New Zealand’s FAST5 Ferns have won back-to-back FAST5 Netball World Series titles with a stunning display of speed and skill defeating Australia’s FAST5 Flyers 56-27 in Auckland.
The FAST5 Ferns once again cemented their position as the world’s best in the shortened version of the game with a dominant display which their trans-Tasman rivals simply couldn’t contain.
Player of the match Maria Tutaia was once again a force to be reckoned with, taking her tally for supershots during the three-day tournament to a staggering 25.
TheFAST5 Flyers managed to limit the FAST5 Ferns’ opportunities to stretch out a lead in the early stages but failed miserably when it came to halting their flow during their power play third quarter. Racking up 34 points to the FAST5 Flyers seven for the stanza, the FAST5 Ferns established a lead which proved unassailable.
Their prowess in the final was a stark contrast to the FAST5 Ferns’ semi-final performance when they gave home supporters a scare, posting the lowest winning score of the tournament in an error ridden outing against South Africa.
The visitors employed a tactic of successfully shutting FAST5 Ferns star shooter Maria Tutaia out from her favoured spot at the top of the circle to keep the score close. It took a while for all shooters on court to get their eye in with multiple attempts at goal skewing off the rim.
Clinging to one-goal advantage and a disappointing shooting success rate of just 43 percent, the FAST5 Ferns emerged a different side in the third spell with a formidable defensive effort keeping South Africa scoreless during their crucial power play phase.
The tenacious performance of Ferns defenders Te Huinga Reo and Casey Kopua proved instrumental in lifting the Ferns to their second consecutive FAST5 final 27-14.
The Australian Flyers set up the classic trans-Tasman grand final with New Zealand after ousting the Jamaican Sunshine Girls 27-25 in a down-to-the-wire match. The two sides tussled virtually goal for goal in the first quarter, 5-5, before Australia snuck ahead 11-8 at the halftime break.
Flyers' rookie defenders Courtney Bruce and Joanna Weston did a sterling job of restricting the Jamaicans in their power play during the third quarter. The Sunshine Girls could only add 10 points to their tally, snatching a 18-15 buffer before Australia had their shot at double points. With only a minute left on the clock, a four-point goal from Carla Dziwoki leapfrogged the Flyers into the lead and she then pulled off a game-winning intercept on the next centre pass to deny the Jamaicans the chance to equalise.
In the playoff for fifth and sixth the Malawi Queens handed England the competition wooden spoon in a match which was decided in the final few seconds. After a slow start by both sides, the 24 minute game morphed into one of the most exciting of the day.
Ten points the difference and with just six minutes left on the clock, England switched up a gear with England shooter Rosalie Allison finding her target nailing five from ten in the three point range. A thrilling final few minutes bought the crowd into the match, the intensity on the court more than matched by the excitement in the stands with fans screaming to bring favourites Malawi over the line 34-32.
The evening’s third versus fourth was the entrée the crowd were wanting as Jamaica's Sunshine Girls "went out with a bang", beating South Africa 44-17 in the finals play-off.
The game began at a fast pace but misguided passes and missed shots were liberally peppered through play in the first quarter, which Jamaica claimed 7-6. Against the odds of power play, the Sunshine Girls held their one-point lead, 15-14, at halftime.
Despite the athletic efforts of zippy South African centre Bongiwe Msomi, the Jamaican flow through court could not be stemmed, and Thristina Harwood and Jhaniele Fowler deftly finished off to make Jamaica's power play a potent one.
It was a big ask for South Africa to come back from a 41-17 deficit in the final quarter, and the courageous attempts to claw back points by Chrisna Bootha and Maryka Holtzhausen fell short and they were not allowed to add any more.
