Tokomaru back in business

Reigning premier netball champions Tokomaru Crafar Crouch showed they are still a force in this year’s competition with a gritty victory over Harlequins at Stadium 2000 tonight.

Toko downed Harlequins 46-42 in a see-sawing encounter, the sides separated by just one goal at the three-quarter mark.

With their circle defensive duo of Michaela Boaz and Geneva Hoggard showing the way the Picton crew took control in the final 15 minutes to create a margin that Quins could not bridge, although they picked up a bonus point for their efforts.

While Toko’s defence stood tall, their offence was based around the efforts of ever-reliable shooter Gemma Hika who dropped in a remarkable 34 goals from 35 attempts.

She was well supported by Kayla Wilson in the unfamiliar GA bib while midcourters Hana Wilson and Ellen Barr ensured a steady flow of ball into the attacking zone.

Harlequins were in this one all the way through, especially after starting strongest and pushing out to a six-goal lead at the end of the first quarter. At the centre of their efforts were wing attack Ella Donald, plus attackers Kelsee Hamilton, Bridget Gane and Simone Pedersen. Kelly West’s return to action will be much appreciated while Quins also got good value from lively defender Cerys James-Sitters.

The evening’s opening encounter involved Pelorus, who lead the competition standings, against mixed side Tokomaru Picton Motordrome, who are ineligible for points and have gone unbeaten so far this season.

This would be their toughest test so far with Pelorus showing improvement each week and it turned into a battle royal.

Toko drew the first quarter, won the second by five, the third by one then drew the final stanza for a 48-42 victory, but were made to work for every point.

Ricci Higgins and Luke Richardson shared the shooting duties evenly, while Shiloh Walsh and Nick Rayner were dominant presences, both on attack and defence, in midcourt.

Pelorus underlined their depth by fielding 10 players, wing attack Millie Wensley, centre Kelsie Fitzpatrick, shooter Meg Hocquard and defender Jalen King the only players to take the court for all four quarters.

King and Portia Barcello impressed latterly as Pelorus pushed to bridge the gap, while shooter Paige Lovell dropped in some superb long-range shots.

The evening’s other match saw Marlborough Girls’ College come away with a comfortable win over Awatere.

The students, most of whom played on Friday night then for the under-18 rep side in Nelson on Sunday, battled early for accuracy and rhythm but ultimately forged a 59-33 result.

Awatere began better than in past weeks, holding MGC to 12-12 at the first break.

However, their concentration waned in the second and third stanzas, MGC attempting 48 shots compared with Awatere’s 18, allowing the students to establish a 21-goal lead by three-quarter time.

Once again, Fiaalii Solomona carried the bulk of the shooting load, landing 42 goals of her side’s goals. Liv Matthews, Stormy Tupara and Eleri James-Sitters shone in midcourt while Mya Wiapo was a formidable force in defence.

Harriet Ryan and sister Georgia battled hard on defence while Nicole Witterick, Ashley Childs and Kim McCabe did their best with sparse possession.

Scores

Tokomaru Picton Motordrome 48 (Ricci Higgins 22/34, Luke Richardson 26/37) Pelorus Edridge Contracting 42 (Paige Lovell 20/31, Karli Murphy 9/14, Meg Hocquard 13/26) Quarter scores (winning team first): 11-11, 12-7, 13-12, 12-12.

Marlborough Girls’ College NZ King Salmon 59 (Fiaalii Solomona 42/60, Zoe Scaife 15/22, Mele Moli 2/7) Awatere Clarence River Rafting 33 (Kimberly McCabe 25/32, Ashley Childs 8/17). Quarter scores: 12-12, 16-8, 18-5, 13-8.

Tokomaru Crafar Crouch Picton 46 (Gemma Hika 34/35, Kayla Wilson 12/17) Harlequins New World 42 (Kelsee Hamilton 23/33, Simone Pedersen 9/13, Liv Hodson 10/13). Quarter scores: 8-14, 17-9, 9-12, 12-7.

Standings (provisional): Pelorus 12, MGC 8, Tokomaru Crafar Crouch 3, Harlequins 3, Awatere 0.