England Suffer Shock Defeat to New Zealand in Netball Semi-final
England's netballers have missed out on a place in the Commonwealth Games gold-medal match after a 61-54 semi-final defeat by a powerful New Zealand side.
The Roses still have a chance of winning bronze, but fell short in their attempt to emulate their 2018 gold, while New Zealand will play either Australia or Jamaica in Sunday's final.
The Silver Ferns' prowess and height advantage through shooter Grace Nweke proved too strong as they hit double figures with eight minutes played and held a 16-11 lead at the end of the first quarter.
England rallied to settle their nerves, with goal shooter Liv Tchine drawing the match level at 3-3. Bringing on Eleanor Cardwell in place of Tchine towards the end of the first quarter gave the Roses a lift.
England had moments of great defensive pressure, but were not as consistent at turning possession into goals, allowing the Silver Ferns to stretch the gap to nine points with 15 minutes left to play.
The damage was done by the time the Roses fought to close the gap to seven at the finish. England had scored 23 goals from 23 shots, but New Zealand's Nweke was the standout performer, missing just before half-time to leave the two-time winners leading 29-24.
In reaching the final, New Zealand will fight for Commonwealth gold for the first time since 2014, while they have not won the title since the 2010 Games.
England will now need to lift themselves for Sunday's bronze-medal match. The Roses will face a tough test, but they will be looking to bounce back from this disappointing defeat and finish on a high note.
Source: BBC Sports