England internationals Naida Hutchinson and Layla Guscoth and former NSW Swifts player Sam May put in a superlative defensive display in the UK Netball Superleague semi finals last weekend, shutting down the highly fancied Manchester Thunder attack and taking their side Mavericks into this weekend's grand final with 48-41 victory. In front of a record-breaking 4,100 crowd at the MEN Arena in Manchester, the closely contested game made for compelling viewing, with Mavericks taking a two goal lead into the first break 13-11. Played at a blistering pace, the lead changed hands several times, with neither side able to dominate, before the continued pressure from the Mavericks' defence wore down the young Thunder shooters. 
In this weekend's Grand Final, Mavericks will face a familiar foe in Surrey Storm, who had too much firepower for first-time semi-finallists Yorkshire Jets 76-60 in the other play off. However, Jets made the Surrey side work for their win, leading at the three quarter break 36-34, thanks to some sharpshooting from Lottysha Cato and pinpoint feeding from Natalie Haythornthwaite. A final quarter substitution of Josie Huckle to GK for Storm put more pressure onto the Jets feeders, and started to create turnover ball, which Storm's England front line of Rachel Dunn and Pamela Cookey took advantage of. The South East based side will now be hoping to take the title for the first time, in Storm's fourth appearance in the Grand Final in six years. The game will be played at London's Copper Box arena this Saturday.
Melbourne Vixens captain Bianca Chatfield this week announced that a glittering 17 year career, that includes two ANZ Championship premierships and 59 Tests for Australia, will come to an end at the conclusion of the 2015 ANZ Championship season. The 33 year-old’s decision comes after stepping down from international commitments with the Australian Diamonds, playing a role in last year’s Glasgow Commonwealth Games Gold medal triumph. She began her representative career as a 16 year old with the Melbourne Phoenix in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy, and won four premierships before joining the Melbourne Vixens at the start of the ANZ Championships. Since then she has played more than 100 ANZ games and captained the side to two premierships in 2009 and 2014.
Fiji finished undefeated in the Digicel Punjas International Series this week, with its two sides in the tournament ending unbeaten. The Punjas Fiji team defeated Papua New Guinea 68-37, while the Digicel Fiji side was too strong for Singapore, winning 61-47. Players from both teams have now commenced strength and conditioning training, ahead of trials on 9 May which will select the national squad to represent Fiji at the Pacific Games in Papua New Guinea in July.
In Barbados, UWI Blackbirds have taken their first senior title, after three unsuccessful years. The side played exemplary netball to defeat defending champions Pine Hill St Barnabas 31-24 in the Little League Gym senior knockout final this week - the first silverware that the UWI side has lifted.
In the ANZ Championship, West Coast Fever retained its undefeated record for 2015, taking a 51-48 victory over the Mojo Pulse in Wellington. The Fever held on under extreme pressure to take the seventh win of their campaign and remain at the head of the table, but the loss leaves the Pulse in fourth place in the New Zealand conference. In other games this week, reigning premiers Melbourne Vixens returned to winning ways with a 63-52 win over the Southern Steel. The NSW Swifts were too strong for the Northern Mystics, winning 66-50 in Sydney, while the Mission Queensland Firebirds maintained their composure to score a gritty 50-42 victory over the Kia Magic.
