England fall to 55-48 defeat against New Zealand in Commonwealth Games Netball bronze medal match
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England fail to defend their Commonwealth games title after 55-48 defeat against New Zealand in bronze medal match … just hours after losing to the same opponents at the same stage in the T20 cricket
- England lost 55-48 in the bronze medal match of the Commonwealth Games
- The hosts now end the tournament without a medal in front of the home crowd
- New Zealand had failed to win a Games medal four years ago on the Gold Coast
- The hosts also lost to the same opponents at the same stage in the T20 cricket
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England fell to a disappointing 55-48 loss to New Zealand in the bronze medal netball match at the Commonwealth Games.
The hosts were knocked out in the semi-finals by Australia to deny them the chance to defend their Commonwealth title, and failed to bounce back in time for the clash with New Zealand.
The game also saw Eboni Usoro-Brown and Stacey Francis-Bayman make their final appearances for England and they will both retire following the end of this campaign.
England lost in the bronze medal match against New Zealand in the Commonwealth Games
However for the visitors it was a day of vindication after their failure to win a medal in the last games, held in Gold Coast, Australia in 2018.
The Silver Ferns were utterly dominant throughout the tie, winning every single quarter of the match on their way to a place on the podium, despite an electric start from both sides.
The hosts – who beat the same opponents 54-44 in the pool stages – had pulled themselves back to within four goals towards the end of the final quarter, before New Zealand held firm to see off a late comeback.
The Silver Ferns redeemed themselves after failing to win a medal in the event four years ago
After suffering a painful loss in the semi-finals to Australia – who England beat to win their Commonwealth title four years ago – head coach Jess Thirlby made two changes in the hope that different personnel might bring a different result.
However the introduction of Laura Malcolm and Eleanor Cardwell at wing-defence and goal-shooter respectively could not give England the all important win.
Australia will now face Jamaica in the gold medal match, which takes place later on Sunday evening.
After a pulsating goal-for-goal start England fell away and failed to win a single quarter
The defeat also marked England’s second loss to New Zealand in a bronze medal match on the same day, after a bitterly disappointing defeat in the T20 cricket tournament earlier on Sunday.
Nat Sciver’s side were restricted to a measly 110-9 after 20 overs, and faced a tall order in keeping their opponents to a similarly low score.
And so it proved as Sophie Devine’s unbeaten 51 guided the White Ferns to a comfortable eight-wicket win inside 12 overs as the hosts crashed out without a medal.
Sophie Devine (middle) hit an unbeaten 51* as England lost at the same stage of the cricket