LIVERPOOL
AS IT HAPPENED
Full time! Australia 51 New Zealand 52
The Silver Ferns have done it! They have shocked Australia to win the World Cup! What a superb game, it swung this way and that and it was the New Zealanders who kept their nerve to defeat the old enemy by just one point.6:06pm
59.30 mins: AUS 51 NZ 52
Aussies have got one back but with just a few seconds remaining the Kiwis just have to hold onto it…6:06pm
59 mins: AUS 50 NZ 52
Bradley is cautioned. Whistle. Ekenasio has a chance to slot it home. How are your nerves? Ice cool! Well done. The lead is restored to two goals6:05pm
58 mins: AUS 50 NZ 51
Trailing by just two, the Aussies have the ball. And they score! 6:03pm
57 mins: AUS 48 NZ 51
Kiwis defence pinches it! They go up the other end and score.6:02pm
56 mins: AUS 47 NZ 49
Have the Silver Ferns weathered the storm?6:01pm
54 mins: AUS 46 NZ 48
But the Aussies will not go away. The sides trade goals. Until a poor pass from the Aussie wing attack invites an interception. Lucky for the Diamonds the ball goes out.5:59pm
53 mins: AUS 45 NZ 47
Ekenasio and Folau working well together now, interchanging with a telepathic understanding. The front two settling things for the Kiwis.
Aussies 8-6 in this Q…5:57pm
52 mins: AUS 43 NZ 46
Heroic work at the back from Casey Kopua with an interception, that’s what the Kiwis needed to lift them and they go up the other end and score.5:56pm
50 mins: AUS 42 NZ 44
A foul gives Ekenasio a chance to settle the nerves.
And now a bit of brilliance from Ekenasio as she misses a shot and gathers her own rebound from behind the post! 5:54pm
49 mins: AUS 42 NZ 43
Kiwis need to stop the rot because Australia look more powerful, more confident, more assured at the moment. Crisp in attack and firm in defence. They have cut the lead to just one.5:52pm
46 mins: AUS 38 NZ 41
Aussies score, Kiwis make an error and Tippett makes sure with the netball equivalent of an 18-inch putt.5:50pm
What can Coach Alexander
say to the Diamonds in the huddle? They face the biggest 15 minutes of their sporting lives right now.5:48pm
End of third quarter: AUS 37 NZ 41
The Kiwis touched a seven-goal lead but have been pegged back to four ahead. The Aussies will feel they landed a psychological blow in the last few minutes of that quarter.
If you’re of a Silver Fern persuasion, though, you’d be emphasising that the lead was three at the half and has grown to four now….5:46pm
43 mins: AUS 37 NZ 41
The BBC commentators are saying that only one of the Aussies on court – Basssett – has experience of playing in a World Cup Final. Seeing that the Diamonds are a fixture in the final, that seems a curious deployment of the experienced players available?
The intro of April Brandley on at WD for Jamie-Lee Price seems to ignite the Diamonds, they reel off a run of scores.5:41pm
39 mins: AUS 30 NZ 36
Bassett has only been shooting at 82%, albeit that she makes a simple one here. Can Australia get back into this? Coach will be reflecting that the subbing on of Tippett has not worked,5:38pm
37 mins: AUS 27 NZ 34
Tippett losing the temper a bit! She’s been cautioned. But now the Kiwis give it away – only for the Aussies to lose it in turn. Ekenasio has a huge, pressure shot, and she gets it. Are the Kiwis going to upset the odds here?5:36pm
35 mins: AUS 26 NZ 31
These Aussies are under pressure- and they are not used to handling it! Tippett leans on the post for a sloppy foul and the Diamonds need to find a way of overturning a FIVE goal deficit.5:33pm
31 mins: AUS 26 NZ 28
Tippett, on as a sub, tries a wild shot and misses.Sarah Klau, also a sub, has had a caution for running her mouth at the ref.
But she settles her nerves shortly after with a goal.5:32pm
Third quarter gets underway
The Kiwis with a three goal advantage.5:20pm
Half time: AUS 25 NZ 28
Aussies give it away cheaply, and despite Steph Wood putting in a bodycheck, the Kiwis manage to shoot and score. And they have it again. And they have scored again! The Kiwis coming with a strong finish here.5:16pm
26 mins: AUS 22 NZ 22
And now a calm, classy Steph Wood levels the scores.5:15pm
25 mins: AUS 20 NZ 21
A shocking miss from no distance by the Aussies! But they fight like tigers to win it back and they prevent the Kiwis from capitalising.5:13pm
22 mins: AUS 18 NZ 19
High scoring, high quality affair now. Both sides moving the ball quick and true, 5:08pm
19 mins: AUS 13 NZ 13
Folau shoots, rim shot, but her mate Ameliaranne Ekenasio gets her out of jail with a good rebound. The Aussies level it up, efficiently.5:07pm
17 mins: AUS 11 NZ 12
Can Folau settle? THis might help! Nice shot here, and that puts the Kiwis ahead for the first time.5:01pm
End of Q1: 14 mins: AUS 10 NZ 10
Brilliant finish from New Zealand! Ekenasio drains an excellent shot and then as the Aussies look to beat the buzzer, some heroic defending from Watson denies the Bassett from the restart. We’re going in at 10-10!4:59pm
14 mins: AUS 10 NZ 8
Caitlin Bassett leaps full length, and it is some length, but cannot get onto a long pass. Neither side playing very controlled, it’s a bit wild and there are mistakes all over the court right now.4:57pm
10 mins: AUS 9 NZ 8
“She’ll eat that up all day for breakfast,” says the commentator. Mmmm. All day breakfast.4:54pm
7 mins: AUS 7 NZ 4
Gap is starting to open up and it looks to me that New Zealand have a problem, either because of or manifested in the performance of Folau, who seems nervy and is making too many errors, meaning that they cannot bank on scoring from fairly routine situations. Shame, because she has had a strong tournament. 4:48pm
4 mins: AUS 3 NZ 3
Folau taking on some ambitious shots and she has missed a couple already. But Ekenasio makes sure and the Silver Ferns are on terms with the favourites.4:47pm
3 mins: AUS 3 NZ 2
Folau makes a mistake but Langman’s inteception saves her bacon.4:46pm
1 mins: AUS 1 NZ 0
Aussies have first use of the ball and the first goal as well. Ameliaranne Ekenasio is fouled, and now levels it up for NZ.4:45pm
Australia
Australia: GS Caitlin Bassett, GA Steph Wood, WA Kelsey Browne, C Liz Watson, WD Jamie-Lee Price, GD Jo Weston, GK Courtney Bruce.4:45pm
New Zealand
New Zealand: GS Maria Folau, GA Ameliaranne Ekenasio, WA Gina Crampton, C Laura Langman, WD Katrina Rore, GD Casey Kopua, GK Jane Watson.4:43pm
Here are the Aussies
Here is the New Zealand line up
A familiar match up
So here we are again, Australia take on New Zealand for the sixth World Cup final running and seventh time overall after yesterday’s semi-finals in Liverpool.
Australia survived a scare to edge South Africa 55-53 after resting four players including captain Caitlin Bassett. While New Zealand crushed England’s hopes with a 47-45 victory which denied Tracey Neville’s side of glory on home turf.
A year ago, New Zealand were reeling from a fourth place finish at the Commonwealth Games, now they have a chance to win the World Cup for the first time since 2003.
Australia have the edge, though, winning six of their last seven matches against the Kiwis, including Thursday’s narrow 50-49 victory in their final group game.
Squads: New Zealand: Maria Folau, Laura Langman (c), Ameliaranne Ekenasio, Gina Crampton, Bailey Mes, Casey Kopua, Jane Watson, Shannon Saunders, Karin Burger, Phoenix Karaka, Katrina Rore, Te Paea Selby-Rickett.
Australia: Caitlin Bassett (c), April Brandley, Kelsey Browne, Courtney Bruce, Paige Hadley, Sarah Klau, Jamie-Lee Price, Caitlin Thwaites, Gretel Tippett, Liz Watson, Jo Weston, Steph Wood.
– Centre pass is at 4.45pm.
KISS NEWS 