Wasps Netball won the 2018 British Fast5 Netball All-Stars Championship defeating benecosMavericks 42-32 in the final at The Copper Box Arena, London at the end of a pulsating day of Fast5 action.
MVP Rachel Dunn was a pivotal part of Wasps’ victory, nailing the long shots for a series of successful three and five pointers. She made particularly good use of the double-point Power Plays with her six and ten point joy firing her side away from opponents throughout the competition.
Australian legend Sharni Layton, lining-up as a Surrey Storm All-Star, inspired her side through to the semi-finals, where they pushed Wasps close until the eventual champions edged clear in the final minutes to win 45-36, setting up a final with Mavericks who had swept aside Severn Stars 38-8 in their semi-final.
Wasps had scored a combined 123 points in their three matches prior to the final and continued to score regularly in the showpiece, beating Mavericks 42-32 to claim the £25,000 winner’s cheque.
“Thankfully my shooting arm was on fire today,” said Dunn. “It was great fun and an awesome tournament to be a part of. As the games went on I knew I was shooting well and the other shooters stepped up when needed.
“We knew Mavs were playing really well and shooting really well so we knew we had to be better.”
Of her appearance for Storm, Layton said: “It has been such a great day. It was intense, it was fast, it was fun, the fans have been amazing and I couldn’t have asked for a better reception – it was phenomenal.
“We nearly got Wasps but Rachel Dunn – what a shooter, she was bombing them in from everywhere. She is hard to stop.”
Played in front of a packed Copper Box Arena, the British Fast5 All-Stars Championship featured 12-minute matches, an all-star 5-point line and a Golden Buzzer Power Play as the top eight Vitality Netball Superleague teams battled it out for their share of a £100,000 prize fund.
2018 BRITISH FAST5 NETBALL ALL-STARS CHAMPIONSHIP – RESULTS
Double Elimination Stage
Loughborough Lightning 19-21 Surrey Storm
Strathclyde Sirens 4-15 Severn Stars
Team Bath 23-18 Manchester Thunder
benecosMavericks 31-41 Wasps Netball
Surrey Storm 12-28 Severn Stars
Team Bath 23-37 Wasps Netball
Loughborough Lightning 32-28 Strathclyde Sirens
Manchester Thunder 22-32 benecosMavericks
Surrey Storm 15-6 Loughborough Lightning
Team Bath 21-47 benecosMavericks
Semi-Finals
Wasps Netball 45-36 Surrey Storm
Severn 8-38 benecosMavericks
The Final
Wasps Netball 42-32 benecosMavericks
