- Netball World Cup: Top 4 Teams to Determine Semi-Final Pairings
- Australia vs. England: Clash of Netball Titans
- New Zealand and Jamaica Face Off in Intriguing Match
The top four teams in the Netball World Cup – Australia, England, Jamaica, and New Zealand – will play each other in their final group games to determine their semi-final pairings on Saturday. Though these games are not must-win due to the teams’ guaranteed spots based on their previous pool results, a victory will provide the winner with an easier path to the final and much-desired confidence.
Australia will face England, the third-ranked team in the world, in the first of the back-to-back marquee matches. The Diamonds begin the game as favorites as they seek the only piece of cutlery they do not possess.
Despite the absence of their talisman Gretel Bueta, who led them to victory at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham last summer, Australia still possesses an abundance of shooting talent. The two-pronged attacking lineup of Cara Koenen and Steph Wood, teammates in Australia’s Super Netball league, led by captain Liz Watson, will be a headache for England’s defenders, while the Roses attack will have to tiptoe around Courtney Bruce, who has 19 intercepts in the tournament.
Their coach, Jess Thirlby, has emphasized that for England to remain competitive, they will need a 60-minute, full-squad performance.
“It is relentless playing Australia,” she stated. “There will be an emphasis on consistency, repeated endeavors, and repeated workloads. I believe we’ve utilized all 12 [players] in every game, which is something we’ve planned for.”
It will be brutal, but the Roses will have their thorns as well. Helen Housby and Eleanor Cardwell had the best seasons of their careers after reaching the Super Netball finals in early July. With shooting percentages of 93.5% (100/107) and 91.8% (146/159), respectively, and the ability to score from anywhere, Australia will be preoccupied with separating the duo.
After the first match, the defending champions, New Zealand, will face Jamaica in the second. Expected to be a much closer contest, there will be plenty of intrigue surrounding the Silver Ferns’ strategy. In Birmingham, Jamaica defeated New Zealand 67-51 in the semi-finals to advance to their first major final.
The Sunshine Girls then traveled to New Zealand in the autumn for a catch-up Test series. But Jamaica was unable to field a full-strength squad for a variety of reasons.
The Ferns prevailed but garnered little intelligence. Add to that the loss of 21-year-old Grace Nweke, the holding shooter who had been strategically positioned to be a release point for the attacking end of the Ferns against strong defensive units like Jamaica’s. Expect New Zealand to adapt and develop as the game progresses.
Patience will be the most difficult obstacle for the Sunshine Girls. Shamera Sterling and one of the world’s most reactive and effective defensive lines prevent Jamaica’s turnovers. However, getting the ball to their world-class shooter Jhaniele Fowler could be a challenge.
The Jamaicans will face many traps as the Ferns, known for their zonal style, try to pass to Fowler. In addition, the return of New Zealand’s defensive stalwarts Jane Watson and Karin Burger, who sat out Birmingham, will make things slightly more difficult for Jamaica.
