Netball: Tall Fern catches HB on the hop

Charissa Barham coaches the Hawke's Bay netball team . PHOTO/DUNCAN BROWN

The Hawke's Bay netball team were expecting a tall order but certainly not to the tune of a two-metre-plus Megan Craig yesterday in Wellington.

The sight of Craig, a Tall Fern basketballer, rattled the Charissa Barham-coached Pak'nSave-sponsored Bay women as they succumbed 73-18 to North Harbour in their first outing of the week-long national championship.

"She's not just a skinny and tall person but she's solid - a big unit who is taller than Janelle Fowler," Barham explained after her predominantly young charges - under the court leadership of ex-Silver Fern Katarina Cooper - who were only a goal down seven minutes into the first quarter, slipped to 16-7 at the 15-minute mark buzzer.

The 22-year-old US college player worked in tandem with Malia Pasika (ex-Mystic) against the 1.77m tall Bay defence of Olivia Mccaulay and Rhiarna Ferris.

At the other end, Harbour defenders Temalisi Fakahokotau (Mystic) and Phoenix Karaka (ex-Silver Fern) were urging the Bay shooters to enrol in palm-reading classes to get past them.

That gulf widened to 32-10 at halftime, prompting Barham to relay some home truths as turning over eight balls and feeding one into attack just isn't netball.

"I told the girls just to focus on the process and stop becoming shell-shocked," said Barham but the experience of Cooper and midcourter Becky Kupa wasn't enough to quell the tidal wave.

Barham adroitly rested Kupa after foot inflammation as she would be more valuable in today's two targeted games against Hutt Valley and Wanganui to make the top three in pool B for the crossover round tomorrow.

In the Bay's second match last night, they lost 59-37 (9-11, 30-17, 29-44) to Dunedin.

Wellington-based shooter Lizzie Sandon added impetus in her first game after Barham urged self-belief against a side who "did the basics well" but not as "dynamic and hunting" as North Harbour.