Yorkshire Jets came within minutes of getting their first win of the season on Saturday after a dramatically improved performance against Manchester Thunder.
Ahead in the Roses clash until the final few minutes, they ended up losing by five points thanks to visitors who refused to admit defeat and errors starting to creep into the home team’s game.
The first quarter saw an impressive performance from Anna Carter’s team who continue to learn and make progress seven games into the season. They had the better of Thunder and were two points ahead at the end of the opening 15 minutes.
Consistency has been one of the biggest challenges for Jets this season but quarter two saw the home side continue where they left off with a strong performance across the court. The teams went into half-time with Jets ahead 24 points to 21.
After the break, it was an evenly contested quarter but Jets continued to have the measure of Thunder and thanks to excellent shooting from Lutua and Du Toit, the lead became four.
The visitors showed why they’re one of the most impressive teams in the league in the final quarter though by never giving up. With some errors creeping into Jets and with Thunder finding their form, they took the win 44 points to 49.
So a defeat for Jets but a hugely impressive performance against one of the league’s leading teams – it will fill them with confidence ahead of their next game in a week away at Loughborough Lightning.
Attendance:
618
Player of the Match:
Vanes-Mari Du Toit
Quarterly Scores:
Q1 – 13-11
Q2 – 24-21
Q3 – 36-32
Q4 – 44-49
Shooting Statistics:
Yorkshire Jets – 81% (44/54)
Maria Lutua – 75% (9/12)
Vanes-Mari Du Toit – 85% (34/40)
Lucy Harris – 50% (1/2)
Manchester Thunder – 82% (49/60)
Helen Housby – 86% (25/29)
Kathryn Turner – 80% (8/10)
Eleanor Cardwell – 76% (16/21)
Starting 7s:
Yorkshire Jets
GS – Vanes-Mari Du Toit
GA – Maria Lutua
WA – Jess Shaw
C – Lydia Walker
WD – Sophie Halpin
GD – Stacey Francis
GK – Bea Skingsley
Manchester Thunder
GS – Helen Housby
GA – Kathryn Turner
WA – Natalie Haythornthwaite
C – Sara Bayman
WD – Gabby Marshall
GD – Jodie Gibson
GK – Malysha Kelly
Report courtesy of Yorkshire Jets
