Helen Houseby and Natalie Metcalfe (second captain) celebrate. a goal deficit to secure their first ever win over Australian netball heavyweights in 13 World Cup attempts to underscore their reputation as the winner of the Cape Town tournament.
The Roses put up a thrilling bout at the end of their final pool match . — what felt like a match for a goal and a medal — to secure a convincing victory over the Diamonds and lead their group.
While honing everything in the decisive third quarter, England found cleaner lines of attack as they fought their way back into contention where at one point they were looking down the barrel of defeat.
They rallied superbly to win. rebuild a 38-29 deficit to overwhelm the world's best team, and Chelsea substitute Pitman added creativity to England's attack to take a huge step forward in their quest to win their first World Cup. The Roses have won bronze in their last three tournaments, but after this self-confident victory, they will appreciate their chances.
Jess Thirlby, the England head coach who led the Roses in her first World Cup, called her team's performance «an extremely important moment» but didn't get too caught up in the event.
To give a glimpse of Australia's dominance on the world stage , England have beaten them for only the second time since the Commonwealth's memorable victory over the Diamonds in 2018.
The Roses are making history🌹@EnglandNetball take their first Netball World Cup win over Australia by winning thriller 56:55 #PutYourHandsUp pic.twitter.com/P5ZMsOrl0y
— World Netball (@WorldNetball_) August 3, 2023
«It gives us confidence, but we know we have two games ahead of us and it means nothing if we can't continue them,» said the cool-headed Thirlby, whose tactical change to drop Pitman midcourt at Nat Metcalfe's after-half proved the difference.
“I won’t lie, it’s nice. The thing is, we're eight goals behind and we've been pushed back in the last 15 games and we're still in the lead. I don't think you can underestimate what this tells me about where the group is.»
A historic result means undefeated England advance to the semi-finals as the top seed and face either the silver medalists on Saturday Commonwealth medalists Jamaica, or reigning world champions New Zealand.
A slow start was a feature of England's Cape Town campaign, but in their first proper test of the tournament, the Roses got off to a brilliant start against 11-time winners.
Forcing the Diamonds to make uncharacteristic mistakes that looked ragged and out of ideas , they took the lead with five goals but began to stutter when England striker Ellie Cardwell was penalized for a dropped ball.
With the Rose's momentum stalled, Australia returned to a frantic first quarter. It will be the first of several abrupt shifts of momentum in a thrilling billiards match in which England were defeated in the second quarter, which they lost 19-11.
At halftime, Australia just regained their Commonwealth title. last year in Birmingham, they flexed their muscles and emphasized their status as tournament favorites.
But Thirlby's tactical change after the break, when Pitman entered the fray, paid off. Everything the magician touched turned to gold as center court exploited the choke points around the court and fed Helen Hausby in the center circle while Australia was upset by Funmi Fadojou and Fran Williams' defensive partnership.
England's Chelsea Pitman and Australia's Ash Brazill compete for the ball. Credit: Getty Images/Ashley Vlotman/
The Roses continued to turn the screw in a tense last quarter as Williams scored a game-tying interception before opening the floor with a flat pass to Ellie Cardwell as England took a three-goal lead at 50– 47.
As the clock ticked, the defender made another important contribution in the final 40 seconds of the match, with Australia in possession and anticipating a draw. Cardwell scored the decider with a pair of solid hands before Williams reached out to extinguish the Aussies' latest attack.
«Every win is a boost to our confidence and it's something that keeps us moving forward day after day» , said Imogen Allison from England. «So yes, flying over Australia is good.»
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