Manchester Thunder and Wasps both win in Vitality Netball Superleague on Easter Saturday
Coverage of Sunday's action on the Sky Sports YouTube channel begins at 3.45pm with Surrey Storm vs Severn Stars before Team Bath face Saracens Mavericks
Saturday 20 April 2019 21:25, UK
Manchester Thunder and Wasps maintained their positions as the top two in the Vitality Superleague with victories on Easter Saturday.
A huge weekend of Superleague action sees all 10 teams in action twice on Saturday and Sunday - and both Thunder and Wasps edged closer to securing a top-four place with dominant wins.
Thunder were too strong for bottom-of-the-table London Pulse at Glasgow's Emirates Arena, winning 71-42 after Loughborough Lightning had beaten the day's hosts Strathclyde Sirens in the Easter curtain raiser.
Wasps went one better, racking up a huge 34-goal victory over Surrey Storm before Saracens Mavericks and Team Bath ensured it was a clean sweep of victories for the top five to set up a dramatic Easter Sunday that features four of the top five going head-to-head.
Thunder had suffered a shock defeat to Severn Stars last weekend and Karen Greig opted for change with Ellie Cardwell and Rebecca Airey brought into the starting line-up as the leaders looked towards Sunday's huge clash with Loughborough.
The speed of the league leaders proved too much as Liana Leota, Caroline O'Hanlon and Kathryn Turner combined well for incoming shooter Cardwell to make her mark and help Thunder into a dominant early position.
With the attacking end flowing, the Thunder defence were keeping Pulse at bay, shooter Shantal Slater took the chances that came her way but too often Te Aroha Keenan's team were guilty of giving away ball.
Thunder led by seven after the opening 15 minutes but a more evenly contested second saw defences on top.
Kerry Almond and Airey were a typically formidable Thunder defence while Pulse's improvement in defence saw England captain Ama Agbeze force some impressive turnovers but it was Thunder that led by 10 at the break.
Pulse had their moments but with Mvula introduced the leaders cruised to a 12th victory over the season and left Pulse, the league's newest franchise rooted to the bottom of the table.
Wasps Netball dismantled Storm 76-42 at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry with star shooter Rachel Dunn tearing into the opposition.
The Midlands' outfit turned a 21-8 lead into 38-18 at half-time. By the end of the third quarter they had fielded all 12 players, building a 56-32 advantage, before closing out the contest for maximum points.
In Sky Sports' first live game of an Easter quadruple bill, Loughborough Lightning returned to winning ways with a hard fought 59-44 victory over Strathclyde Sirens.
It wasn't until the final quarter that Lightning were able to pull clear, leading by eight going into the final 15 minutes, the attacking pair of Ella Clark and Mary Cholhok combined to seal a victory that keeps them secure in the top four with three rounds remaining.
In a hard-fought contest, that saw cautions and warnings handed out, as well as the umpires forced to call the captain's together, there was never more than a few goals in each quarter with the crucial factor coming in the opening 15 minutes.
The hosts, inspired by young shooter Emma Barrie who finished with a 96 per cent success rate, moved out to a five-goal lead midway through the opening quarter but Sara Bayman's Lightning stormed back to end the opening 15 minutes two goals to the good.
And Lightning, who face Thunder on Sunday, won both the second and third quarters by three goals to edge their way to all three points.
Third-placed Team Bath kept the heat on the top two by battling past Severn Stars 53-42 while Saracens Mavericks remain in touching distance after a 55-40 win over Celtic Dragons in Saturday's late game completed the action.
Mavs remains three points adrift of fourth-placed Lightning, but with a superior goal difference and three rounds of fixtures remaining, including a full schedule of Sunday that features Loughborough against Thunder and Mavericks against Bath.
The Vitality Superleague continues on Sky Sports on Sunday with two more games, coverage of Surrey Storm v Severn Stars gets underway at 3.45pm
