Netballers back in business

It was business as usual at Stadium 2000 tonight with the first matches of the second round of premier netball being contested.

Both Pelorus and Harlequins Totalspan, who matched up last week in a battle of the unbeaten teams before Pelorus came away with the spoils, won tonight.

Pelorus were up against the cellar-dwellers, Harlequins Grove Tavern, and steadily stretched away to complete a comprehensive 61-11 victory, an identical points margin to their first round clash, although on that occasion Quins scored 11 more goals.

Totalspan had a tougher time of it, eventually getting the better of a determined Tokomaru outfit 38-24, while the evening’s opening encounter saw Marlborough Men outclass the Marlborough Girls’ College side 59-37.

The MGC side, with several players having been involved in under-18 and under-16 rep matches in Christchurch and Ashburton respectively over the long weekend, began slowly but built into the match against a more physical opposition. Elizabeth Bowron, Tilly Tupouto’a and Bree Flynn worked hard in midcourt while Violet Speakman shone in defence.

The Men continue to provide skilled opposition for the women’s sides each week, their entertaining, innovative brand of netball always good to watch.

The evening’s closest encounter was the Totalspan v Tokomaru match-up, a low-scoring affair with a plethora of turnovers each way.

The shooting stats tell a story. Quins put up 45 shots at goal, converting 39, 30 of them to in-form shooter Jorja Bacchus, while Toko had a similar amount of ball, put up 41 attempts and scored just 24.

Jack Frew was a constant threat at the defensive end for Quins while fellow defender Delyth James-Sitters and WD Aleisha Smith also caught the eye.

Scores:

Marlborough Men 59 (Luke Richardson 33/46, Shiloh Walsh 16/33, Jacob Collins 10/12) Marlborough Girls’ College Liquid Action 37 (Jaye Wiapo 11/20, Anna Hurren 17/35, Sophia Nicholas 9/16). Quarter scores (winning team first): 16-5, 13-9, 15-13, 15-10

Pelorus Edridge Contracting 61 (Paige Lovell 46/58, Courtney Taufa 6/16, Laura Evans 9/19) Harlequins Grove Tavern 11 (Tegan Bayley 4/7, Kaya Walsh 3/4, A Follows 4/12). Quarter scores (winning team first): 13-4, 16-4, 17-1, 15-2.

Harlequins Totalspan 38 (Celine Barnes 4/6, Lauren Murray 4/7, Jorja Bacchus 30/32) Tokomaru 24 (Ramona Waikato 13/21, G Naralli 4/12, Taylah Biddle 7/8).  Quarter scores (winning team first): 9-7, 8-6, 11-6, 10-5.

Points: Pelorus 15, Harlequins Totalspan 12, Tokomaru 6, MGC 3, Harlequins Grove Tavern 0.