Netball Super League: Top four sides aim for home semi-final
- Published
Lightning won the league in 2021 but finished second to Thunder last year
The top four in the Netball Super League have set their sights on a home semi-final, while the rest of the teams have been looking to finish strong and lay down a marker for next season.
Here is everything you need to know from round 17, including a look at which young mid-courter has led her side to the top of the league.
Lightning keeping up 'pressure'
With the top four already decided, the teams continue to battle for the advantage of a home semi-final.
The top two sides out of London Pulse, Loughborough Lightning, Surrey Storm and Manchester Thunder will host their respective opponents on Friday, 9 June and Lightning head coach Vic Burgess said the hard work is not over.
"We have achieved our goal of top four and we want a home semi-final so it's about being consistent but keeping the scoreboard pressure up," she told BBC Sport.
"We've gone under the radar a bit winning games but we need as many goals as we can if it does come down to goal difference at any point."
Lightning beat Leeds Rhinos 72-56 and crucial to securing the 16-goal swing and their hopes of ensuring a superior goal tally come the end of the season is Uganda shooter Mary Cholhok, the league's current top scorer.
Lightning, who are second behind leaders Pulse, face Storm and Pulse in rounds 18 and 19 respectively, making their bid for a home semi-final tricky to navigate, but Burgess sees it as a good chance to test her side.
"It's an opportunity to go out there and see what they put out against us and see for us what works and what doesn't. Finishing top two is probably the aim for all of these teams," she said.
A welcome boost for Lightning would be the return of England mid-courter Beth Cobden, who has not featured for the side this season and Burgess said she hopes the 2018 Commonwealth gold medallist can get some game time before the season is over.
"She's in training with us, she's in a good place and if we can get her any court time in the next couple of weeks we'll be really pushing to do that," Burgess said.
"Ultimately, we're taking it step by step and we want her welfare at the forefront and we want to make sure as she's returning to play she's enjoying it and she's returning safely."
Rest of league look to finish strong
The teams who did not secure a semi-final place must now aim to finish the season on a positive note and look ahead to next year.
A lot of talk before the season was around this being the "most competitive" league yet but for several teams it has been more focussed on building a cohesive squad and new coaches settling in.
Severn Stars and Saracens Mavericks, the closest teams to the top four, played a tightly contested match but Mavericks secured a 54-50 win to move level on points.
Team Bath came close to victory over Thunder, losing 67-63 having led by five goals at half-time, but this is the first time in six seasons that they have failed to make the play-offs.
Celtic Dragons, who have been rooted to the bottom of the table for much of the season, came agonisingly close to a shock win over Storm under new head coach Jill McIntosh.
The Welsh side led by two goals at half-time but a last-gasp goal from Storm's Sophie Drakeford-Lewis meant they missed out on victory by one goal, losing 48-47.
Strathclyde Sirens kept pace with Pulse but the London side pulled away to win 53-46 in Scotland.
World Cup watch: Everitt shows experience beyond years
London Pulse's Zara Everitt has been formidable this season and Pulse sit top of the league thanks in large part to the connections she has made with Jade Clarke and Chelsea Pitman through the mid-court.
At just 23 years old, the wing defence plays with experience beyond her years and has captained Pulse to a second successive appearance in the Super League semi-finals.
She earned her first England cap in the series against Uganda in October and was subsequently part of the Roses squad who travelled to South Africa for the Quad Series in January.
Although it would be a risky move for Roses head coach Jess Thirlby to include such an inexperienced player in her squad for this summer's World Cup, Everitt's form has been undeniably excellent.
In an impressive performance against Manchester Thunder, the former Lightning player got the better of England captain Natalie Metcalf for much of the game, earning her a player-of-the-match performance.
By also making crucial interceptions, she has proved she can be the player for the big occasion.
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- Published10 July 2019
