New Zealand have brought Commonwealth Games gold medal winners Australia down to Earth with a 56-48 opening Constellation Cup win in Auckland.
Key points:
- Silver Ferns’ goalshooter Grace Nweke starred, with 40 goals from 42 attempts
- New Zealand slotted 11 unanswered goals in a seven-minute hot streak in the first quarter
- The series heads to Tauranga on Sunday, before returning to Australia next week
Returning to action for the first time since Birmingham, the Diamonds were blunted by Noeline Taurua’s dynamic Silver Ferns on Wednesday night.
The Silver Ferns won it early, slotting 11 goals without reply in a brutal seven-minute first quarter streak.
Led by all-action goalshooter Grace Nweke (40 of 42), New Zealand had winners all across the court, with goal defence Phoenix Karaka making a stunning six intercepts, wing attack Peta Toeava indefatigable and keeper Kelly Jury making seven gains.
New Zealand began their match-winning run down 6-8, when a combination of Australian penalties, botched passes and shooting errors allowed the Kiwis to surge to 17-8.
Of the streak, the last goal was the most spectacular, with Toeava spearing a centimetre-perfect ball from mid-court for Nweke to shoot cleanly.
New Zealand stifled Australia in the mid-court, forcing captain Liz Watson into rushed decision-making and uncharacteristic mistakes.
Australian shooters Cara Koenen (21 of 22) and Steph Wood were out of sync inside the circle, while at the other end, Nweke and captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio ran riot.
Ekanasio (16 of 19) — on return after giving birth to her second child — had huge crowd support, but Nweke shone brighter, netting 12 first-quarter goals for a 20-9 quarter-time lead.
Diamonds coach Stacey Marinkovich rang the changes, benching error-prone goalkeeper Sarah Klau and Wood before half-time, eventually using four off her bench.
New goal attack Kiera Austin (9 of 14) didn’t fare much better, but replacements Sunday Aryang and Jamie-Lee Price at goal defender and centre made an impact.
The Diamonds shaved the deficit to eight at half-time, and three late in the third, before the Silver Ferns steadied for a 42-36 at three-quarter time lead.
Any hopes of an Australian comeback were dashed by a pair of stunning turnovers by Karaka, one from well behind the court, as the Black Ferns consolidated their lead.
Earlier, a historic men’s netball international curtain-raiser was won by Australia over New Zealand 64-48, with Australian goal attack Brodie Roberts (27 of 30) best afield.
The Constellation Cup series moves now to Tauranga for game two on Sunday, before concluding games in Melbourne and Gold Coast next week.
AAP