Netball: Ferns brace for Australian backlash in Melbourne

Ruth Aitken. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Having put another dent in Australia's sporting pride, the Silver Ferns arrive in Melbourne eyeing a goal they haven't achieved in 28 years.

The Ferns kept their composure in the tense final minutes in Sydney to beat an injury-hit Australia 53-50 in Sunday's first test of the five-match series, leading throughout the second half.

The result continued a gloomy run for Australian sides, with one Sunday newspaper having urged the netballers to be their country's sporting saviours after recent transtasman defeats in rugby and basketball.

While winning in Australia hasn't been an issue for the Ferns in recent years, racking up back-to-back victories has.

Not since 1981, when they swept the three-test series in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne have the Ferns won successive tests in the same series in Australia.

Indeed, in the past three years it's been the same pattern: a first test victory followed by a defeat.

Coach Ruth Aitken spoke pre-series of the need for consistency and stringing together victories against the world No 1, while senior midcourter Temepara George said they were aware of the trend ahead of Wednesday's second test.

"That was one of our goals going into the series, however we don't want added pressure of having that in the back of our minds we want to play our own game and play that really well," George said.

"We're still growing and there's a lot more work for us to do. We're going to enjoy the moment but we know it's going to be tougher when we go to Melbourne."

The livewire centre was one of New Zealand's best her combination with wing attack Liana Barrett-Chase strengthening as the game wore on.

They provided goal shooter Irene van Dyk with enough opportunities to seal it, as she ended with a game-high 86 per cent accuracy, 37 from 43.

Van Dyk was under intense pressure from Australian netball's latest find, 1.96m defender Susan Fuhrmann, but kept her cool with valuable late input from shooting partner Maria Tutaia, 16 from 20.

At the other end, Ferns captain Casey Williams did the job on Australia's veteran shooter Catherine Cox who was benched by coach Norma Plummer at halftime after shooting just 11 from 18.

Aitken was happiest with her side's tenacity as they led by a solitary goal midway through the final quarter, but there was plenty to work on.

"We've got to keep developing our links and keep pressure through the court so we can get more turnover ball."

Plummer was happy enough with her young side's effort without injured frontliners Natalie von Bertouch, Mo'onia Gerrard, Bianca Chatfield and Laura Geitz.

Captain Sharelle McMahon, who made an effective shift to goal shoot (27 out of 34), felt their confidence would soar for Melbourne.

- NZPA