CWG 14: Australia gain netball revenge on New Zealand
Australia gained revenge on New Zealand by beating the defending champions 58-40 in a comfortable netball final victory at the Commonwealth Games on Sunday.
|Last Updated: Aug 03, 2014, 10:59 PM IST|Source: AFP
Glasgow: Australia gained revenge on New Zealand by beating the defending champions 58-40 in a comfortable netball final victory at the Commonwealth Games on Sunday.
The Silver Ferns, who had earned a last-gasp 35-34 victory against England in the semi-finals, had an off day in front of goal and that proved costly as their Antipodean rivals took full advantage.
Goal shooter Caitlin Bassett, who had scored 41 points in the semi-final 57-42 win over Jamaica, was easily the standout player for Australia as she scored 49 points with a 92 per cent success rate.
"We`re unbelievably ecstatic," said Diamonds captain Laura Geitz. "We knew the Kiwis would pose a challenge. I know it sounds like a cliche, but we stuck to our gameplan.
"Obviously you need to make the most of your opportunities against New Zealand. They don`t make too many errors.
"I`m very proud of the way the girls conducted themselves today.
"We`ve paid a lot of attention to starting after half-time. It`s nice to have a strong start. We knew never to underestimate the Kiwis."
The match had the makings of a similar classic to 2010, which went to extra-time, with there being little to choose from between the two sides after the first quarter at 14-14.
But Australia took a narrow lead of 28-24 into half-time and never looked back.
They won the third quarter 15-8 to gain the upper hand on their rivals and remained composed in the final quarter to secure gold amid scenes of delight at the end.
New Zealand scored only 40 of their 54 attempts with experienced attacker Jodi Brown and Maria Tutaia both disappointing.
The two nations have contested every single final since netball became a Commonwealth Games sport in 1998 but this was Australia`s first victory since 2002 in Manchester.
Jamaica took the bronze medal after a fine final quarter to beat England 52-48.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.