Colleges' netball clash tops bill

Netball

PROTECTIVE: Pioneer Blue goal shoot Kelly Te Whare shields the ball from Wairarapa College's Stevie Paine at the Colombo Rd courts last weekend as Shyanne Aporo looks on.PHOTO/CHRIS KILFORD

Defending champions Harcourts and Wairarapa College share the lead in Netball Wairarapa's premier one competition with two series of qualifying matches to go before the top four progress to the semifinals.

Harcourts and Wairarapa College have the maximum 12 points in the main championship round, having won all four of their matches there.

Makoura College are third with 10 points, followed by Carterton New World Legends 9, Pioneer Blue and Carterton New World Lynx 5 and St Matthew's Collegiate and Gladstone 2.

The feature match at the Colombo Rd courts tomorrow will be between Wairarapa College and Makoura College with the former knowing a win will virtually guarantee them a semifinal spot and the latter knowing a loss will jeopardise their chances of doing likewise.

Both teams go into the game on the back of winning form, Wairarapa College having upset Pioneer Blue 38-33 last weekend and Makoura having a 10-goal victory over Baywide Gladstone 35-25. What makes tomorrow's clash intriguing is the evenness of the sides right through the court and a close finish seems assured.

Pioneer Blue will be desperate to bounce back to winning form, and keep their semifinal hopes alive, when they take on Carterton New World Lynx but the latter have been going great guns lately and will be no push-overs.

A battle royal is also expected between St Matthew's Collegiate and Carterton New World Legends although the form book suggests Legends should have the edge. St Matthew's have more ability than their record would suggest though and their fitness could become an asset in a tight game.

Harcourts remain everybody's favourite to notch another premier one title in 2012 and anything but a comfortable win over Baywide Gladstone would be a surprise.