Essex Open A 60, New cambell 53

This was an excellent performance from Essex, who overcame their rivals New Cambell in a closely contested game.

For most of the first quarter, the scoring went with the centre pass, and with time running out, the scores stood level at 10-all. In the final part of the quarter, Essex nudged ahead and, when the whistle went, held a narrow 14–13 lead.

New Cambell started the second quarter brightly and took a two-goal advantage, leading 17–15. However, in the centre court, Rebecca Wilke, Johanne Linehan and Nicole Alves were creating good opportunities for shooters Leah Hayzelden and Maddy Oshodi. Essex took full advantage, moving from a two-goal deficit to a five-goal lead at 25–20. New Cambell fought back, and at half-time Essex held a narrow 27–25 advantage.

Once again, Essex started the third quarter well, with Emma Thorogood and Renee Hurley making life more difficult for the New Cambell  shooters. Essex moved the ball quickly and this saw them establish a six-goal lead, moving 32–26 in front. However, New Cambell fought back strongly and dominated large parts of the quarter. At one stage, the Essex lead was reduced to a single goal, with Essex leading 37–36.

The turning point for Essex came in the final five minutes of the third quarter, when they scored seven goals while Cambell managed only two. Going into the final quarter, Essex held a six-goal advantage.

The start of the last quarter was very tight, with goals largely following the centre pass. Halfway through, it looked as though the points were still up for grabs as Cambell  fought back to trail by only three, with Essex leading 51–48. But accurate shooting from Hayzelden and Oshod in the closing stages, together with a determined defensive display, saw Essex pull away to clinch a deserved 60–53 victory.

Player of the match: Maddie Oshodi