Netball: Central Zone derby in playoffs

Bay player Summer-Rose Taylor denies an Eastern Waikato counterpart of possession at the U17 nationals at Rangiora yesterday.

It's a Netball Central Zone derby as Hawke's Bay face Manawatu in the play-offs for fifth to eighth place at the under-17 nationals in Rangiora today.

The Bay yesterday pipped unbeaten Eastern Waikato 34-33 in their first crossover match but succumbed 49-28 to Dunedin in the quarterfinals.

It was even for the most part but some stunning defence gave the Bay 10-8 at the end of the first quarter against Waikato.

Waikato zeroed in on Bay midcourters Tia Lewis (WA) and Jade Poi (C) in the second spell but GS Emma Vennell kept them in the game.

Waikato got on a 6-2 run in the third but the Bay clawed their way back to lead by into the final quarter.

Alex Coddington and Jaydi Taylor-Chaffey put the shutters up and with GA Hannah Winnie provided cohesion as the Bay held their nerves for victory.

Dunedin went for the jugular in the first quarter for an 11-6 lead.

Poi and goal attack Hannah Winnie relayed the ball through the court to and feed Vennell but it wasn't enough as the first quarter deficit went out by a goal to leave them 22-15 down at halftime.

Taylor-Chaffey and Coddington tirelessly foraged for intercepts in the face of relentless Dunedin shooters but the gulf widened to 31-20 at the end of the third spell. The final quarter, 18-8, went to the victors.