England will once again face Australia, New Zealand and South Africa in a series of games.

The first half of the Series will take place at the Copper Box Arena, London before all four teams head out to Johannesburg, South Africa to complete the competition.

Ama Agbeze has been named as captain with Jade Clarke taking on the role of vice-captain.

With the Commonwealth Games fast approaching in 2018, this is a final chance for the Roses to stake a claim for a place on the plane to Australia.

The Roses squad selected for the Netball Quad Series is as follows;

Ama Agbeze (Captain), Jade Clarke (Vice Captain), Eboni Beckford-Chambers, Eleanor Cardwell, Beth Cobden, Kadeen Corbin, Sasha Corbin, Stacey Francis, Jodie Gibson, Serena Guthrie, Natalie Haythornthwaite, Helen Housby, Geva Mentor, Chelsea Pitman

The schedule for the Roses’ Netball Quad Series games are as follows;

Copper Box Arena, London

Saturday 20^th January

3:30pm – Samsung Diamonds v South Africa SPAR Proteas

6pm – England Roses v New Zealand Silver Ferns

Monday 22^nd January

7.45pm – England Roses v Samsung Diamonds

Johannesburg, South Africa

Thursday 25^th January

5pm – South Africa SPAR Proteas v New Zealand Silver Ferns

Sunday 28^th January

10am – New Zealand Silver Ferns v Samsung Diamonds

12:30pm – South Africa Proteas v England Roses

Lead photo shows Ama Agbeze of England Roses defending against Jane Chimaliro

Report courtesy of England Netball

An impressive third quarter from the Proteas proved decisive in a hotly contested and high quality game.

England’s Geva Mentor (Photo: Press Association)

Tracey Neville went with the same seven players who started Wednesday’s stunning 49-45 victory over world no.2s New Zealand Silver Ferns.

The experienced defensive duo of Geva Mentor and Ama Agbeze were hoping to blunt the South African attack.

The Proteas got within six goals of the Australian Diamonds in their last Quad Series outing – the closest the two nations have been in an international match for 50 years – and they once again displayed how far they’ve come over the past few years.

An early Helen Housby deflection disrupted the Proteas’ rhythm but they still managed to work the ball through court to Lenize Potgieter to open the scoring.

It was goal for goal in the opening few minutes between two determined and committed sides with nobody giving an inch at all.

The South African defence remained resolute but the Roses were patient in their build-up and two quick-fire goals – one from Kadeen Corbin and one from Housby – saw them take a 6-4 lead.

The Roses got into their stride midway through the first quarter and started to pull away.

England’s Jade Clarke in action (Photo: Press Association)

But the Proteas’ heads didn’t drop and they clawed their way back into the game with three unanswered goals from Potgieter cutting the Roses’ lead to just one goal.

Housby scored to end the Proteas’ goal-scoring run but Potgieter replied with four unanswered goals at the end of the first half to give her side a narrow 13-11 lead.

Potgieter continued where she left off in Q2, getting fingertips to a Mentor pass and coolly netting from under the post.

The Roses turned things around in the opening few minutes of Q2, helped by explosive movement in the circle and sharp shooting from Housby.

But they were unable to extend their 16-15 lead and the Proteas rallied and took advantage.

Maryka Holtzhausen was handed a second bite of the cherry after Potgieter successfully tipped the rebound to her attacking partner and she made no mistake second time around to make it 19-17 to the Proteas.

Bongiwe Msomi was a thorn in the Roses’ side, demonstrating impressive acceleration and movement on the outside of the circle.

Both sides displayed lovely vision and attacking play before the break and the evenly-matched teams went into half-time all square at 26-26.

Jo Harten returned to court at GS at the start of Q3 much to the delight of the Roses’ fans, but it was the Proteas who started better.

They flew out the traps with Potgieter scoring three times without response to help her side establish a three-goal lead.

The Proteas were one step quicker, one second smarter and one move ahead.

With the Roses on the back foot, Neville made a double defensive change – the experienced Jade Clarke came on at WD and Stacey Francis took the GD bib.

The Roses fought back from a five-goal deficit with Harten capitalising on a couple of lucky breaks to narrow the gap to just two goals.

But the Proteas restored their five-goal margin with three minutes left on the clock in Q3 and didn’t look back.

They transitioned the ball quickly through court in Q4 and there was a great take from Holtzhausen before she held her nerve to score from under the post.

The Roses were thwarted by an excellent defensive effort with Karla Mostert flying in to intercept Chelsea Pitman’s looped pass to Harten as Neville’s side looked to cut the Proteas’ lead.

With two minutes left and two goals the difference, Housby was unlucky to not see her effort drop in.

The Proteas kept their composure and the impressive Potgieter scored with seconds remaining to seal the win.

Erin Burger was named Player of the Match for the Proteas after a strong performance at C.

Neville’s side will now stay on in New Zealand to continue their tour and face the Silver Ferns in a three-match International Series for the Taini Jamison Trophy.

They have a couple of days to dust themselves down and regroup ahead of the Series getting underway on Thursday 7th September.

Roses starting 7: GS – Corbin, GA – Housby, WA – Pitman, C – Guthrie, WD – Cobden, GD – Agbeze, GK – Mentor

Roses bench: Beckford-Chambers, Cardwell, Clarke, Francis, Harten

Proteas starting 7: GS – Potgieter, GA – Holtzhausen, WA – Msomi, C – Burger, WD – Mthembu, GD – Mostert, GK – Maweni

Proteas bench: Lochner, Loubser, Pienaar, Venter, Vimbela

Shooting statistics

Roses: Corbin 10/13 (77%), Harten 15/18 (83%), Housby 26/29 (90%)

Proteas: Potgieter 43/45 (96%), Holtzhausen 11/15 (73%)

Umpires: Kristie Simpson and Clare McCabe with Joshua Bowring as reserve

For more stats see: http://mc.championdata.com/england_netball/index.html?competitionid=10293&matchid=102930104

England Head Coach Tracey Neville (Photo: Press Association)

A stellar final 15 minutes from the Roses secured only their fifth ever win over the Silver Ferns in 88 matches.

Tracey Neville opted to start with the seven players who were on court in the England Roses’ spirited second-half fightback against the Australian Diamonds.

The Roses got off to a strong start and showed good movement on court. Serena Guthrie picked out Kadeen Corbin who reached Helen Housby with a looped pass and she opened the scoring.

Corbin and Housby continued to combine well in the circle but were unlucky to see several efforts fail to drop in and didn’t often get a second bite of the cherry with Katrina Grant strong on the rebound.

The Silver Ferns were criticised for not getting enough ball in their Quad Series opener on Saturday but were certainly much improved in this area against the Roses.

Grant, who made three intercepts throughout the game, plucked the ball effortlessly out of the air to set the Silver Ferns on their way as their defensive pressure was rewarded.

The hosts had established a four-goal lead by the end of the first quarter but heads didn’t drop in the Roses team and they clawed their way back.

Housby found her rhythm and hit her stride in quarter two and three unanswered goals from her brought the Roses back to within one.

All seven players on court exuded intensity, commitment, determination, drive and passion.

They worked as a unit and when the ball was fed through to Corbin, she held her nerve to fire the Roses in front at 19-18.

There was a lot of to-ing and fro-ing between the two sides and the volume inside The Trusts Arena went up a notch as the Silver Ferns pulled away to lead 26-23 at half-time.

The hosts picked up where they left off at the end of quarter two and led by five until Corbin found her range to end the Silver Ferns’ goal-scoring run.

Midway through the quarter, Ama Agbeze was replaced by Eboni Beckford-Chambers at GD as the Roses trailed 32-30.

Guthrie was in the thick of the action, either picking up every second pass or driving through court to draw out a defender and open up room for Chelsea Pitman.

The C displayed great vision and delivery with an inch-perfect pass to Corbin to score from mid-range and level the match at 34-34.

With seconds left on the clock in quarter three and things all square at 36-36, Bailey Mes scored from under the post to hand the Silver Ferns a slender one-goal lead going into the final 15.

The Silver Ferns flew out the traps and built up a three-goal gap at 40-37 but the resilient Roses didn’t falter and kept plugging away to bring it back to 42-42 midway through the quarter.

As the clock ticked down and the tension mounted in Auckland, the nerves were starting to show with unforced errors from both sides.

But the Roses kept their cool and there was no looking back when a Geva Mentor tip disrupted the Silver Ferns’ attack and the ball was transitioned through court to Housby, who scored with aplomb.

Momentum was well and truly with Neville’s side in the final few minutes as Corbin capped a fantastic team effort with three unanswered goals.

Chelsea Pitman was named Player of the Match for the Roses after a hugely impressive performance at WA.

The Roses will now travel to Invercargill, where they’ll face the rapidly-improving South Africa Spar Proteas on Sunday in their final match of the Netball Quad Series.

Neville’s side will be determined to build on their impressive performance and end their competition on a high against the current world no.5s.

But they’ll certainly hope to avoid a repeat of the drama from the last time the two sides met – it took a first-ever extra-time in the Quad Series to separate the sides as the England Roses sealed a 60-55 victory.

Meanwhile, New Zealand will go head-to-head with Australia as the competition draws to a close.

Roses starting 7: GS – Corbin, GA – Housby, WA – Pitman, C – Guthrie, WD – Cobden, GD – Agbeze, GK – Mentor

Roses bench: Bayman, Beckford-Chambers, Cardwell, Clarke, Gibson

Silver Ferns starting 7: GS – Mes, GA – Selby-Rickit, WA – Souness, C – Francois, WD – Sinclair, GD – Grant, GK – Watson

Silver Ferns bench: Crampton, Cullen, Falkner, Karaka, Wilson

Shooting statistics

Roses: Corbin 23/30 (77%), Housby 26/32 (81%)

Silver Ferns: Mes 28/33 (85%), Selby-Rickit 17/21 (81%)

Umpires: Clare McCabe and Theresa Prince

You can find more stats here.

Report courtesy of England Netball

England’s Ama Agbeze (left) and Australia’s Susan Pettitt (Photo: Press Association)

Tracey Neville’s side, who were without Jo Harten, made a strong start to the game with both Helen Housby and Kadeen Corbin getting on the scoresheet early doors.

The hosts, backed by the vocal Brisbane crowd, slowly and steadily grew into the quarter.

The Diamonds started to dominate in the mid-court and punished the Roses with their slick transitions through to goal.

They accelerated away with three unanswered goals in the closing minutes to take a 15-10 lead.

There were changes for the Roses at the start of the second quarter with Serena Guthrie moving to centre and Beth Cobden taking the wing defence bib.

England’s Ama Agbeze (left) and Australia’s Caitlin Thwaites (Photo: Press Association)

It was a clash of the titans between Sunshine Coast Lightning teammates Geva Mentor and Caitlin Bassett but the goal shooter was in fine form, netting six times in the opening five minutes of the second quarter.

Captain Ama Agbeze entered the fray halfway through the second 15 minutes and immediately linked up well with the experienced Mentor.

The Roses fought hard and sharp shooting from Helen Housby helped reduce the gap to seven.

Despite missing Sharni Layton, the hosts’ defence ultimately remained resolute and the Roses were left to rue missed opportunities to capitalise on turnovers.

It was a case of déjà vu for the Roses as the Diamonds found another gear at the end of the first half to take a 10-goal lead into the break.

The Roses went back out for the third quarter trailing 32-22, fielding an unchanged line-up, while the Diamonds made two changes bringing Jo Weston into goal defence for April Brandley and Tegan Philip into goal attack for Gretel Tippett.

Agbeze exuded passion and leadership on court and led by example, flying in to steal the ball back but the Roses were unable to convert.

She remained unfazed and jumped straight back up to her feet after a heavy tumble saw her hit the deck.

The Roses’ transition became quicker and more clinical with Chelsea Pitman displaying great vision and delivery into the shooters.

Minutes later and Agbeze was once again showing her athleticism and commitment, stretching to keep the ball in play and her effort was rewarded when the ball was transitioned through court and Housby scored.

The commanding third quarter from the Roses took the score to 43-37 and set up a tense final 15 minutes with the Diamonds leading by just six goals.

The gap could have been down to five but the ball wouldn’t drop in for Corbin at the start of the final quarter.

The Diamonds were patient in their build-up, allowing space to open up and a smart drive from Tippett meant Bassett was left alone under the post to score.

But they were wary of the potential of the Roses to cause an upset in the final moments and brought the experienced Brandley back on to shore up the defence.

The shooting partnership of Corbin and Housby scored four times without answer to reduce the gap to just three goals with one minute to play and the tension in Brisbane was palpable.

It simply wasn’t to be though for the Roses but there were plenty of positives to take and the side will certainly hope to carry their momentum from the second half into the next game.

Courtney Bruce was named Player of the Match for the Diamonds after putting in an impressive display at GK on her debut.

The Roses will have to dust themselves down and get ready to go again on Wednesday in their second game in the Netball Quad Series.

England will travel to Auckland to face New Zealand and will be determined to improve upon the result from the two sides’ last international meeting, when the Silver Ferns’ ruthless display saw them secure a comprehensive 61-37 victory over the Roses.

Meanwhile, Australia will play South Africa in Canberra and will look to make it two from two as they seek to claim a third straight Quad Series title.

Roses starting 7:  GS – Corbin, GA – Housby, WA – Pitman, C – Clarke, WD – Guthrie, GD – Beckford-Chambers, GK – Mentor

Roses bench: Agbeze, Cardwell, Cobden, Francis, Haythornthwaite

Diamonds starting 7: GS – Bassett, GA –Tippett, WA – Robinson, C – Ravaillion, WD – Simpson GD – Brandley, GK – Bruce

Diamonds bench: Mannix, Philip, Thwaites, Watson, Weston

Shooting statistics

Roses: Corbin 20/25 (80%), Housby 30/34 (88%)

Diamonds: Bassett 43/46 (93%), Tippett 7/9 (78%), Philip 4/5 (80%)

Report courtesy of  England Netball

The England Roses squad selected is as follows;

England’s Ama Agbeze (left) and Australia’s Caitlin Thwaites (Photo: Netball England)

Ama Agbeze (c), Jade Clarke (vice-captain), Joanne Harten (vice-captain), Sara Bayman, Eboni Beckford-Chambers, Eleanor Cardwell, Beth Cobden, Kadeen Corbin, Stacey Francis, Jodie Gibson, Serena Guthrie, Helen Housby, Geva Mentor, Chelsea Pitman 

Reserves: Summer Artman, Sasha Corbin, George Fisher, Natalie Haythornthwaite 

Tracey Neville will once again lead the team with newly appointed Tania Obst joining as Assistant Coach and Colette Thomson supporting as Performance Coach.

First of all the Roses head to Brisbane on Saturday 26^th August when they take on the Australian Diamonds in a rematch of their classic encounter from London in January.

On that occasion the reigning Quad Series champions took the victory by one goal with England pushing them all the way. It should be a fascinating start to this edition of the tournament.

The team then heads across the Tasman Sea to take on the New Zealand Silver Ferns on Wednesday 30^th August in Auckland as the Quad Series continues.

The competition comes to a close for the Roses in Invercargill when they face off against the South Africa Spar Proteas on Sunday 3^rd September.

Following the Netball Quad Series, the Roses will continue their tour of New Zealand as they take on the Silver Ferns in a three-match International Series for the Taini Jamison Trophy.

The Roses will be in action on the following dates – all times are BST.

Netball Quad Series

Saturday 26^th August: Australian Diamonds v England Roses, Brisbane, 6am

Wednesday 30^th August: New Zealand Silver Ferns v England Roses, Auckland, 8:30am

Sunday 3^rd September: England Roses v South Africa Spar Proteas, Invercargill, 3am

Taini Jamison Trophy

Thursday 7^th September: New Zealand Silver Ferns v England Roses, Porirua, 8:45am

Sunday 10^th September: New Zealand Silver Ferns v England Roses, Napier, 3am

Wednesday 13^th September: New Zealand Silver Ferns v England Roses, Hamilton, 8:30am

Report courtesy of Netball England

Eleanor Cardwell and Kelly Jury challenging for the ball (Photo: Paul Wills)

The game started with Geva Mentor being called for contact giving Maria Tutaia a penalty shot to open her lucrative account on the night.

The score advanced to 8-1 in favour of New Zealand, but with an injection of crowd support, the Roses started to fight back.

Mentor and captain Ama Agbeze were working tirelessly to put pressure on the Ferns feed, while Beth Cobden was hassling out in front of them.

Helen Housby and Kadeen Corbin put early missed shots to the back of their minds and began linking up effectively with Chelsea Pitman making the attack flow.

In the blink of an eye, England bought it back from 12-6 down to 10-12, scoring four without reply from the Silver Ferns.

After a patchy start to the quarter, the Roses upped the intensity to ensure they finished the first 15 minutes just three goals behind at 13-16.

Inside the first four minutes of the second quarter, New Zealand went 21-13 ahead, shortly followed by increasing the lead to 10.

After some serious fight, the Roses reduced the Ferns lead to eight, but it remained a struggle to get the ball into the circle, meaning New Zealand finished the half 31-19 leaders.

There was just one line-up change for England after the half-time break as Natalie Haythornthwaite replaced Pitman in at WA.

The second half picked up where the first left off with scrappy play all over the court from both sides, despite this New Zealand steadily increased their lead to 13.

With three and a half minutes left on the clock, Cobden took a fantastic flying interception to help the Roses reduce the gap back to 10.

In true Silver Ferns style though, they stuck to task and pressed to take the lead back out to 12 with just one quarter left of the game.

The Roses went back out for the final 15 minutes trailing 42-30, fielding an unchanged line-up.

While the Roses were finding it difficult to transition, the Ferns took the ball to goal with ease – the shots just weren’t landing and the Ferns built their lead to 20 with six minutes to go.

With five minutes left on the clock, Corbin switched into GA with Housby making way for Eleanor Cardwell to take the GS bib.

Cobden continued to be a shining light for the Roses throughout the game, picking up countless tips and interceptions at WD.

The last quarter proved a test too far for England as New Zealand accelerated ahead to over 20 goals in front and finished the match 61-37 winners.

Jane Watson was named Player of the Match for the Silver Ferns after putting in a heroic display at GK for her side.

Roses starting 7: GS – Corbin, GA – Housby, WA – Pitman, C – Clarke, WD – Cobden, GD – Agbeze (c), GK – Mentor

Roses bench: Cardwell, Gibson, Haythornthwaite, Panagarry, Shaw

Silver Ferns starting 7: GS – Mes, GA, Tutaia, WA – Rasmussen, C – Francois, WD – Harrison, GD – Grant (c), GK – Watson

Ferns bench: Crampton, Jury, Selby-Rickit, Sinclair, Wilson

In their final game the England Roses bounced back to put in a sensational performance at the SSE Arena, Wembley but fell agonisingly short in their quest to beat the current World Champions.

England Geva Mentor in action against Australia (Photo Press Association)

After three quarters the Roses were ahead and dreaming of a famous win but the tenacious Australian Diamonds fought back to take a 47-46 victory and with it, the Quad Series title.

Tracey Neville selected the same starting seven which began in the heavy defeat to New Zealand and they were determined to put that display behind them from the first whistle.

Despite a couple of handling errors in the final third, strong defence from Geva Mentor allowed England to respond and cut the visitors lead to 5-3 after five minutes.

The incredible Diamonds defence were really applying the pressure and Helen Housby was forced into pulling her best flamingo impression as she sunk her shot one-legged from range.

A physical contest was taking place in the England attack end with Gabi Simpson being warned for persistent contact. Kadeen Corbin and Chelsea Pitman were unflustered as the pair combined with nice work around the circle edge for the former to score.

The Roses GS then had the crowd on their feet with a breath-taking drive into the circle but saw her effort bounce out as the visitors stayed ahead. A late Mentor steal and Corbin goal reduced the deficit to 9-13 at the end of Q1.

Once again Mentor led the charge in the second quarter, a superb rebound drew the contact from the Diamonds’ attack and Corbin fired in the pass for Housby to net. Another converted turnover inspired by Mentor had the hosts within one.

Wembley was rising to its collective feet once again as Corbin fired in the leveller moments later. It was even noisier in a matter of seconds as stolen possession in the mid-court allowed Housby to score from range, followed by her own roar of appreciation.

England were buoyant but Australia replied in kind. Good hands in the defensive third from Sharni Layton and Gabi Simpson put the Diamonds back on the ball and converted turnovers moved them 24-21 clear at half-time.

Gretel Tippett was introduced for the third quarter and this coincided with a good run for the away side. As England slowed play in the attack end, Australia capitalised. Stolen ball gave the new introduction a chance to build the lead and suddenly the gap was at six.

This time it was the Roses turn to fire back. Pitman was pulling the strings and there was fire in the belly of the English beast. Beth Cobden raced in for a turnover and Corbin applied the finish.

Once more the Arena was rocking and the decibel level raised further as Mentor tipped an attempted feed onto the post and straight back into her hands. Corbin and Housby both sunk attempts from range and the teams were back level.

The momentum was with the hosts and Lisa Alexander made a change, replacing Caitlin Thwaites with Susan Pettitt.

It didn’t make the immediate impact she had desired as Cobden used her athleticism to steal another Diamonds pass, Housby applied the finish and with fifteen minutes to go, England had taken a 36-34 lead.

The expected Australian response was quick to materialise. A flurry of green and gold seemed to encompass the mid-court as a four goal streak saw the lead switch hands.

Over 7,000 fans were refusing to let England down and their noise sparked the Roses back into life. Corbin and Mentor were dictating the play at either end but the Diamonds still had a slender advantage.

With the away defence starting to mark the space under the post, Housby took it upon herself to shoot from range and it paid off.

The momentum was only briefly halted as Layton’s phenomenal tussle with Corbin resulted with the England shooter taking a finger to the eye and being replaced by Natalie Haythornthwaite.

When play resumed the ball found Housby on the edge and she sunk an effort more satisfying than a home-made lasagne.

Mentor didn’t stay out of the limelight for long as another steal resulted in an attacking contact. England were back on the ball and it was soon in the hands of Housby and therefore, making its way through the net.

With under two minutes to go the Roses were down by one. The intensity was ferocious and with seventeen seconds on the clock they had secured a precious turnover.

A contact in the final third gave England ten seconds to take the game in to extra-time. Strong Diamonds defence narrowed the options and when Layton plucked out a lofted feed, the game was Australia’s.

Relief and delight for the World Champions but a whole lot of pride for the Roses.

Roses starting 7:  GS – Corbin, GA – Housby, WA – Pitman, C – Clarke, WD – Cobden, GD – Agbeze, GK – Mentor

Diamonds starting 7: GS – Thwaites, GA – Pettit, WA – Hadley, C – Ravaillion, WD – Simpson, GD – Brandley, GK – Layton

Umpires: Jono Bredin and Lisa McPhail with Marielouw van der Merwe

Report courtesy of England Netball

An eleven goal advantage for the visitors at half-time seemed to have the Roses well on their way to a win, but a phenomenal comeback from the Proteas saw the sides level at 48-48 after 60 minutes.

Helen Housby (Photo: England Netball)

Two additional seven-minute halves were required and England held their nerve, to the disappointment of a large home crowd, and join Australia at the top of the Quad Series table.

A strong starting seven was named for the Roses with former Australian Diamond, Chelsea Pitman making her debut at WA.

The experienced defensive duo of Geva Mentor and Ama Agbeze were hoping to blunt the South African attack.

It was a fast start made by the hosts as they moved into a 4-1 lead, capitalising on the new England attacking combination taking some time to gel.

Excellent pressure from Mentor and Agbeze allowed the Roses to claw their way back into the quarter and a beautiful drive from Kadeen Corbin allowed the shooter space under the post to put the visitors 11-8 ahead at the end of Q1.

The momentum was with the Roses and Pitman was working superbly with Jade Clarke in the second quarter to feed the shooters and extend the lead.

Helen Housby was starting to find her range too and England had moved 28-17 clear at half-time when the NSW Swifts shooter beat the whistle to net.

With a large gap, the crowd’s initial excitement had settled and the volume had dropped. Five minutes into the second half and they were whipped into a whole new frenzy.

Eight unanswered goals from the Proteas put England on the back foot. South Africa were one step quicker, one second smarter and one move ahead when the second half started.

The Roses were firmly on the back foot and Tracey Neville introduced Ellie Cardwell for Corbin in a bid to halt the hosts charge.

Lindie Lombard was terrorising the England defence and since her arrival at half-time, the hosts had fresh impetus. A fine finish from the GA pulled her side just one behind the Roses.

It took a converted turnover and another last second Housby goal to again quieten the crowd and provide England with some relief. The advantage was 38-34 heading into the final quarter.

Fresh legs were called for as Jodie Gibson and Natalie Haythornthwaite entered the action for Agbeze and Pitman respectively.

It didn’t have the immediate impact that was desired and a Cardwell contact on Karla Mostert allowed Lombard to level the game at 40-40.

With South Africa converting another turnover a taking the lead midway through the quarter, Agbeze and Corbin were called back into action.

The game was up for grabs and with Mentor on the rebound, the Roses pulled level at 46-46 with three minutes to go.

England were a turnover down when a loose ball in the final third was punished by the hosts. However, another wonderful Mentor grab allowed Housby to level at 48-48 with a minute remaining.

The Proteas had the centre-pass and worked the clock down before launching an attack. In flew Mentor and Agbeze as England won the ball back.

With six seconds to go, the Roses pushed forward but a couple of contact calls from South Africa pushed the clock to zero and with it remaining at 48-48, extra-time was required.

A single turnover in an edgy first half of extra-time from Agbeze allowed Housby to push England ahead. The gap was three at the break as the Roses held their centre-pass.

Final score: South Africa 55-60 England (aet)

England starting 7: GS – Housby, GA – Corbin, WA – Pitman, C – Clarke, WD – Cobden, GD – Agbeze, GK – Mentor

South Africa starting 7: GS – Potgieter, GA – Stoltz, WA – Msomi, C – Burger, WD – Mthembu, GD – Mostert, GK – Maweni

Umpires: Jonathan Bredin and Lisa McPhail with Jemma Carlton as reserve

Report courtesy of England Netball

England will once again face Australia, New Zealand and South Africa in a series of games.

The first half of the series will be played out in Durban, South Africa before the second half of the competition moves to England.

Once again Ama Agbeze will lead the side with England’s most capped player, Jade Clarke taking on the role of vice-captain.

This squad sees some new and returning faces as the Roses work on rotation for their best possible combinations in this crucial time in the four-year cycle as they look towards the Commonwealth Games in 2018.

A new-recruit has been named in the Roses squad as Chelsea Locke (nee Pitman) joins the line-up for the first time.

The former Diamond qualifies to wear the red dress as her father originates from Yorkshire.

The Roses squad selected to face Jamaica is as follows;

Ama Agbeze (Captain), Eleanor Cardwell, Jade Clarke (Vice Captain), Beth Cobden, Kadeen Corbin, Jodie Gibson (Subject to fitness), Natalie Haythornthwaite, Helen Housby, Chelsea Locke, Geva Mentor, Natalie Panagarry, Rachel Shaw, Summer Artman*

Reserves: Amy Clinton*, George Fisher*, Hannah Joseph, Leah Kennedy, Laura Malcolm, Chiara Semple*

* Available for selection for both the Senior squad and the U21 Roses’ tour to South Africa

The U21 Roses will be touring South Africa between the 21^st and 29^th January as they face Australia, New Zealand and our senior Roses in confirmed fixtures ahead of the Netball World Youth Cup in Botswana later in the year.

The England U21 squad selected is as follows;

Summer Artman*, Halimat Adio, Amy Carter, Amy Clinton*, Iona Darroch, Rhea Dixon, Zara Everitt, George Fisher*, Gabriella Marshall (Vice Captain), Vicki Oyesola, Razia Quashie, Paige Reed, Chiara Semple*, Francesca Williams (Captain)

* Available for selection for both the Senior squad and the U21 Roses’ tour to South Africa

The schedule for the Roses Netball Quad Series games are as follows;

Durban International Convention Centre

Saturday 28th January

3pm – Australian Diamonds v New Zealand Silver Ferns

5pm – South Africa Proteas v England Roses

Tuesday 31st January

7.30pm – South Africa Proteas v Australian Diamonds

Echo Arena, Liverpool

Thursday 2^nd February

7.45pm – England Roses  v New Zealand Silver Ferns

The SSE Arena, Wembley, London

Sunday 5^th February

1pm – England Roses v Australian Diamonds

3pm – New Zealand Silver Ferns   v South Africa Proteas

Congratulations to all athletes selected into their respective squads!

Report courtesy of England Netball

2016 Quad Series Layton v Harten (Photo: David Callow)

After falling to defeat against New Zealand on Saturday, it was a much improved performance from the Roses as they stayed close to their hosts, trailing by just six goals at the half-time interval.

However, Australia stole the momentum in the third quarter to pull away and take an unassailable advantage heading into the final fifteen minutes.

A sell-out crowd in Adelaide welcomed the teams onto court and England responded to the pressure with an impressive start.

Early turnovers from both sides made sure that the game remained close in the opening minutes. Serena Guthrie was linking well with the shooting combination of Jo Harten and Kadeen Corbin as the Roses stayed within touching distance of the world champions.

The Aussie attack of Caitlin Bassett and Nat Medhurst were also in ominous form as they seamlessly found the net in the opening quarter. They were ably supported by Madi Robinson who was providing wonderful feeds to the post for her shooters.

It was far from an impenetrable wall though as Stacey Francis showed by taking a flying intercept midway through the quarter. The ball was worked through court and Harten was able to finish the move from range.

The GS was starting to drop deeper towards the mid-court in order to link the attacking play and Harten’s movement freed up space in the circle for Corbin to keep the scores close.

A couple of unforced errors late on in the quarter allowed the Australian Diamonds to work the ball smoothly through court and Bassett was on hand to extend the lead to 19-14.

No changes were made for the second quarter and England started the quarter well once again with a Beth Cobden tip eventually leading to a Roses goal.

It was a fiercely competitive quarter with Francis and counterpart Sharni Layton trading intercepts. The pressure transferred onto the attack end and it was the Diamonds who fared better as they remained composed to score as England faltered slightly in the shooting circle.

The intensity continued to rise and the Roses were forcing the situation. More turnover ball was created and the momentum shifted to the visitors towards the end of the quarter as Corbin netted to pull England closer, 31-25 at half-time.

The starting seven continued at the start of third quarter and the Roses won the ball back immediately with pressure from Clarke forcing Australia to throw the ball away.

The resulting turnover was netted by Harten but that was to be the last sign of success in a quarter which was dominated by the Diamonds.

Intense pressure across the mid-court led to some inaccurate passing from England and the hosts ruthlessly capitalised when in possession. Bassett was regularly finding space under the post and her height was counting on rebound ball as she quickly pulled Australia 9 clear.

Worse was to come for England as Harten was briefly forced off with an injury after Layton clattered into her from behind, a stray knee to the back of a leg forcing the shooter to hit the floor.

Ellie Cardwell was introduced and calmly slotted home her first attempt. It was a forced change in tactic for England as Cardwell became a target for the long ball and Layton was quick to stamp her authority by cleverly reading the attempted feeds before athletically completing the steal.

It was a brief break for Harten as she returned to replace Corbin at GA but by this stage, England had fallen 15 goals behind.

The Roses were now chasing the game and the previously consistent passages of brilliance were now replaced with flashes of occasional brilliance.

England were now pressing hard across the court and the Diamonds were able to exploit the holes left to find their shooters and take a 51-33 lead with fifteen minutes to go.

Tracey Neville reverted back to her starting seven for the final quarter as England looked to end the game on a high.

With a sizable advantage, the hosts also made several changes with one eye on this weekend’s final Quad Series fixtures.

A number of early errors from the Roses led to more substitutions midway through the final quarter with Helen Housby entering the game at GA and Natalie Panagarry making her debut at C.

The fresh legs had the desired effect and England, led by some wonderful defensive work from Francis and majestic movement from Guthrie, matched their illustrious opponents for the remainder of the match.

At the final whistle it was a mixture of frustration and satisfaction. The Roses were certainly much better than they had shown against the Silver Ferns but the capitulation in the third quarter will give England much to work on.

A final fixture against South Africa lies in wait on Sunday morning as the Roses look to continue their improvement and secure a first victory at the Netball Quad Series.

Roses starting 7: GS – Harten, GA – Corbin, WA – Guthrie, C – Clarke, WD – Cobden, GD – Francis, GK – Agbeze

Diamonds starting 7: GS – Bassett, GA – Medhurst, WA – Robinson, C – Ravaillion, WD – Simpson, GD – McMeniman, GK – Layton

Umpires: Jono Bredin and Marie Louw van der Merwe

Report courtesy of England Netball

Helen Housby (Photo: England Netball)

Head Coach Tracey Neville will lead a team with a strong mix of youth and experience as England take on the Diamonds, the Silver Ferns and South Africa.

The Roses will have a strong contingent of players fresh from competing in the ANZ Championships as Jade Clarke, Serena Guthrie, Jo Harten and Geva Mentor have been named in the travelling party.

For the last three names in that list and additionally, Stacey Francis, it will represent the first chance for England fans to watch them in the red dress since the Netball World Cup last summer.

The Series will also see Beth Cobden, Summer Artman and Natalie Panagarry given the chance to make their England debut as they have been included in the 15-player squad.

This is also the first side to be selected since the creation of the full-time programme with nine of our full-time athletes joined by those who played in the ANZ and two who were successful at trials.

Ama Agbeze and Jodie Gibson defend (Photo: England Netball)

The Roses team selected for the Quad Series is as follows;

Jo Harten, Ellie Cardwell, Kadeen Corbin, Helen Housby, Jade Clarke, Serena Guthrie, Hannah Joseph, Natalie Haythornthwaite, Beth Cobden, Natalie Panagarry, Ama Agbeze (Captain), Stacey Francis, Summer Artman, Geva Mentor, Jodie Gibson

England firstly travel to New Zealand to take on the Silver Ferns before heading to Adelaide for a clash with Australia. We complete our Quad Series campaign against South Africa.

2016 Quad Series fixtures

Saturday 27^th August

Australia v South Africa, Auckland

New Zealand v England, Auckland

Wednesday 31^st August

New Zealand v South Africa, Hamilton

Australia v England, Adelaide

Sunday 4^th September

England v South Africa, Melbourne

Australia v New Zealand, Melbourne

Report courtesy of England Netball