Picture by Isabel Pearce/SWpix.com - 19/07/2019 - Netball - Vitality Netball World Cup 2019 - Samoa v Fiji - M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool, England.
The Vitality Roses were not in action on day eight of the Vitality Netball World Cup but the crowd inside the M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool, were treated to four enticing fixtures.
We followed all of Friday’s action:
Session 15:
Sri Lanka 78-57 Singapore
The Vitality Netball World Cup’s top scorer, Tharjini Sivalingam, powered Sri Lanka to victory to condemn Singapore to bottom spot at the tournament. Remarkably, the 6’10 shooter scored 77 of the 78 goals her team managed in the contest with goal-attack Hasitha Mendis the only other player to strike as she also managed 40 assists.
In fact, Sivalingam set a new highest individual scoring record at the Vitality Netball World Cup thanks to her tally of 77.
Singapore rallied in the final quarter with Charmaine Soh’s consistent shooting throughout the match at 92.5% helping narrow the margin but Sri Lanka’s win was never truly under threat.
The win confirmed Sri Lanka’s place of 15th.
Samoa 53-42 Fiji
In what was a repeat of Monday’s dramatic encounter, Samoa once again dispatched on Fiji to secure 13th position at the Vitality Netball World Cup.
It looked as though the Pearls were out to enact revenge on their Pacific Island neighbours as they won the first quarter by two goals. The momentum had swung heavily by half-time, however, as Samoa restricted their opponents to just three goals in the second quarter and scored 14 themselves.
The Samoans had at one point extended their lead to 10 but Fiji were not prepared to finish with a whimper. They won the second quarter after a heavy fall from Soli Ropati restricted Samoa’s momentum. A 13-15 win for Fiji in the third quarter was followed by a 15-11 defeat in the fourth, resigning them to 14th place in the competition.
Session 16:
Zimbabwe 47-77 Jamaica
Jamaica ensured that their disappointing Vitality Netball World Cup campaign will end with at least a sixth-place finish as they beat Zimbabwe today.
The Sunshine Girls have missed out on a semi-final spot for the first time since 1995 and will be keen claim fifth to avoid matching their previous worst previous in the tournament which was sixth in 1967.
The Jamaicans had previously lost to South Africa and the Vitality Roses but were keen to make amends against the Zim Gems.
Zimbabwe, who have delighted their appreciative fans with several victories in their maiden Netball World Cup, will rightly be proud to be contesting the seventh place play-off match.
Malawi 55-44 Uganda
In this all-African encounter, Malawi won the opportunity to face Jamaica for a chance to finish fifth at this Vitality Netball World Cup. After a series of good performances, they could record their best finish since they beat South Africa to finish fifth in 2007.
Uganda, meanwhile, will hope to go one better than their eighth place in Sydney in 2015, when they take on tournament newcomers Zimbabwe in the play-off for seventh.
Malawi earned the right to appear in the fifth-place play-off by dispatching of the She Cranes 55-44. They took advantage of early Ugandan nerves, racing into a 4-0 lead as Joyce Mvula wasted no time in finding her scoring touch.
Ugandan wastefulness at the start of the second quarter was punished, as the lead went out to five. Malawi then looked to have returned the favour, when untidy passing presented Uganda with the ball, but they were unable to capitalise.
Overall, Malawi won three of the four quarters and were deserving of their victory.
