New Zealand 49 England 34
Delhi was dynamite and now the Silver Ferns have a shot at the Singapore sling.
The Ferns will contest their fourth consecutive world championship final today, after dismissing a spirited England challenge last night.
The Ferns were pushed to the limit in the first
quarter, and only led by five at halftime before taking control of the match in the third quarter. The final margin perhaps flattered the victors, as England lost momentum with the strange decision to rest Sonia Mkoloma during the third quarter.
"The third quarter was really outstanding - it was what sealed it," said coach Ruth Aitken. "The start of the fourth quarter was a bit hairy but I thought they took a breath and sustained the intensity."
Defence won the game for New Zealand, gradually getting on top of the English shooters as the match progressed.
It was a pulsating atmosphere inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium, with the large Australian contingent giving strong vocal support to the smaller band of English fans.
Atiken will be happy with the intensity displayed but knows her team will need to lift the quality of execution by several notches for today's match, as there were several periods of scrappy play.
She will be impressed with the patience shown, as often the Ferns had to criss-cross the circle several times before entering, such was the tenacity of the English defence.
Irene van Dyk was superb, shooting 23/25 (92 per cent) and grabbing several important rebounds. Maria Tutaia was sometimes profligate with possession, but shot beautifully from distance (26/38 or 68 per cent).
Leana de Bruin was a strong second half substitution at goal keep, while Casey Williams produced her usual inspirational performance.
England came into this match full of confidence. They had built steadily throughout the week, with their best performance to thrash upstarts Northern Ireland in the quarter-final. They also felt the traditional gap over the Ferns had narrowed, having beaten them twice in the last four years and losing by margins of two, two and seven goals in the test series in January.
The result last night was England's fifth loss at the last four stage after reverses to Australia in 1999, 2003 and 2007 and New Zealand (55-33) in 1991.
Perhaps there is something to be said for continuity. While Aitken took control of her 109th match last night, England has had a different coach for each of the 13 netball world championships.
The Ferns shooters were on court warming up 40 minutes before tip-off, trying to maximise all time possible under the hoop. The general consensus is that the goals are unforgiving and anything less than a perfect swish can bounce out.
Aitken sprang a surprise by opting for Anna Scarlett at wing defence, ahead of Joline Henry. Scarlett can be disruptive but Henry is seen as a better tracking defender and integrates well into the defensive unit - as well as having a devastating long pass.
She also plumped for Katrina Grant to partner Casey Williams, keeping faith with the Pulse captain despite some patchy displays earlier in the week.
The Ferns looked intense as they walked on court, barely acknowledging the huge band of supporters and sprinted to a 5-1 lead, after two Grant deflections in the circle.
It was a frantic beginning, with England putting on huge pressure in the midcourt and their renowned defensive duo of Geva Mentor and Mkoloma getting little change out of the umpires. The Ferns led 13-11 at the end of a scrappy 15 minutes.
After the crowd hadsung happy 34th birthday to Leana de Bruin during the quarter break - quite inappropriate timing - the Ferns tried to put out the England flame early in the second quarter.
They grabbed five goals without reply to extend their lead to seven but failed to nail matters down, as errors on attack allowed England to stay in touch. It was 23-18 at halftime.
Van Dyk was having a brilliant game, sinking two of the longest bombs of her career though an errant elbow from Mentor seemed to shake her momentarily in the third quarter. The Kiwi midcourt also rose to the occasion. The experience of George, who is constantly offering calm advice, especially to Maria Tutaia, cannot be underestimated.
Laura Langman's efforts can often be overlooked, but there is a good argument to say she is the most important cog in the wheel.
Her work rate is unrivalled and her ability to grab an intercept or draw a penalty is quite special. The quarter-final against South Africa was the first match she had not started since her debut (75 matches) and the Ferns had a far from dynamic first half.
The Ferns clinched the match in the third quarter, extending their halftime lead by eight goals. England coach Sue Hawkins played all her cards, trying two new goal defenders within the quarter in an attempt to subdue Tutaia, without success.
It promises to be a hell of a final in Singapore tonight.
First Quarter 13-11; Halftime 23-18; Third Quarter 39-26; Fulltime 49-34.
