England U17 and Scotland U17 remain unbeaten in Netball Championship divisiom

Cold, wet weather brought about minor problems this Saturday at the Europe Netball combined events. Following heavy rains the previous nights, and waking up to more rain Saturday morning, players and fans were faced with logistical problems ensuring transit between venues and facilities went without a hitch. The matches themselves were also affected in part.

The tercentenary sports hall is already known for its leaky roof, although the main problems have been repaired in recent years. However, the match between England and the UAE saw numerous stops to wipe the floors dry as drops of water fell on the playing court. These were believed to be from condensation in and around some air conditioning pipes rather than leaks in the roof. The cold, humid conditions outside, combined with the structure of the sports hall and its air circulation, are known to create condensation on key areas. This is often marked by GSLA personnel with a cross on the sports hall floor, but it was not present this time after the floor had all the season’s long lines removed, leaving just the playing lines for the netball competition.

Saturday morning saw England play the UAE, with the former once again stamping their superiority and running away with the match from early on. England finished the first half with a 39-14 scoreline advantage. A loss of focus in the latter minutes of the second quarter allowed the UAE to cut the deficit with three consecutive points before England responded. Having faced defeats at the hands of Scotland and Wales the previous day, the UAE, now facing a third defeat, would be looking at a crucial survival match against the Republic of Ireland on Sunday. Defeat against the Republic of Ireland could see them face potential relegation back to the Challenge division. England finished the third quarter with a 55-21 lead, with the UAE having done well to slow down their opponent’s scoring rates. England went on to win 74-30, with the UAE failing to reach the target score required to be within the points zone.

At the Europa Sports Complex, the early morning matches saw Wales face Scotland, two highly rated sides. Scotland, who had beaten the Republic of Ireland and then the UAE in emphatic fashion, faced a Wales side whose only match on Friday had been against the UAE, also finishing with a victory for Wales. Scotland took the early advantage with a crucial four-point lead at half-time, with a 20-16 scoreline.

The match had all the makings of a title decider match which would be seen in the Championship division, with England, Scotland, and Wales expected to battle it out for the top spot. Although the match did not see a big turnout in the stands, it did generate a lot of interest. The early start, meaning viewers in the UK would be watching from 8 am, did not deter many, with over 1,000 viewers at some points during the match. The England versus UAE match also grabbed similar interest. Scotland was able to extend their lead to ten points at one stage as they neared the final minutes of the third quarter. Unlike the tercentenary sports hall, the Europa Sports Hall did not require the wipe dry treatment, allowing the game to be played more fluidly, even though the intense rain outside made Europa somewhat of a dull location to be. Scotland managed to keep their points gap, finishing the third quarter at 34-24 in the lead. They extended their lead by a further point into the fourth quarter as both teams maintained high momentum across the court. As they arrived in the final four minutes, Wales did not let go, still believing they could make a dent in the score or even a comeback. Wales brought it back to 46-36 with less than a minute to go, and scored in the final seconds, making it 46-37.

The results on Saturday morning leave both England and Scotland unbeaten as they prepare to face each other.