By Lorna Campbell
Mission Mannas (red) took on defending champions Magic Marlins in the opening game of the Cheers Netball Super League. (Photo 1 courtesy of Netball Singapore)
Toa Payoh Sports Hall, Saturday, March 22, 2014 – Mission Mannas defeated defending champions Magic Marlins 39–38 on the opening day of the Cheers Netball Super League.
The second match of the day was saw the Sneakers Stingrays beat Blaze Dolphins 42–39. The two teams had finished fourth and third respectively in 2013. In the third and final match of the day, M1 Sunfish beat Bedok Kings Vipers 57–42.
General Manager of title sponsor Cheers, Mr Victor Cheong got the 15th edition of Singapore’s top netball league underway, and it was only apt that the opening match was a repeat of the 2013 final between Mannas and Marlins to pick up where the excitement left off.
Marlins have been reigning champions of the competition for the past three years but took their crown by only four points last year over Mannas. It was expected to be a close battle and the teams certainly didn’t disappoint.
Marlins took the early lead and went 11–6 ahead at the first break but it was Mannas who dominated the second quarter, winning it by six points to give them a 21–20 lead at halftime. The game continued at a fast pace with end-to-end action and a 29–29 score with the final 15 minutes still to play.
Some simple errors from Marlins allowed Mannas to capitalise and nudge ahead taking the game right to the wire. Both sides played with fight and spirit, determined to get the upper hand on day one of the league, and it was the Mannas who took the points with a 39–38 victory.
Captain for Mannas, Nurul Baizura, who is also the National co-vice-captain, said, “I thought that was a great performance. I knew we could get the win if we settled into our game and tried to enjoy it. It was a muddled start by both teams but with more match practice, we will improve on our timing and communication. Premila Hirubalan (GK) led by example at the back and Natalie Long (GS) was very solid against Jean Ng in the shooting circle.”
Marlins co-captain, Grace Sim, who led her team to victory last year, said, “Luck just wasn’t on our side in the closing minutes of the match today. The result just shows that it is very important to push through for the whole match and take every chance you get.
“We were stronger in the second half once our nerves had settled and I thought Jean Ng played very well at my side in defence today against Natalie.”
The sides will meet again in Round 6 of the league on April 27.
In the game between Blaze and Stingrays, Blaze started the stronger of the two teams and held a five point advantage at half time (23–18). Unforced errors on both sides halted the flow of the game at times but when the teams settled into their rhythms and linked their passages of play together, the action was exciting and the standard of play was high and very competitive.
Stingrays looked stronger in the third quarter and won it by three points to trail by three points (29–31) at the end of the third quarter.
They kept the momentum going and took the final quarter by five points to take an important opening three points with their 42–39 win.
Captain of Blaze Dolphins, and National captain with 70 caps to her name, Lin Qingyi, was disappointed but is focused on what they need to do.
She said, “It was a very tight game from start to finish but Sneakers got the better of us in the final quarter and we couldn’t counter it. Looking ahead to the next match, we need to work on attacking down the line and tightening our defence from the centre pass.”
The final two teams on court today were the Bedok Kings Vipers and M1 Sunfish. M1 Sunfish are made up mostly of the National 21 & Under players and are targeting a strong season after gaining international exposure as a team last year at the Asian Youth Championships and World Youth Championships.
The match started very close with only a point difference after the opening quarter and five at half time. M1 Sunfish pulled ahead in the second half as they settled into their game plan and adjusted to the physical style of play from the Vipers.
Coached of M1 Sunfish Joanne Loo, who also coaches the 21 & Under side, gave her thoughts on the match. She said, “It was a smooth performance as we focused on staying connected throughout the team. We had good patience in the mid court. Defensively we didn’t start well but started to flow in the second half and denying the spaces of the Vipers and managed to turn over a few of their balls as our confidence grew. Our standout player was definitely Bibi Noorjahan who was playing her first NSL match and as Goal Attack had a shooting percentage of 88%.”
There is a lot at stake in this year’s Cheers Netball Super League. Not only is there a grand prize of S$10,000 for the winning team, but each player is aiming to put themselves in contention for the National team ahead of a big year which includes the Asian Championships in September and the Nations Cup at the end of the year.
Netball Singapore’s elite league continues next Saturday, March 29, at Jurong East Sports and Recreation Centre. The first matches start at 2pm.
Round 1 Results
Mission Mannas 39 Magic Marlins 38 (HT 21–20)
Blaze Dolphins 39 Sneakers Stingrays 42 (HT 23–18)
Bedok Kings Vipers 42 M1 Sunfish 57 (HT 26–31)
2014 Cheers Netball Super League – full fixtures and results
More photos next page
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