Netball: England Fastnet win ends NZ reign

Irene van Dyke. Photo / NZPA

England have broken Australasia's stronghold on world netball titles, yesterday defeating New Zealand in the final of the World Fastnet Series in Liverpool.

In a sport that can throw up monotonous offerings at international level, with Australia and New Zealand dominating the world scene, England proved popular winners of the Fastnet crown.

While the three-day tournament is not seen as a top-tier event, England's win is significant considering it has been more than 30 years since a country from outside New Zealand and Australia has won an IFNA tournament.

The last time was 1979, when the world championships were shared between the two transtasman nations and Trinidad & Tobago.

Winners of the first two world series titles, the Fastnet Ferns were gunning for a hat-trick in yesterday's final. But their bid effectively ended during a rampant third-quarter from England, with the hosts making the most of their powerplay, outscoring New Zealand 16-8 to bolt out to a seven-point lead.

With the games played over six-minute quarters, New Zealand were forced to throw caution to the wind in the final quarter as they tried to engineer a comeback. But the England defence held firm over the final stanza as they cruised to a 33-26 win in front of a deliriously partisan and at times extremely unsporting home crowd at Liverpool's Echo Arena.

New Zealand captain Irene van Dyk said England's ability to score off turnovers and convert two-point chances, particularly in the third quarter, was the difference between the two sides.

Yesterday's loss rounded out a tough year for New Zealand netball, heaping more disappointment on the team after world championship heartbreak in Singapore, and the loss in the recent Constellation Cup series in Australia, despite dominating many matches for long periods.

While the Fastnet Ferns would have undoubtedly been aiming for the three-peat, coach Waimarama Taumaunu made it clear her main goal going in to the tournament was to develop young talent. The likes of Camilla Lees, Sulu Tone-Fitzpatrick, Jess Tuki, Kayla Cullen and Shannon Francois were given the opportunity to play alongside some of the Ferns' first-string side, with the last two in particular showing out.

Yesterday's result would have no doubt pleased international netball bosses, with England being the only country to really embrace the Fastnet concept. The adapted rules of the shortened game were first trialled in Britain and England Netball has since developed a domestic competition to run alongside the regular Superleague series.

After three years in England, the tournament will move to New Zealand next year as IFNA looks to open up the shortened version of the game to new markets.

Netball New Zealand has been awarded the hosting rights for the next three years, with IFNA president Molly Rhone announcing yesterday the 2012 tournament will be held in Auckland.