The first match of the day was won by Zambia, against tough opposition Papua New Guinea, with the score of 61 – 45.
Zambia got off to a strong start in the first quarter against Papua New Guinea. Despite Papua New Guinea making a comeback shortly after, Zambia scored five goals in a row, putting them in the lead for the first quarter with a score of 17 – 9.
The second quarter took a turn as Papua New Guinea started off strong. Papua New Guinea’s defence was full-on, which allowed them to catch up with Zambia, leading the second quarter with a score of 15 – 13. However, Zambia’s strong lead in the first quarter kept them in the lead with a total score of 30 – 24 at the end of the first half.
In the third quarter, Zambia started off strong with three goals in a row. Despite Papua New Guinea’s strong defence, Zambia’s agility scores them another goal. Their agility and organized play limited Papua New Guinea’s chances of scoring. This kept Zambia in the lead with a score of 47 – 34.
Both teams continued to persevere for the final quarter, with Papua New Guinea scoring a goal with every chance they had. Despite Papua New Guinea’s determination, Zambia swiftly obtained the ball possession, scoring them another three goals in a row. Zambia eventually won the match with a final score of 61 – 45.
HIGHLIGHTS
• Team Zambia scored 91% of their total attempts
• Team Papua New Guinea was ahead of Team Zambia only in the second quarter
• The biggest lead in the match was 8 points
• The first goal was scored less than one minute into the game, by Team Zambia
Elizabeth Bwalya, Team Zambia
“Team Papua New Guinea is fast, we had to run along with them throughout the game. Papua New Guinea is constantly two steps ahead of us so we have to work hard and on our silly mistakes. We are all very tired but we are resting when we can.”
MATCH STATISTICS
| PAPUA NEW GUINEA | ZAMBIA | |
| Score | 45 | 61 |
| Total Attempts | 57 | 67 |
| Goal % | 79 | 91 |
Photo Credit: Netball Singapore
Source: Nur Fahimah, Netball Singapore
