Team England made it two from two at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games with a 66-41 victory over Malawi.
All 12 players once again took to court as they were pushed all the way by the Queens in front of a noisy and supportive crowd.
After the game, we spoke to some of the England players on the game and their initial reactions, here’s what they said…
Jade Clarke on…
…making it two from two
“I think we’re definitely building. We knew that Malawi was going to be a really tough game – they’ve got world-class players, like Joyce Mvula and Mwai Kumwenda.
“We played them a couple of weeks ago in South Africa so we’ve made some good improvements since then.
“But it’s a long journey; we’re on day two, pleased with our progress and we’ve had some real good challenges in the first two games.”
…improvements from the first game
“Yesterday, they (Trinidad and Tobago) got some good tips off us so we wanted to really tidy up but there’s still work to do.
“Jess [Thirlby, Head Coach] always wants more from us so we’ll go back assess the video and I think they really challenged us in that third quarter as well, which is a good thing. So, we will really have to have a look at that video.”
…the incredible Birmingham crowd
“It’s a world-class stadium and there’s nothing better than running out in front of a home crowd. We always say we want to celebrate the good stuff, and they’re doing it for us like they’re helping us do that, it feels like they’re part of the team. Sophie Drakeford-Lewis came on in the last half of the last quarter and I think she really got the crowd going and they were loving what she was doing. So that was great to see as well!”
…rest day plans
“We’ll do some video, ice baths, go in the pool and then finish off the day watching the Lionesses so we can’t wait for that!”
Eleanor Cardwell on…
… the team’s performance today
“It was a really consistent performance from the whole team. It’s amazing to play in front of this crowd, they are super loud.”
… the amazing crowd in the venue
“It feels like you’ve got the support every step of the way, no matter if you are on a high in the game or having a little rocky patch the crowd are all behind you every step of the way. It’s been amazing to see how much support we’ve had.”
… recovery plans
“Go back, eat, sleep, recover and rest day tomorrow!”
Team England face Northern Ireland in their third game of the competition on Monday 1 August with first centre pass at 6pm (UK time). Here’s a guide to the competition, including how you can follow all the action.
If you’re new to our sport and want to have a go yourself, we have programmes for everyone aged 5 to 95 from Bee Netball for children, to Back to Netball for those returning, to Walking Netball, a slower version of the game we love. Through the netball finder on our homepage, simply select play and enter your postcode and you’ll find a variety of sessions in your area.
Loved being in the crowd or watching from home? There’s more live netball coming your way in England this October – book tickets now.
