sport, or all of them.
