Premier netball stakes rise

With competition points on the table for the first time this season, stakes were raised when the second round of premier netball began under the Stadium 2000 roof tonight.

The smallest winning margin across tonight’s three games was 25 points, the victorious trio putting their hands up for early favouritism.

Showing the way was Harlequins Indevin, who showed no mercy to their clubmates, Harlequins Fairweathers, handing them a 72-29 beating.

The other big winners on the night were both from the Pelorus club.

Pelorus Edridge Contracting showed they mean business with a comfortable 67-29 domination of Marlborough Girls’ College, while Pelorus Gill Construction saw off Tokomaru with relative ease, prevailing 62-37.

The Harlequins derby match kicked off the evening’s entertainment, Indevin taking the early initiative with a 17-6 first quarter. However, Fairweathers bounced back in the second stanza, led by some solid defensive work from Emily Smith, Bianca Bean-Oliver and Aston Underwood.

Then it was their rival’s turn to pile on the pressure, the slick midcourt of Bridget Gane, Kelsee Powell and Sophie Robinson taking control, while shooters Kayla Collins and the ever-reliable Fiaali’i Solomona made the most of the welter of possession that came their way.

Over the course of the match Indevin put up 89 shots, their opponents just 43, underlining the defensive pressure exerted by the victors through the entire court.

The evening’s second encounter also saw a one-sided first quarter scoreline, Pelorus Edridge racing to a 20-4 advantage after just 15 minutes. MGC managed just six shots, compared to their rival’s 27. Kelly West, Jordan Peipi and Danelle Moffat were prominent in defence, while Paige Lovell and Megan Cosgrove were composed and balanced at the attacking end.

The students regrouped during the second half, trailing 35-9 after 30 minutes, the arrival of goal shoot Anel Moli and wing defence Delyth James-Sitters helping steady the ship. Although they lost the last two quarters, they began to show the skills and co-ordination that was absent in the early stages.

Last up were Tokomaru and Pelorus Gill Construction, with the Picton-based side suffering a similar first quarter blitz to MGC and Fairweathers. Toko trailed 17-4 at the first break, the attacking efforts of Kelsie Fitzpatrick, Katie Bradley, Cara Gallop, Kate Gaudin, 12 goals from 13 attempts, Liv Pinkerton, 26 from 29, and Anna Thomas proving irresistible.

Trailing 34-13 at halftime, Toko began to show more of the usual cohesion in the second spell, losing the third quarter by just one goal and the fourth by three to achieve some sort of parity in the latter stages.

Jade Shallcrass, with 19 goals from 20 attempts, was their standout attacker, while Mahina Henry-Campbell and Chloe Devir impressed at the defensive end.

Scores:

Harlequins Indevin 72 (Fiaali’i Solomona 52/62, Kelsee Powell 8/12, Romana Waikato 4/5, Kayla Collins 8/10) Harlequins Fairweathers 29 (Jorja Bacchus 12/16, Sophie Ridley-Scott 13/20, Aston Underwood 4/7). Quarter scores (winning team first): 17-6, 13-11, 21-3, 21-9.

Pelorus Gill Construction 62 (Liv Pinkerton 26/29, Cara Gallop 24/37, Kate Gaudin 12/13) Tokomaru Crafar Crouch 37 (Naomi Fowler 3/6, Jade Shallcrass 19/20, Gemma Hika 15/22). Quarter scores: 17-4, 17-9, 17-16, 11-8.

Pelorus Edridge Contracting 67 (Paige Lovell 52/68, Megan Cosgrove 15/24) Marlborough Girls’ College 29 (Emily Flynn 1/5, Anel Moli 13/19, Hazel Glover 15/21). Quarter scores: 20-4, 15-5, 17-9, 15-11.