24 Sep 2012

Silver Ferns win Trans-Tasman series two straight

5:55 am on 24 September 2012

New Zealand netball has claimed its first series win over Australia for eight years after a second match thriller in Auckland, winning 50-49 to claiming the Constellation Cup for the first time with a game to spare.

Before a record netball crowd of 9,000 in Vector Arena, the Silver Ferns held on in a desperate finish after they'd led 15-6 after the first quarter 31-19 at half-time, and 41-36 going into the final quarter.

The home side fielded an unchanged lineup, and they were again without their captain Casey Williams who hasn't fully recovered from a knee injury.

The third and final test is in Christchurch on Sunday.