Magic fend off Flames to remain unbeaten

Magic fend off Flames to remain unbeaten

Experienced midcourter Amigene Metcalfe proved the cool head in guiding defending champions Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic supported by Sleepyhead to a 55-43 win over the Ballantynes Canterbury Flames in third round National Bank Cup netball action in Christchurch last night.

Co-captain Metcalfe was instrumental in the Magic’s attacking flow with her feeding expertise and ability to control the tempo in the face of a spirited Flames challenge.

Apart from the second quarter which was drawn, the Magic held the upperhand with quarter scores of 14-8, 26-20 and 40-31. Silver Ferns shooter Irene van Dyk, for the Magic, and her opposite Vilimaina Davu had a titanic battle with the imposing Flames defender making her mark in reducing the usually unflappable van Dyk to her lowest percentages of the season with a return of 28 from 36 attempts for 77 percent.

Van Dyk, however, was well supported by Australian Tanya Lund, who showed her growing maturity in the competition with 27 from 35 attempts to help steer the Magic to their most successful run in the National bank Cup with their eighth successive win.

In the other match of the night, a fourth quarter surge by the Genesis Energy Shakers saw the team from the capital prevail over the More FM Flyers 43-41 in a tenacious battle between the two previously winless teams.

The Shakers trailed throughout the match 10-11, 20-24 and 29-35 before their late rally on the back of a solid shooting performance from Lovila Paki, who returned figures of 23 goals from 26 attempts, got them home. It was the Shakers first win in two seasons after they went winless throughout last year’s competition.

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