After a devastating 61-54 loss to a formidable New Zealand squad in the Commonwealth Games semi-final, England’s netball team is shifting its sights toward bringing home a bronze medal.
The Silver Ferns, seeking their first Commonwealth gold since 2010, dominated early at the Hydro in Glasgow. Behind blistering ball movement and the towering advantage of shooter Grace Nweke, New Zealand quickly established control. Although England’s Liv Tchine briefly leveled the score at 3-3, the Silver Ferns pulled away to secure a 16-11 lead by the end of the opening quarter.
England showed signs of life when Eleanor Cardwell subbed in to close out the first period, sparking a second-quarter surge that cut the deficit to 25-21. Nweke, however, proved to be an unstoppable force—sinking her first 23 consecutive shots—and guided the Silver Ferns to a 29-24 halftime advantage.
While the Roses applied heavy defensive pressure in the second half, they struggled to consistently convert hard-won turnovers into points. New Zealand steadily stretched their lead to nine points with just 15 minutes remaining, ultimately holding off a late English push to close out the game at 61-54.
Despite missing out on a chance to replicate their 2018 gold-medal run, Cardwell remains fiercely optimistic about Sunday's third-place clash against either Australia or Jamaica.
"It is really, really frustrating," Cardwell remarked. "We all have so much love for each other that we know we can go out there on court and perform. There is so much juice in this tank, it's unbelievable. I'm ready to get that bronze medal."
England captain Fran Williams echoed the disappointment, noting the team paid a heavy price for a sluggish start against a seasoned opponent.
"We were just a bit slow to get into the game and made some silly errors," Williams admitted. "Once a team gets confident in a semi-final, it's really hard to chip away at that. Full credit to New Zealand, I feel like they were absolutely amazing today and we were nowhere near our best."
The Roses will face a rapid turnaround as they take the court for the bronze-medal match on Sunday morning, while two-time champion New Zealand advances to their sixth Commonwealth Games final.