Netball: Clovers turn over new leaf in Chichester top flight

Chichester Netball League teams leapt back into action after the Christmas break to begin their spring season.
Claire Samuel from Footloose receives her £40 voucher from No1 BarClaire Samuel from Footloose receives her £40 voucher from No1 Bar
Claire Samuel from Footloose receives her £40 voucher from No1 Bar

The league is going from strength to strength and has grown to two divisions of seven teams.

Held indoors at the University of Chichester dome on three courts and played as early and late games, 12 teams compete each Thursday with one team from the Premiership and one from division one having a bye each week.

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This season Clovers secured promotion by one point from Chichester College and joined the Premiership. Two new teams joined the league; newly-formed Chichester Netball and a second team for MNC Wolverines calling themselves Wolverine Blue.

The first round of matches saw Red Flames take on Purple Storm in the premier. Purple Storm were three goals ahead after the first quarter and four ahead at the halfway mark, but Ref Flames pulled it back with an amazing 13 goals in the third quarter to even up the score to 21-21.

Morris and Sorrell were on form in the D and nine goals in the final quarter got Red Flames a 30-25 win in a close-fought game.

Players’ players of the game were Red Flame’s Phillipa Sorrell and Purple Storm’s Jo Goss.

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Last season’s premier champion MNC Jets played Blue Flames. It was even after the first quarter with turnovers from both teams.

Blue Flames’ defence and shooters were on form and the team won 23-16 despite awesome shooting from the Jets. Players’ players were Blue Flame’s Lou Simac and Jet’s Katie Law.

Also in the premier, Wolves Pink took on the newly-promoted Clovers, and won 34-9 – though it was a closer game than the final score showed. Clovers will quickly find their feet in the premier.

Division one welcomed two new teams who went head to head – Chichester Netball Club took on Wolverines Blue. Exciting end-to-end play showed great promise from these teams and two great goals from Caroline Bentz for Wolves Blue coulden’t prevent a 30-6 win for CNC.

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CNC will be a force to be reckoned with. Players’ players were Gemma Ware for CNC and Megan Caselow for Wolves Blue.

Chichester College coach Nic Holmes had her team on top form for their first game of the season. Having narrowly missed out on promotion last season they secured a 46-9 victory. Matchmakers played hard but couldn’t find their form on the night. Ali Johnson-Bushnell was Matchmakers’ players’ player.

Uni teams Pink Ladies and Spice Goals will be returning soon but Lilac storm played a friendly with spare players.

At the end of last season the person with the most players’ player votes was Claire Samuel from Footloose, who received a £40 voucher donated by No1 Bar, Northgate.

For more info on the league, contact [email protected]