Phoenix Win Battle Of Melbourne To Open Farewell Year

Newcastle Herald

Thursday April 26, 2007

Renee Valentine

MELBOURNE Phoenix took the first points of the final national netball league season when they beat cross-city rivals the Kestrels 46-41 at Vodafone Arena last night.

Only one Melbourne team will play in next year's new trans-Tasman league.

The opening round continues tomorrow night when defending champions Sydney Swifts host Adelaide Thunderbirds and the Queensland Firebirds are at home to the AIS Canberra Darters.

? Five national league debutantes will head to Grafton on Saturday as part of the Jaegers squad for their first-round clash with Perth.

They will be Kimberley Borger, Maryanne Hamilton, Jessica Mansell, Lauren Russell and Alex Harding. Not making the trip will be injured mid-court player Courtney Tairi plus Edwina Gosse and newest addition Vanessa Andrews.

The Jaegers have beaten the Orioles four times in six meetings but did not get over Perth in two encounters last season.

? The Jaegers hit the road for their first two matches of the season travelling to Adelaide to challenge the Thunderbirds in round two and will appear at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre for the first time when they host Melbourne Phoenix on May 11.

It will be the first of three matches straight in Newcastle for the Jaegers before four games in a row away from home.

In all, Hunter play just five games in Newcastle this season.

New features of the national league this year include weekend double-headers, a three-day finals series and a four-week break from competition in July.

The break was initially timed to coincide with the World Cup in Fiji.

The World Cup will now be in New Zealand in November, but the long competition hiatus remains.

? The Hunter Jays opened their title defence in the NSW Waratah League in emphatic fashion, defeating Parramatta-Auburn 54-29.

The Jays, the Jaegers development side, became the state league division-one champions last year with a one-goal win over Manly-Warringah in the decider.

? The BNC Cricketers continued a flying start to the Newcastle open netball championship by beating Mattara Hotel 35-25 on Saturday, but they were made to work hard for the points in their second-round win.

BNC Cricketers opened the year with a comprehensive 35-15 win over Nags Head.

They led Mattara Hotel 8-4 at the first break on Saturday, but the scores were locked at 12-12 at the main break.

BNC Cricketers outscored their rivals by five goals in the third and fourth periods to seal victory.

BNC Cricketers 2 also had a tight tussle before emerging 34-33 winners over newcomers Temperzone.

The Junction Hotel defeated Hotel Delany 33-27, and Nags Head drew 42-42 with Gazas Sportz.

© 2007 Newcastle Herald

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