England def Australia 61-59
England have shocked Australia’s world champion netball team, beating them 61-59 in a thrilling second Test on Sunday.
In front of a bumper crowd at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena, neither side led by more than four in a far more even contest than Australia’s 13-goal victory in the opening Test.
England, without injured shooter Eleanor Cardwell, trailed by two at the last change, but outscored the Diamonds 18-14 in a tense final term.
England star Helen Housby was fired up during a rare Roses win over the Diamonds in Australia.Credit: Getty Images
The three-match series will be decided in Bendigo on Wednesday.
England opened up a three-goal lead with just over a minute and a half to go and held on to score a famous win.
It was just England’s third win in Tests against the Diamonds in Australia.
Scores were tied 13-13 at quarter-time and England were up 22-19 in the second quarter, but were outscored 10-5 In the last six and a half minutes to trail by two at the half.
Diamonds coach Stacy Marinkovich made three changes at half-time, replacing shooter Cara Koenen (16/19) with Sophie Garbin (24/25), bringing Matilda Garrett on at goal defence, and switching Sunday Aryang from that position to wing defence in place of Amy Parmenter.
But the Diamonds couldn’t recapture the fluency of their first-Test performance and England scrapped and defended superbly.
Australia moved four ahead early in the third, but England rallied to lead 42-41, before the Diamonds scored four of the last five to lead 45-43 at the final change.
Liv Tchine, who replaced Cardwell, shot 32 of 34 for England, with Helen Housby, who plays for the NSW Swifts in Super League, making 29 off 33.
