England fell to defeat in their first-ever Netball World Cup title as Australia secured a comprehensive 61-45 victory to take home their 12th World Cup.
The Roses weathered an early storm to stay level at 13-13 after the first quarter but Australia’s experience and pressure began to show as the Diamonds pulled clear to lead 27-23 at half-time. That advantage was extended to ten points after a blistering third quarter that was littered with errors from Jess Thirlby’s England side.
England had beaten Australia 56-55 in the group stages but Stacey Marinkovich’s side would enact their revenge in the final as they cruised home in the final quarter, eventually winning by a 16-point margin after a clinical final 15 minutes.
Victory for Australia sees them claim gold a year on from victory in the Commonwealth Games while England must settle for silver which equals the nation’s best result at the tournament.
Follow live updates of the Netball World Cup final below: