Hamilton To Play Otago in Final of Netball Champs

Hamilton To Play Otago in Final of Lion Foundation Netball Champs

3 October 2013

Defending champions Otago will host Hamilton in the final of the Lion Foundation Netball Champs after two stunning upsets at the Edgar Centre in Dunedin.

Hamilton have upset tournament favourites Christchurch to cement their place in the final while Otago were too classy for previously unbeaten Auckland.

A confident Christchurch outfit breezed past all-comers in pool play and on paper were odds on favourites to defeat a Hamilton side which had notched up four wins and one loss over the previous three days.

Boasting a deck full of current or former ANZ Championship players, Christchurch started well but soon fell behind as a determined Hamilton outfit tackled the match with a more tenacious approach.

Momentum stayed with Hamilton throughout the match with the score extending out to 58-42, a memorable win for the North Islanders.

Of the two Semi-Finals at the Edgar Centre the contest between unbeaten Auckland and defending champions Otago A was always going to be a close affair.

ANZ Championship franchise players were well represented on the court with the Southern Steel’s Storm Purvis, Selby-Rickit and Gina Crampton playing for Otago with Auckland’s Phoenix Karaka and Rachel Rasmussen also in the Steel. Grace Rasmussen and Paula Griffin also featured in the match picking up contracts in 2014 for the Magic and Pulse respectively.

With that kind of talent spread throughout the court, the match stayed tight with Otago ahead by just four at halftime break 33-29.

At the final whistle it was Otago booking their spot in the final by four goals 62-58.

In other early results, the Invitational Centre side beat Counties Manukau 46-45, Southland played a cracking match to defeat Wellington in a two-goal thriller 49-47, Manawatu were too good for Otago B 57-35, while in the all-Auckland clash, North Harbour defeated Waitakere 66-41.

The final will be on Friday, a north versus south match with Hamilton against Otago A, while Auckland and Christchurch play off for third and fourth.

Friday Draw:
10.30am               Counties v Manawatu
10.30am               Centre Invitational v Otago B
12.30pm               Southland v North Harbour
12.30pm               Wellington v Waitakere
2.30pm                 Christchurch v Auckland
4.30pm                 Otago A v Hamilton
Click here for up to date results.

ENDS

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