The first game of the 2024 Vitality Netball Horizon Series saw a dramatic draw after a storming second quarter allowed the Vitality Roses to take an early lead in the match, read on to find out five things we loved about game one.
Celebrating special milestones
An unmistakable highlight of the game came at the first whistle, when both Imogen Allison and Fran Williams took to court for what became their 50th cap for the Vitality Roses. Both making Head Coach Jess Thirlby’s starting seven, the pair continued their fine form from the Taini Jamison series with a powerful defensive display on court. Sharing this special milestone with friends and family in the crowd proudly cheering them on, it was a match to remember for the two players who not only connect on court but are also great friends off the court. Reflecting on a 50th cap to remember, captain Fran Williams said “it was a classic international netball match in this day and age. Really close, tight until the end, you never know who is going to win.” With Imogen Allison adding that the crowd in the AO Arena were “incredible, they really kept us going. It was so loud we couldn’t hear each other out there and that’s what we need and that’s what we’re going to need to get over the line tomorrow.”
A tightly fought battle on court
Whilst the Vitality Roses took the lead in the first half of the game, the Sunshine Girls came back with passion and determination in the second half, creating a nail-biting final few minutes of the match which saw defensive magic from the hands of Fran Williams and Funmi Fadoju as well as calm nerves under pressure from Shanice Beckford. The 49-49 draw sets up an exciting re-match tomorrow for fans watching both in the arena and at home on BBC Two. Reflecting on the result, Vitality Roses Head Coach Jess Thirlby said: “There’s so much good in there, not least Imo and Fran getting their 50th cap, it’s a memorable one for them! But also a lot of players going out having never played the Jamaican style before so I’m really curious and keen now to do those quick learnings overnight and be the best at that compared to Jamaica by the morning.”
A passionate Manchester crowd
A city known for its love for netball, fans in Manchester came out in their thousands today to cheer on the Vitality Roses with pride. Creating an electric atmosphere, Vitality Roses fans celebrated every goal, intercept and deflection, powering the team to continue fighting right until the final whistle on court.
Special first appearances at home
For Vitality Roses Lois Pearson and Jess Shaw, who both made their debut for England against Australia earlier this year, today’s match marked their first appearance for the Vitality Roses at home. Jess entered the court during quarter three as wing attack in a move which also saw Lois move to goal attack. For Lois, who hails from Bury and represents Manchester Thunder in the Netball Super League, this first appearance at home was made even more special being back in Manchester, where her netball career first began.
Free-to-air international netball
Following the announcement that BBC Sport will be showing all four matches in the Vitality Netball Horizon Series, today’s match was available to watch free-to-air on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app, allowing all those fans who weren’t able to make it to the AO Arena to enjoy the action from home. Growing the visibility of the sport even further, tomorrow’s match will be broadcast live on BBC Two, so make sure to tune in to see which team comes out stronger following today’s dramatic draw!
