Two Silver Ferns in tonight's netball match here against the World 7 have more reason than most for a little bit of belief that Monday's upset loss in Wellington can be turned around.
A keep-it-simple approach saw the World 7 outplay New Zealand 48-44 in the first of the
three-test series. The composite team of Jamaican, Samoan, English and Australian players did the basics well to win every quarter barring the last one, which was tied 10-10.
In contrast, the Silver Ferns stuttered in the midcourt, were too loose on defence and never seriously threatened the World 7 makeshift team of current internationals and former stars.
But Irene van Dyk, New Zealand's 92-cap evergreen goal shoot, and re-born international centre Temepara George have the memory of a three-match series against a World 7 nine years ago to sustain them ahead of tonight's must-win fixture.
In the 2000 three-test series, the World 7 - buoyed by players such as Jamaican Elaine Davis and the legendary Australian duo of Sharelle McMahon and Liz Ellis - scored a surprise upset in the first match in Wellington.
The Yvonne Willering-coached Silver Ferns, with George and van Dyk starting, trailed 22-30 at halftime, then fought back to win the second spell 25-21. The game, however, was conceded 51-47 and the Silver Ferns went into the second match of the series 0-1 down.
Ahead 31-24 at halftime in Christchurch four days later, New Zealand held on for the narrowest of wins, 52-51. And in the final match, at Hamilton's Mystery Creek, the Silver Ferns let fly for a thumping 60-47 triumph, built around a dominant second 21-6 winning second quarter.
In Rotorua tonight, van Dyk and George will be doing their best to make sure history repeats.
- NZPA
