England’s netball team secured a place in the semi-finals of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow by defeating South Africa 58-54 in a quarter-final match. Both nations required victory to progress to the final stages of the competition. The Roses will face New Zealand in the second of Saturday’s semi-finals, following the first semi-final between Australia and Jamaica.
England began the match facing an early deficit, trailing 17-11 after the opening quarter as South Africa’s goal shooter Elmere van der Berg made an immediate impact with 16 goals from 19 attempts. A turning point came when England introduced Halimat Adio and Funmi Fadoju, whose defensive contributions altered the match’s momentum. This adjustment allowed England to recover gradually and reduce their deficit to 29-28 by half-time.
The team’s comeback continued during the third quarter when they scored five consecutive goals to move ahead 35-30. England subsequently built on this advantage to enter the final period with a 45-41 lead. Despite South Africa’s efforts to close the gap, England maintained their composure in the closing stages, with forwards Olivia Tchine and Lois Pearson helping to secure the victory with a final four-goal margin.
England’s coach Anna Stembridge, who took over the role just four months before the Games after Jess Thirlby’s resignation, will guide the team toward the medal rounds. The semi-final is scheduled for Saturday, with the gold and bronze medal matches taking place on Sunday.
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