Netball: Silver Ferns beat England

Silver Ferns shooter Maria Tutaia. Photo / Getty Images

New Zealand survived a final quarter meltdown to win their one-off netball test with England 65-59 in extra time today.

The Silver Ferns regained their composure in the first period of extra time at Bath University, cruising to a 60-54 buffer before sealing a spine tingling clash.

Ordinary time ended in a 51-51 stalemate, after England mounted a remarkable fourth-quarter resurgence and New Zealand slipped alarmingly.

The Silver Ferns had carried a four-goal buffer into the run home but crumbled as Pamela Cookey and Louisa Brownfield made light of a potentially crippling turnover count to give England the lead with six minutes remaining.

England led by two with less than two minutes to play but Brownfield was astray with a crucial attempt - only her second miss of the match - to gift New Zealand a crucial possession.

Maria Tutaia levelled the scores at 50 apiece before fellow shooting ace Irene van Dyk gave the Silver Ferns a one goal lead with 30 seconds remaining.

Cookey then showed great calmness under the hoop to square the ledger with 16 seconds to play.

Van Dyk was denied a potentially match-winning shot when fulltime was blown as she lined up the hoop.

New Zealand coach Ruth Aitken and England counterpart Sue Hawkins agreed to play two seven minutes periods of extra time.

New Zealand saved the match, after they were outscored 13-9 in the final quarter of regulation time.

The Silver Ferns grabbed the ascendancy in extra time, as Van Dyk and Tutaia provided a six-goal advantage during the first period of extra time.

The Silver Ferns had looked in complete control though Cookey and Brownfield's accuracy ensured the Commonwealth champions were never able to truly pull clear.

England had won two of their last four tests against New Zealand after enduring a barren 32 years and came within a whisker of securing a third - and a psychological boost before the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

A grandstand finish seemed unlikely as New Zealand controlled the match from the opening centre pass.

Van Dyk and Tutaia found their range immediately while vigorous work by the midcourt plus captain Casey Williams and circle defender Katrina Grant combined to provide a stead supply of filched possession.

New Zealand made a strong start to build a five-point lead early in the opening quarter, the lead blew out to 19-12 at quarter time.

While New Zealand expanded their lead to nine in the second quarter England refused to fold, trimming the deficit to four at halftime as Cookey and Brownfield maintained their perfect shooting record.

New Zealand led 42-38 entering the final quarter but classy English defenders Geva Mentor and Sonia Mkoloma finally succeeded in disrupting the supply lines to Van Dyk and Tutaia, while Cookey and Brownfield chipped away at the deficit.

The Silver Ferns now head to Jamaica for tests in Kingston on Wednesday and Friday before returning home.

- NZPA