In a dominant performance that should serve as a warning to their opponents, a resurgent Australia powered past England 51-41 at the Netball World Cup in Sydney – a win that will help ease the pain of Sunday’s defeat at the hands of New Zealand.
The shock five-goal loss to the Kiwis – which ended Australia’s 21-game winning streak and was described by captain Laura Geitz as a “reality check” – clearly galvanised the Diamonds, who responded with smart, accountable netball in the Pool F qualifying round match at Allphones Arena.
“We took a hard look at ourselves after Sunday, at what we could do,” Diamonds goal defence Julie Corletto said after the match. “We had a good training session and we knew what we had to do.
“We knew how it felt to lose the other night and we just had to look each other in the eye and keep fighting for the ball and get the job done.”
The Roses, ranked third in the world, topped Pool B in the preliminary round, beating Jamaica 54-50, Scotland 60-19 and Samoa 85-34. They weren’t expected to meet the Australians until the semi-finals, but the Diamonds’ defeat put them in each others’ paths.
The reigning world and Commonwealth champions were always going to respond to coach Lisa Alexander’s stinging criticism of their “unacceptable” unforced errors and lack of defensive pressure against New Zealand.
Alexander put out what most consider her ‘A’ side, with 193cm Caitlin Bassett, who is sitting above 90% accuracy for the tournament, starting at goal shooter with Natalie Medhurst at goal attack.
Corletto, who has been nursed through the tournament with a number of minor injury concerns and on Tuesday night earned her 50th cap, was paired with keeper Geitz, who hasn’t played to her usual high standards. Renae Hallinan started at wing defence, Cup debutante Kim Ravaillion at centre and Kimberlee Green was at wing attack.
After what seemed like a deliberately steady start, it took the Diamonds nine minutes to break an English centre, but then pulled away towards the end of the first quarter, courtesy of defensive and mid-court pressure.
Australia went into the first break 12-9 up. Bassett shot 8/10 and was well supported by Medhurst, who knocked down 4/5. Bassett, who also made her their 50th Test appearances, looked determined to make amends for a sub-par performance against the Kiwis and scored the first goal within 10 seconds.
The England coach, Tracey Neville, who has been praised for her bravery in continuing to lead her team despite the death of her father, Neville, in Australia on the first day of the tournament, used her side’s defeat of Samoa to tinker with her line-up and put out her toughest combination.
Captain Geva Mentor started at goalkeeper, with Eboni Beckford-Chambers at goal defence, and while she hadn’t shown any signs of being troubled by her niggling knee injury, the Melbourne Vixens star was substituted halfway through the second quarter. Beckford-Chambers went back to keeper and 36-year-old Sonia Mkoloma, playing in a record fifth World Cup, went to goal defence. She had an impact, executing a spectacular basketball-style rejection on Bassett soon after coming on.
The second quarter saw the momentum shift to Australia as the Diamonds’ defensive trio of Hallinan, Corletto and Geitz started picking off balls and the feeders found more room on the circle edge.
Bassett became a formidable target and stacked on another nine goals in the second. The Aussies lead 25-20 at half- time, despite the best efforts of a spirited Jo Harten.
The third quarter began with three unanswered goals from the Diamonds and finished with the score at 39-30. Green came off and was replaced by 22-year-old Sydney native Paige Hadley. Neville also brought on Helesn Housby into goal attack, who shot6/9 for the game.
Caitlin Thwaites got another chance to show her wares, starting at goal shooter in the last quarter, replacing Bassett, who finished with 28 goals at 85.7%. Thwaites had to content with Mentor, who came back on as keeper.
A sickening clash between Jade Clarke and Geitz at the seven-minute mark of the third had the crowd gasping but Clarke regained her composure and played on.
With 12 goals in the last quarter, Australia won without fuss by 10 goals, a result that somewhat flattered the Roses.
“We have to keep building,” Corletto said. “There are parts of that game tonight we’re not happy with, so we need to continue to get better.”
The Diamonds are now expected to beat South Africa and Wales in their remaining Pool F matches on Wednesday and Friday and, if they do, stand to face Jamaica, who lost to the Kiwis 55-48 earlier in the night, in the second semi-final on Saturday for a berth in Sunday’s gold-medal match.
