The Silver Ferns have opened the inaugural Oceania Netball Series with a dominant 81-28 win over Fiji in sweltering conditions in Suva.
Silver Fern Maria Tutaia Photo: Photosport
Coming off an intensive training camp in their build towards this year's Netball World Cup, the Silver Ferns showed impressive early season form with a consistent and well-constructed outing against the Pearls in the series opener.
Playing in Fiji for the first time, the Silver Ferns played two different attacking line-ups through the match as they welcomed back goal attack Maria Tutaia from a long injury lay-off, while shooter Ellen Halpenny and midcourters Camilla Lees and Shannon Francois enjoyed successful recalls to the team.
With Halpenny, Jodi Brown, Lees and tour captain Laura Langman forming the first-half attacking quartet, the Silver Ferns were quickly into their rhythm, showing a slick transition from defence to attack.
The shooting duo of Halpenny and Brown provided great variety and accuracy under the hoop in a seamless combination.
In her 113th Test, centre Langman was her usual industrious self at both ends of the court while Leana de Bruin was an efficient spoiler against the game's tallest player Taraima Mitchell, the 1.93 metre goalshooter made to work hard by the veteran defender.
They play Samoa tonight.
