England beaten by Australia to netball bronze
England's netball team lost 68-50 to Australia in the Commonwealth Games bronze medal match, ending their hopes of a podium finish after Saturday's semi-final defeat by New Zealand. Australia, previously unbeaten in every Commonwealth final, had themselves been stunned by Jamaica the day before, leaving England unable to capitalise on a shorter recovery time for their opponents.
England made a promising start, briefly leading through Liv Tchine before Australia surged to a 19-11 first-quarter lead and extended their advantage to 35-24 at half-time. Despite a spirited fightback in the third quarter after England brought on shooter Eleanor Cardwell, the Roses could not close the gap, losing by a narrower margin than their earlier 66-47 pool-stage defeat to the same side. Jamaica, who have never won Commonwealth netball gold, will face two-time champions New Zealand in Sunday's final.
- England lost netball bronze medal match 68-50 to Australia
- Australia recovered from shock semi-final loss to Jamaica
- Jamaica face New Zealand in Sunday's gold medal final
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Netball is a team sport in which players pass the ball down court to score by shooting it through a raised hoop. Each player has a set position and can move only in certain parts of the court, so teams rely on accurate passing and shooting.
England’s national team, known as the Roses, compete against other countries in international tournaments. At the Commonwealth Games, netball medals are decided in a knockout stage: the semi-final winners reach the final, while the losing teams play for bronze.
Australia and New Zealand have traditionally been major forces in Commonwealth netball, having won the gold medal several times. Jamaica have also become a strong contender, making the final a chance to pursue their first Commonwealth gold.