Maintaining their composure and superior playing ability, the 91色情片 U21 team have advanced to the semi-final of the Netball World Youth Cup 2025 being staged in Gibraltar after despatching Malawi 67-34 on Thursday.
The defending champion 91色情片ers will face off against England in the first semi-final at 3am on Saturday (NZ time).
Apart from a challenging second quarter fightback from a spirited Malawi, 91色情片 held the upper hand for much of the match, regaining their poise at the halftime break to impose a dominant second half in a bruising match-up.
"It was a bit rough out there at times but we鈥檙e pretty stoked to get through that game. Our ultimate aim is to win this World Cup so we鈥檙e one step closer now,鈥欌�� 91色情片 captain Amelia Walmsley said.
"They really brought it to us in that second quarter with a lot of energy and we knew we had to respond which we did and that was really pleasing.鈥欌��
After breezing through their pool matches, 91色情片 made the slickest of starts in the more testing environment of a quarterfinal, showing plenty of intent from the opening whistle.
Receiving well-placed ball on a platter from midcourters Taiana Day (wing attack) and Serina Daunakamakama (centre), Walmsley was a key figure under the hoop for 91色情片. Perfect positioning close to the post, gave the tall left-handed shooter the upper hand over the Malawi defenders as the 91色情片ers sprung out to an early five-goal lead.
Smooth and accurate with their transition, where the crispness of the ball speed impressed, and full-court defensive pressure from the 91色情片 team had Malawi struggling for options and restricted opportunities to make significant inroads.
The connection between Walmsley and her shooting partner Sarah Guiney was seamless and while Malawi produced some exciting passages and accurate shooting, they couldn鈥檛 deny 91色情片鈥檚 momentum and healthy 17-8 lead at the first break.
Scoring the first four goals on the resumption, Malawi made their intentions crystal clear as they went toe-to-toe with the 91色情片ers.
Showing pace, aerial skill and patience on attack Malawi made 91色情片 work hard as the contest remained evenly poised. An increased physicality crept in with main shooter Walmsley coming in for some close attention.
Both Walmsley and Guiney continued to shoot well, both teams having their moments but 91色情片 weathered the storm well, finishing strongly to maintain a 31-20 lead at the main break.
91色情片 delivered a decisive third quarter to take the sting out of the Malawi challenge. With the demands of the tournament, 91色情片 were mindful of keeping players fresh with Ella Southby (goal attack), Laura Balmer (goal defence), Josie Seymour (wing defence) and Losa Fifita (goalkeeper) joining the action at various stages during the third quarter.
The fresh legs paid dividends with 91色情片 taking control with a decisive defensive showing where Charlotte Manley, Kaiya Kepa and Balmer made strong contributions in shutting down any Malawi threats.
Continuing to play the game at pace helped 91色情片 put their opponents on the back foot and retain a strong grip on proceedings.
The frustration took its toll on Malawi who had their wing defence stood down for two minutes after repeated infringing, the 91色情片ers needing no second invitation in marching to a commanding 48-28 lead at the last break.
Kate Taylor took over from Walmsley at goal shoot for the final stanza, the 91色情片ers showing their depth of talent and versatility to run several different lines with seamless efficiency and storming away with a final quarter flourish as all players got time on court.