England miss out on Commonwealth Games netball final after New Zealand defeat
England lost 61-54 to New Zealand in the netball semi-final, ending their hopes of defending the Commonwealth title. The Roses will now play for bronze on Sunday.
England's netball team will not feature in the Commonwealth Games gold-medal match after a 61-54 semi-final loss to a dominant New Zealand side. The defeat means the Roses cannot repeat their 2018 triumph, though they still have a chance to claim bronze. New Zealand advance to Sunday's final, where they will face either Australia or Jamaica.
New Zealand impressed early with swift, accurate passing, but England settled their nerves when goal shooter Liv Tchine levelled the scores at 3-3. However, the Silver Ferns' superior height, particularly through shooter Grace Nweke, proved decisive as they moved into double figures with eight minutes played and led 16-11 at the end of the first quarter.
Bringing on Eleanor Cardwell for Tchine late in that period gave England a lift, and they boosted their intensity in the second quarter to reduce the gap to 25-21. After scoring 23 goals from 23 attempts, Nweke missed just before half-time, leaving New Zealand with a 29-24 lead. England produced moments of strong defensive pressure but could not consistently convert turnovers into goals, allowing the Silver Ferns to extend their advantage to nine points with 15 minutes left.
The Roses narrowed the deficit to seven by the final whistle, but the damage had been done. They must now regroup for Sunday's bronze-medal match at 09:00 BST. New Zealand, who reach the final at 13:00 BST, are chasing their first Commonwealth gold since 2014 and last secured the title in 2010.
The other semi-final between Australia and Jamaica takes place on Saturday, 1 August.
