NZ survive scare and Australia cruise to Tonga win

2 years ago 68

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Jamie-Lee Price playing for Australia against Tonga

Venue: Cape Town, South Africa Dates: 28 July to 6 August
Coverage: Watch live coverage on BBC TV and BBC iPlayer, listen to commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live, 5 Sports Extra & BBC Sounds and follow text commentary of selected matches on BBC Sport website and app.

Defending champions New Zealand survived a scare at the Netball World Cup, while world number ones Australia cruised to another comfortable victory.

The Silver Ferns eventually edged a tight 54-44 victory over Uganda before the Diamonds swept to a 85-38 win over Tonga in Cape Town, South Africa.

The results put both sides on track to top their respective Pools in the tournament's preliminary group stage.

England will face Malawi in their second Pool B match at 17:00 BST.

Scotland, who are also in Pool B, are in action against Barbados later on Saturday (15:00 BST), while Wales suffered a second loss at the tournament, falling to a 75-40 defeat by Commonwealth Games silver medallists Jamaica in Pool C.

New Zealand began their title defence on Friday with a routine win over Trinidad and Tobago in Pool D but faced a sterner test against Uganda, whose unique style of play could cause upsets further into the competition.

But shooting accuracy let the She Cranes down, with Loughborough Lightning shooter Mary Cholhok missing eight of her 38 shots, and New Zealand extended their slender lead in the final quarter.

Australia's win over a Tonga side who have shot up the rankings in recent years once again showcased their dominance, with Cara Koenen netting 29 goals in the first half and Sophie Garbin dominating under the post with 42 goals in the second.

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