The Silver Ferns and the Australian Diamonds have each made one change to their team line-ups ahead of Sunday afternoon’s test match, to be played in Invercargill, New Zealand.

 

Dynamic goal attack Natalie Medhurst will join the Australian Diamonds replacing her former Adelaide Thunderbirds team-mate Kate Beveridge for the final two Tests of the five-match trans-Tasman Series.

 

Diamonds coach Norma Plummer says “We want to keep all the shooters in the mix so by the time we get to Commonwealth Games we’ve made sure they’ve stayed in the international arena.

“Natalie’s running game complements the three shooters that we are taking to New Zealand and they just so happen to be the four shooters we took to the World Championships in 2007.”

The Diamonds took a two-one lead in the Series on Sunday and while Plummer is pleased to be one game ahead of the New Zealanders, she knows there is more hard work to come.

 

“We are going into New Zealand feeling confident but knowing that the Series isn’t won yet and there are still two more hard matches on New Zealand soil for us. It’s important now to just keep focused and continue to put out some good netball."

A late change to the Diamonds line-up was announced on Saturday, following Catherine Cox`s ankle injury during training. She`s been replaced for Sunday`s match by Kate Beveridge.

The Australian Diamonds team to play the Silver Ferns on Sunday is:
Kate Beveridge, Julie Corletto, Johannah Curran, Susan Fuhrmann, Kimberlee Green, Renae Hallinan, Sharelle McMahon - Captain, Natalie Medhurst, Lauren Nourse, Susan Pratley, Amy Steel, Natalie von Bertouch - Vice-captain.

 

New Zealand`s selectors have added experienced defender Sheryl Scanlan to their side, leaving out mid-courter Maree Bowden.

Coach Ruth Aitken told the New Zealand Herald the exclusion of Bowden was more about wanting to give others a chance in the international environment.

“Also Sheryl`s experience is invaluable. We`re in a must-win now for these two tests and we haven`t got a long build-up so we feel it`s not the time to bring in one of the young ones [Charlotte Kight and Camilla Lees]."

The Silver Ferns team to play against the Australian Diamonds in the New World International Netball Series is:

Temepara George - Vice-captain; Katrina Grant; Paula Griffin ; Joline Henry ; Laura Langman; Sheryl Scanlan; Wendy Telfer; Anna Thompson; Maria Tutaia; Irene van Dyk; Larrissa Willcox; Casey Williams - Captain

Click here for all Test Series ticket information. 

The match will be broadcast in both countries as follows:

AUSTRALIA: Live from 2.00 pm on TEN; and from 5.30 pm on ONE
NEW ZEALAND: Live from 4.00 pm (NZ time) on TV ONE.

Pictured: Natalie Medhurst (Australia) & Sheryl Scanlan (New Zealand) clash in the 1st Test of the 2008 Holden Test Series. (PHOTO: Michael Bradley)