Netball: Favourites take 2011 crown in tight final

Canterbury player Maree Bowden in action. Photo / Dean Purcell

Canterbury have claimed their second straight provincial netball title, fighting off a fast-finishing Otago side in yesterday's final of the national championships in Porirua.

The Canterbury team, with eight transtasman league franchise players in their squad, including star midcourter Maree Bowden, were the favourites for the 2011 Lion Foundation crown from the outset.

But the gutsy young Otago side made life unexpectedly tough on their provincial neighbours, fighting their way back from a nine-goal deficit early in the second quarter to draw within three in the dying stages of the match.

The clinical Cantabrians held their nerve to hold on for a 63-59 win.

Canterbury's Ellen Halpenny and Otago's Te Paea Selby-Rickit dominated the scoring and posted almost identical shooting statistics with Halpenny converting 45 of her 50 shots at goal for a 90 per cent return, while Selby-Rickit netted 44/51.

Bay of Plenty, newcomers to the first division this year, finished a creditable third after overwhelming Wellington 53-42 in yesterday's third/fourth play-off.

The make-up of the two divisions will remain the same for 2012, after Auckland Waitakere and Southland both fought off their second division challengers in the promotion-relegation matches.

Auckland Waitakere maintained their place in the top flight after holding off Western 52-48 in their promotion-relegation match.

In their play-off against Southland, second division champions Waikato won 52-38.

The Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic yesterday confirmed their star defender Casey Williams and dynamic attacker Laura Langman have re-signed for the 2012 transtasman league season.

FINAL STANDINGS

First division

1 Canterbury

2 Otago

3 Bay of Plenty

4 Wellington

5 Auckland Waitakere

6 Southland

Second division

1 Waikato

2 Western

3 North

4 Counties Manukau

5 Tasman

6 Eastern