Kuranui topple defending champs

Kuranui College issued an early warning they could be a front runner for major honours in Netball Wairarapa's premier one competition this season when they beat defending champions St Matthew's Collegiate 36-16 in the opening round of matches at the Colombo road courts on Saturday.
It was the first time Kuranui had beaten St Matthew's in premier one play and while the victory was not totally unexpected because of the "new look" St Matthew's line-up this season the winning margin certainly was.
Kuranui coach Lynda Strange said she had given her side the challenge of being up by at least six goals at the end of the first quarter and when they led 13-4 at that stage she was "pretty confident" they could sustain their effort.
The second quarter did see St Matthew's improve their performance to the extent they scored only a couple of goals less than Kuranui there but the third quarter saw Kuranui restrict St Matthew's to just the two goals and it was all over bar the shouting.
Strange was not only delighted with the decisiveness of the win but with the manner in which her players has responded to the positional and personnel changes made during the course of the game. "Whatever combination we had on court worked well and that was a big plus," she said
Outstanding for Kuranui was captain Chanel Phillips, who played the first three quarters of the game at centre and the last quarter at wing defence.
In the other premier one match played at the Colombo road courts on Saturday Wairarapa College A also hinted they could be a force to be reckoned with this season, defeating newcomers Carterton Red 37-27.
Two other premier one games will be played at the Genesis Recreation Centre tonight with Harcourts up against Salute Greytown at 6pm and Gladstone All Blacks taking on Sports Arena Carterton at 8pm.
GRADING GAMES
Grading matches were held for all other grades on Saturday and results of each round were:-
9am: Hiona 20, Trevs 1 20; Solway 1 27, Wairarapa College senior B reserve 1 6; Wairarapa College senior reserve 1 34, Pioneer 2 15; St Matthews junior A 18, Wairarapa College B 11; Wairarapa College.Intermediate A 23, Careterton White 14.
10am: Pioneer 1 37, Carterton Masters 20; Solway 2 20, Kuranui junior AQ 17; St Matthews Flyers 20, Wairarapa College Jewels 8; Solway development 16, Chanel junior B 14; Makoura Red 25, Greytown Red 19; East Coast 29, Wairarapa College junior A 17; Kuranui C 30, Wairarapa College senior reserve 3 2; Wairarapa College Mozzys 17, St Matthews development 17.
11am: Wairarapa College senior A reserve 28, St Matthews B 11; Martinborough 22, Wairarapa College B 18; Carterton Blue 25, Wairarapa College senior B reserve 2 19; Chanel Junior A 23, Wairarapa College junior B 2; Trevs 2 23, Chanel A 15; Makoura A 26, Wairarapa College senior reserve 2 12; St Matthews junior B 17 Kuranui B 15.
12 noon: Fagans Hot Shots 26, Pioneer 1 21; Featherston 1 30, Wairarapa College Intermediate A 18; St Matthews Junior C 12, Wairarapa College Intermediaqte B 7; Eketahuna 28, Mangins Graphics Carterton 19; St Matthews senior 1 19, Chanel B 5; Wairarapa College Imax 19, St Matthews Shakers 5; Solway 1 19, St Matthews development 11.
1pm: Trevs 1 32, St Matthews B 16; St Matthews junior B 17, Featherston 2 16; Kuranui C 26, Wairarapa College junior B 9; Hiona 44, Pioneer 2 14; Carterton White 37, Greytown Red 19; Wairarapa College junior A 21, Wairarapa College senior B reserve 16; St Matthews Flyers 24, Solway development 8; Wairarapa College Jewels
17, Chanel junior B 11; Kuranui Blue 47, Wairarapa College senior reserve 3 6.
2pm: Carterton Masters 28, Wairarapa College senior A reserve 24;Fagans Hot Shots 36, Wairarapa College senior reserve 1 8; Martinborough 26, Makoura Red 21; Chanel A 21, St Matthews junior A 19; East Coast 25, Mangin Graphics Carterton 20; Wairarapa College senior B reserve 2 21, Makoura A 19;Kuranui B 17, Carterton Blue 15; Kuranui junior A 27, Wairarapa College intermediate B 18; Chanel junior A 24, Wairarapa College senior reserve 2 17.
3pm: Featherston 1 30, Trevs 2 27; Eketahuna 43, Wairarapa College Mozzys 15; Solway 2 42, Chanel B 2;p Flames 32, St Matthews senior 1 9; St Matthews junior C 14, Wairarapa College Imax 8; Kuranui Maroon 25, St Matthews Shakers 5.