A makeshift New Zealand team again had to work right to the final whistle as they battled to a 47-40 win over England in the third netball test in London this morning (NZT).
Down 16-19 at halftime, the Silver Ferns had to work hard in the third quarter for a 30-29 lead going into the final spell.
But as the match drew to a close, the New Zealanders stepped up, forcing England into a series of errors with a strong full-court defence to secure their biggest win of the series.
The series was already secured after two narrow wins in Manchester and Nottingham, so New Zealand coach Ruth Aitken was able to permit herself the luxury of testing some new combinations.
Captain Casey Williams was given a rare rest on the bench for the first half, Katrina Grant and Anna Scarlett given the nod at goal keep and goal defence respectively.
Midcourt duties were again picked up by Camilla Lees, Laura Langman and Joline Henry, while Anna Thompson partnered Irene van Dyk in the shooting circle.
English coach Sue Hawkins made a few judicious changes of her own, starting Jo Harten at goal shoot instead of Louisa Brownfield, bringing the experienced Karen Atkinson in at centre and rewarding Serena Guthrie with a start at wing defence.
The difference was immediately apparent: England broke the Silver Ferns' first pass and, playing with more pace and intent than the New Zealanders, edged out to a 10-9 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Silver Ferns lacked their usual control and fluency on attack, the feed into the shooting circle looked hesitant, and the transition from defence onto attack muddled.
England's circle defenders Stacey Francis and Sonia Mkoloma proved an intimidating combination, pressuring van Dyk and Thompson into errors which were coolly converted by Pamela Cookey and Harten at the other end.
The second half was more of the same - England were snappier on attack, using the ball speed well and ramping up the midcourt defensive pressure to go into the halftime break with a 19-16 lead.
Aitken's halftime changes were predictable and effective.
Maria Tutaia came on for Thompson, and Williams replaced Scarlett to rectify deficiencies at both ends of the court.
More importantly, Langman reverted to centre as Lees moved out to the wing, and New Zealand's midcourt regained some of its customary timing and pace.
A four-goal run early in the third quarter put New Zealand on level pegging, and although England battled back, the Silver Ferns were more composed and finished the spell strongly to lead 30-29 at three-quarter time.
The value of the tried-and-true shooting combination of Tutaia and van Dyk saw New Zealand home in the last 15 minutes, as they outscored England 17-11 for a series whitewash.
Tutaia's shooting percentage was little different from Thompson's -- she shot 10 from 13, compared to the Cantabrian's 9 from 13 -- but her court work was outstanding, and her combination with van Dyk pivotal.
The New Zealanders now return home for the trans-Tasman netball league, which begins early next month, then zero in on backing up their Commonwealth Games gold medal with a win at the world championships in Singapore in July.
