Netball: Silver Ferns gain little from one-sided romp

By DANIEL GILHOOLY

Raising a ton against Canada became a goal for the Silver Ferns only in the final quarter, coach Ruth Aitken insisted after the 101-17 crushing which opened their campaign yesterday.

New Zealand could gain little from the romp, and if young goal shoot Daneka Wipiiti had been more accurate, they might have gone well over the 100 mark.

They got there in the final minute, prompting a loud cheer from the Ferns' bench.

Up 73-12 at the three-quarter break, Aitken called for a relentless finish. She introduced four pairs of fresh legs to boost their chase for three figures.

"We didn't think about 100 early on, but once we got back on for the last quarter, it was there for the taking," Aitken said.

"It was a good thing for them to aim for: you don't get many opportunities to get to 100."

But Aitken did note some sloppy areas of her team's performance that could do with a tweak.

There were too many unforced turnovers, especially early in the match, yet they still led 22-4 and 49-8 through the first two quarters.

New Zealand's second match against Sri Lanka overnight was expected to result in another romp before they face hosts England tomorrow.

Aitken expected "the stadium will rock" against England, who had earlier beaten Sri Lanka 75-34.

In group B, Jamaica beat South Africa 66-55 and Australia downed Barbados 75-28.

- NZPA

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