England have set up a series decider against Australia after the Vitality Roses secured an impressive 61-59 victory over the world champions in Sydney.
Jess Thirlby’s side bounced back from Thursday’s 70-57 loss against the Origin Australian Diamonds in dramatic fashion, moving ahead in the final quarter to level the three-Test series.
There was nothing to separate the two sides after the opening quarter before Australia edged into a two-goal advantage at half-time, with the Diamonds retaining that narrow lead heading into the final quarter.
The hosts remained two ahead with just over five minutes remaining, only for the Vitality Roses to come out on top in the closing minutes and hold on to claim their first victory over the Diamonds in Australia since their historic Commonwealth Games win in 2018.
How England claimed historic victory
A tight opening quarter saw plenty of end-to-end play, with the Vitality Roses forcing a turnover and scoring to briefly hold a three-goal lead before Australia responded to level the score at 13-13.
The Vitality Roses continued to go goal-for-goal with the Diamonds for large periods and fought hard to earn a two-goal avantage, although the home side finished the half strongly to take a 29-27 advantage.
Australia made changes at the break and saw their lead increase to four during the third quarter, before confident and assured shooting from Helen Housby allowed the Vitality Roses to close the gap to one goal after more impressive defensive gains in the shooting circle.
The Vitality Roses briefly regained the lead but Diamonds edged back in front in the closing seconds of the third quarter, with a successful long-range shot on the buzzer taking the score to 45-43.
Helen Housby (left) and Amy Parmenter (right) compete for the ball during England’s victory in Sydney
End-to-end play opened the final quarter with both teams fired up and determined to take the win in this close contest, with England levelling the contest with just under five minutes remaining.
Composed play from the Vitality Roses in possession of the ball saw them extend their lead to three during the closing minutes, with huge celebrations on court at the end of a gripping contest.
‘Significant moment for England’
“It’s very satisfying,” England head coach Jess Thirlby said. “It’s a hugely significant moment for this team in their journey.
“We have got debutants in here, we’ve got people who have never played Australia before, so to have found a way to win this early in this team’s evolution is really satisfying and it is significant.
“It’s important that we acknowledge that and build confidence, but we’re also part of a three game series and we’re not done yet.”
What’s next?
The last of the three-match series takes place on Wednesday at the Bendigo Stadium in Victoria, live on Sky Sports from 9.30am (10am start). The Vitality Roses then travel to New Zealand to contest the Taini Jamison Trophy, with all three matches also live on Sky Sports.
Watch the Vitality Roses’ tour of Australia and New Zealand live on Sky Sports. The next match is live on Wednesday on Sky Sports Mix and – for free – on the Sky Sports Golf YouTube channel. Stream netball and more sport with NOW.