Loughborough Lightning host Wasps live on Sky Sports on Monday night
Round 10 concludes at the David Wallace Sports Hall, live coverage gets underway at 6.45pm on Monday on Sky Sports Mix, Action & Main Event
Monday 18 March 2019 20:28, UK
In-form Loughborough Lighting go in search of victory over leaders Wasps as the battle for top-four places in the Vitality Superleague hots up.
It has become the biggest rivalry in Britain's elite netball competition. Lightning and Wasps have met in each of the last two Grand Finals, have each topped the table in the last two regular season standings and for good measure, they met in the Fast 5 semi-finals in October too.
However it is Wasps who have taken the honours when it has mattered most, winning the title at London's Copper Box in each of the last two years.
Now, as the 2019 Superleague season enters its second half, the pair go head-to-head again on Monday night, with the top-four race threatening to be the tightest in years.
Wasps top the table with 24 points and Lightning sit in fifth spot, level with fourth-placed Bath but knowing victory in front of the Sky cameras on Monday night will draw them to within three points of the league leaders.
The pair met in Birmingham on the opening day of the season, when Wasps recorded a resounding 30-goal victory, and it has been very different seasons for both ever since.
A more consistent selection has allowed Lightning to move into the top four, and four wins in succession have made them the Superleague's most in-form team - a run that was kickstarted by a brilliant win at Manchester Thunder that showcased their ability to mix it with those at the top of the table.
Wasps' formidable squad has allowed them to rotate through the season and, with just a single defeat, they sit top and have justified their position as favourites for the title.
A run of eight successive victories was halted when their rescheduled Round Two fixture with Thunder ended in defeat but Mel Mansfield's team returned to winning ways with a battling victory over Severn Stars last time out.
In their own words
Nat Panagarry, Lightning captain - "Every time you face them, you know you are coming among against a quality side. They have so much experience and so much depth and they have now been together for a third season.
"They have so many players within their squad that you are never quite sure what their starting seven will be but whatever team they put on court, they have so much quality.
"They've started really strong so we know they are going to be a tough opponent on Monday."
Chloe Essam, Wasps GA/GS - "It will be really cool for me to play against the girls who I came through the set-up with at Loughborough, and to get a chance to show the improvements I've made.
"We know they will bring a different challenge compared to when we played them in the first game this season.
"They didn't have Mary Cholhok available at goal shooter when we last played, but now she is back and we need to prepare for that.
"We have been working hard in training to iron errors out of our game, but we're still building and meeting Lightning at this stage of the season will be a good test."
Watch live Vitality Netball Superleague when Loughborough Lightning host Wasps on Monday, March 18 live on Sky Sports Mix, Main Event & Action from 6.45pm. Also, Sky Sports will be showing every game of the 2019 Vitality Netball World Cup in July.
