Round 3 is the ANZ Championship's inaugural Super Round, featuring Thursday night netball for the first time in the league's history.
Two Thursday night matches this week, are to be held in Auckland (Mystics v WBOP Magic) and Perth (Fever v Thunderbirds). Neither home team has ever beaten their opponent, however early 2011 form suggests that these will both be very close contests; the Mystics are determined to consolidate their top spot on the Championship ladder, while the Fever have been buoyed by their best ever start to a season, after narrowly beating the Tactix earlier this week.
While the Magic, Fever and Thunderbirds will all play a second match during the Super Round, the Mystics' scheduled match against the Tactix in Christchurch has been postponed as a result of yesterday's earthquake. League organisers are currently exploring options for re-scheduling this match, with further details to be advised in the near future.
As announced earlier this afternoon, the ANZ Championship will recognise those affected by the Christchurch earthquake at both matches, with all athletes and officials to wear black armbands, and a moment's silence to be held prior to the start of each match.
Competition Schedule :
Thursday 24 February LG Mystics v First Windows Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic
7.40pm, The Trusts Stadium Arena, Auckland
West Coast Fever v Adelaide Thunderbirds
7.10pm, Challenge Stadium, Perth
Saturday 26 February Queensland Firebirds v Adelaide Thunderbirds
1.20pm, Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Brisbane
Haier Pulse v Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel
2.20pm, Te Rauparaha Arena, Porirua
Sunday 27 February NSW Swifts v Melbourne Vixens
2.20pm, Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre, Sydney
Monday 28 February West Coast Fever v Queensland Firebirds
7.10pm, Challenge Stadium, Perth
Haier Pulse v First Windows Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic
7.40pm, TSB Bank Arena, Wellington
* All times shown are local times
LG Mystics v First Windows Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic
· Head to head: Magic 6, Mystics 0
When the teams last met in Round 7 last year, the Magic defeated the Mystics 49-46 in Hamilton. This was their closest ever margin.
The Mystics recorded their second consecutive win of the season in Round 2. defeating the Pulse 54-44 in Porirua. The Mystics defeated the Steel 51-34 in Round 1 and with their 58-47 win over the Tactix in Round 14 last season gives them three consecutive wins, which is the most consecutive wins in their ANZ Championship history.Last week, Cathrine Latu recorded the tenth ANZ Championship 100% shooting return in a full match, scoring 36 from 36 against the Pulse. Click here for full details on "The Perfect Shooters Club".The Magic won their opening game of the season against the Steel 51-36 in Rotorua.
Mystics' shooter Bailey Mes made her ANZ Championship debut when she took the court in the final quarter against the Pulse in Round 2.
Kayla Cullen played her first full ANZ Championship match against the Pulse in Round 2. Cullen played the first three quarters at goal defence and the fourth quarter at wing defence.
Magic wing defence and former Australian Diamond Peta Scholz made a successful return to the ANZ Championship in Round 2, after rupturing her ACL in Round 8 last season against the Pulse.
The Magic have won 34 ANZ Championship matches which is the most in the history of the competition. The 2010 premiers, the Thunderbirds have the second best record with 33 wins.
Magic star Irene van Dyk is 17 goals away from scoring her 1,600th ANZ Championship goal. Van Dyk is the ANZ Championship all-time leading goal scorer with 1,583 goals at 93.2pc accuracy and an average of 33 goals per match.
Meanwhile, Mystics star Maria Tutaia is 10 goals away from her 900th ANZ Championship goal.
West Coast Fever v Adelaide Thunderbirds
· Head to head: Thunderbirds 6, Fever 0
· On Monday night, the Fever got off to their best ever start to an ANZ Championship season, when they defeated the Tactix 54-48 in Christchurch. This is the first time the Fever have ever won their season opening game, and only their third ever win in New Zealand.
· In that match, Caitlin Bassett put on a stellar performance, shooting 38/41 (93%) and ably supported by Leah Shoard (9/9) and Ashlee Howard (7/8).
· The Fever safely departed Christchurch on Tuesday morning, just half an hour before the earthquake struck the New Zealand city.
· The Adelaide Thunderbirds are coming off consecutive defeats after losses to the NSW Swifts and the Melbourne Vixens in the opening two rounds.
· The Thunderbirds have never lost to the West Coast Fever in their six previous meetings - the most recent meeting was a 54-45 victory to the Adelaide side in round 13, 2010.
· The Fever's lowest score of 37 came against the Thunderbirds in Round 6 last season, when they were defeated by 20 goals.
Thunderbirds goal shooter, Carla Borrego, currently leads the goal scoring with 67 goals from 76 attempts at 88.2 per cent while Natalie von Bertouch and Emily Beaton are fifth and six respectively in the league for goal assists this season
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Footnote
Round 3 Tactix v Mystics match postponed following Christchurch earthquake
TTNL, organisers of the ANZ Championship, have confirmed that the Round 3 game between the Canterbury Tactix and Northern Mystics has been postponed due to the effects of today's earthquake in Christchurch.
The match was scheduled to be played this Sunday 27th February at the CBS Arena.
TTNL and Netball New Zealand will now work through arrangements to re-schedule this game, together with the College Netball curtain-raiser, for a later date. An announcement will be made as soon as details have been confirmed.
