Netball: Grace Nweke, Maddy Gordon see Silver Ferns terminate Scotland for 2-0 series sweep on Northern Tour

Another mix-and-match Silver Ferns outfit have crushed Scotland 80-48 in Glasgow to sweep the series 2-0 on their Northern Tour.

It sets them up for their much tougher three-test series against England, starting on Sunday.

The victory was highlighted by a commanding 20-7 fourth-quarter blitz with a line-up of mostly junior players.

Yvette McCausland-Durie selected a more conventional line-up in the first half compared to test one. Grace Nweke returned to the goal shoot bib alongside Amelia Walmsley at goal attack, while Maddy Gordon rejoined the action at wing attack.

The Nweke-Gordon combination proved lethal. The pair only played the first two quarters, but Gordon racked up an incredible 31 feeds and Nweke 34 goals.

Gordon won Most Valuable Player (MVP) honours and told Sky Sport it was awesome having Nweke at the back.

“My game plan was just running the CPA [centre pass assist] really well, getting some good depth on that second phase and hitting circle edge.

“[Nweke] is world-class back there. She’s so dominant and makes my job very easy.”

Carys Stythe got another start at goal keep, forcing an early turnover. Nweke and Walmsley towered over their Scottish opposites but conceded two first-quarter turnovers in the circle.

The Thistles looked vastly improved from game one, both in their shooting accuracy and defensive pressure. They finished the first quarter trailing 21-15, scoring five more goals than in the opening stanza of game one.

But Gordon was lobbing in passes to Nweke from as deep as the centre third, and Scotland struggled to find an answer.

Goal defence Parris Mason and wing defence Karin Burger picked off intercepts early in the second quarter, stretching New Zealand’s lead into double digits.

Kate Heffernan also made valuable contributions both with and without the ball after swapping into centre for Kimiora Poi. The Ferns dominated the second quarter 23-12 for a 44-27 halftime lead.

Martina Salmon replaced Nweke at goal shoot in the third quarter alongside Georgia Heffernan, while Stythe and Catherine Hall combined in the defensive circle for the first time at test level.

With almost an entirely new Ferns line-up, there were a few miscommunication errors and turnovers. New Zealand conceded eight general-play turnovers in the third quarter, compared to four in the first and second.

Niamh McCall continued to be a standout for Scotland. The goal attack was reliable from range and shot confidently, despite being the shortest player in the circle.

Scotland goal defence Cerys Finn proved a pest, making circle feeds and forcing some dodgy passes between Georgia Heffernan and Salmon.

The sides were more evenly matched with New Zealand edging the third quarter 16-14, but the Ferns still held an overall 60-41 lead.

The communication breakdowns continued in the fourth quarter, with wing attack Peta Toeava throwing a wild pass out of bounds.

However, Salmon and Walmsley found more space and fluidity in the circle and the goals started to flow. New Zealand blitzed the rest of the fourth quarter 20-7.

Nathan Limm has been a journalist with Newstalk ZB and the NZ Herald since 2020. He covered the Netball World Cup in Cape Town in 2023, hosts The Big League Podcast and commentates rugby and netball for Gold Sport.