It was a no-holds-barred start to Australia’s netball semi-final against England at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
The game started extremely physically, but nothing would compare to one of the players crashing into and breaking a goal post in the first quarter.
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The incident occurred as England goal defense Layla Guscoth went for an intercept, with the momentum of the effort sending her crashing into the post.
She got up smiling and was unharmed and able to continue the game.
Not so much for the post – which needed to be replaced.
After a short pause in the game, the bent post was pulled out and a new one slotted into its position.
Diamonds cut through Roses into the end
Meanwhile, Australia’s Diamonds cut ruthlessly through England’s Roses, earning sweet, sweet revenge for their painful 2018 Commonwealth Games final defeat.
Australia, also smarting from their shock loss to Jamaica in the group stages, roared back to steam into the final, outplaying England 60-51 in their semi-final at the NEC Exhibition Center on Saturday.
It was a surgical triumph, built on the brilliance and fluidity of the Diamonds’ movement as they repeated their Quad Series final demolition of England in London in January.
Silencing the shrill and deafening support of the home crowd, their victory set up another chance of revenge for Stacey Marinkovich’s team in the gold medal game against Jamaica’s Sunshine girls on Sunday.
It gives Australia the chance of a fifth Commonwealth crown after they were sensationally dethroned in the 2018 final by Helen Housby’s last-ditch goal.
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There never looked like a repeat of that shock from Housby and her colleagues, one which has become enshrined as one of the best moments in English women’s sport. The Australians took command midway through the first quarter and never released their vice-like grip.
Inspired by the brilliance inside the shooting circle of Gretel Bueta, who dominated England’s defenders with her 43 goals from 44 attempts, the Diamonds led by three after the first quarter, six at halftime and nine after the third.
It was a relentless stranglehold, the speed of Australia’s ball movement in contrast to England’s cumbersome build-up towards the net.
Every one of Marinkovich’s team, led by captain Liz Watson and Courtney Bruce, on her 50th cap, had a fine match.
There had been a bizarre early stoppage in the opening period at 3-3 when England’s Layla Guscoth crashed into the net post while trying to make an interception.
That prompted a delay to the game as running repairs were made to the post, but from that moment Australia never looked back.
Earlier, the Jamaicans had continued their inspired form, following up their 57-55 defeat of Australia with a convincing 67-51 win over world champions New Zealand.
-With APA
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