League News Archive

News from previous years...

LEAGUE RESULTS & RALLY WINNERS 2005/2006

RALLY WINNERS 2005/2006
BOS - Winners:Howard Runners Up:
MIXED RALLY - Winners: Pleiades Runners Up: Roundwood
CHAIRMANS CUP - Winners: Runners Up:
EOS RALLY - Cup Winners: Forestdale Cup Runners Up: Howard A Plate Winners: CMO A
EVENING LEAGUE - Winners: Howard Runners Up: Grp Winners:
VERSATILITY RALLY - Winners: Roundwood A Runners Up: Forestdale

FINAL DIVISIONAL POSITIONS 2005/2006 SEASON
Div One - First: Highlanders, Second: Pilkington
Sportsmanship Award -
Div Two - First: Arithesa, Second: HSBC
Sportsmanship Award -
Div Three - First: Howard B, Second: Spice
Sportsmanship Award -
Div Four - First: Roundwood B, Second: Wellcome
Sportsmanship Award -
Div 5 - First: Chequers B, Second: United
Sportsmanship Award -

LEAGUE RESULTS & RALLY WINNERS 2004/2005

RALLY WINNERS 2004/2005
BOS - Winners: Roundwood A, Runners Up: Forestdale
MIXED RALLY - Winners: Chequers, Runners Up: Howard
CHAIRMANS CUP - Winners: Howard, Runners Up: Roundwood
EOS RALLY - Winners: Roundwood A, Runners Up: Highlanders A
(Section Winners - 3: Portas, 4: Whyteleafe E, 5: Selsdon B
EVENING LEAGUE - Winners: CMO, Runners Up: Coombe, Grp Winners: Ladybirds
VERSATILITY RALLY - Winners: Howard, Runners Up: Highlanders, Third: Coombe

FINAL DIVISIONAL POSITIONS 2004/2005 SEASON
Div One - First: Highlanders, Second: Pilkington
Sportsmanship Award - Helen Kelly (Pilkington)
Div Two - First: Roundwood A, Second: Portas
Sportsmanship Award -Mary Bogue (Selsdon)
Div Three - First: Chequers A, Second: Arithesa (after play off)
Sportsmanship Award - Antionette Patten (Spice)
Div Four - First: Woodlands, Second: Wickham
Sportsmanship Award - Siobhan Edwards (Hayes B)
Div 5 - First: Whyteleafe E, Second: Roundwood B
Sportsmanship Award - Hazel Adams (Crickets)

FINAL EVENING LEAGUE POSITIONS 2004/2005 SEASON
Monday - First: Croham, Second: Tatsfield, Third: CMO
Sportsmanship Award - Chequers
Thursday - First: Portas, Second: Forestdale, Third: Coombe
Sportsmanship Award - Forestdale

MATCH REPORTS
Please keep sending me your reports and any photo's, they also get printed in The Croydon Advertiser.

Saturday 9th April 2005

CMO (33) V PILKINGTON (60)
CMO's A Team had their work cut out against Pilkington Ladies in the Croydon League last Saturday. With the two teams at opposite ends of the table, CMO had it all to prove in the pair's final match of the season. Trailing 6-15 in the first quarter, CMO used the break to re-assess their defence. Despite, GD Louise Locke dropping off to double-mark the opposition's GS as Pilkington attacked, and the GA being picked up by WD Karina Thorne, the Opposition's tall Shooter was able to scoop in nearly all high balls sent into the circle. Centre Anna Chapman worked well with GA Charlotte Kirby and GS Jenny Knight-Simpson in the attacking third, but CMO were still struggling going into half time at 14-29. It seems the stern team talk helped spur on a formidable recovery in the third quarter with CMO matching Pilkington goal-for-goal bringing the score to 29-44. With the Pilkington Centre landing badly in the final quarter, the whole team were forced to move around which put them at a disadvantage. However, Pilkington's lead was unassailable. Final score 33-60

CHEQUERS A (32) V SPICE (27)
As the winter season draws to a close both these teams needed this vital win, Chequers to stay joint top of the table alongside Arithesa and Spice to continue their steady creep up the table to third place. Both first and second quarters were tight and included many controversial umpiring decisions that caused Chequers to sometime loose their cool and not play as well as they could. The 3rd saw them loose the lead slightly and then with 3 consecutive goals from the Spice attack, Chequers could see victory slipping away from them. Some tactical changes from both teams were made going into in the 4th quarter, which gave Chequers the overall advantage, they soon closed the gap and with some expertise shooting from Chequers captain Leanne Charles, went on to win the game.

CHEQUERS B (21) v WARREN Z B (24)
The match started well with the first quarter pretty even between both teams. A team talk after the first quarter saw Chequers starting to pick up the pace, the defence were working very hard to counter the good shooting from Warrens, disaster stuck towards the end of the second quarter when Chequers GD, Anne Clancey took a very hard fall, causing an injury to her face, this resulted in an ambulance being called, delaying the game for about half hour. Once Anne had been shipped off to hospital the game continued with both teams feeling demoralised and drained. With a change in defence for Chequers, they battled hard to the end but warren surged forward to go ahead and hold on to a lead for the final whistle. Final score 24-21 warren win

Croydon Netball League Annual Mixed Rally - 15 March 2005

This popular event saw the usual mix of clubs eager to show off the skills & 'talent' of their men. Chequers, booming with many new members, fielded five mixed teams - a CNL record. Two time champions Highlanders were unable to return to defend their title leaving the tournament wide open.

In mixed Netball, three of the seven positions: Goal Keeper, Centre and Goal Shooter are played by men. The matches consist of two, seven minute halves rather than four fifteen minute quarters. All normal rules of netball apply but allowances are made for the less experienced male participants. The emphasis of the day is fun and highlights what a technical sport Netball is.

The rally opened with division 3 rivals Chequers Vs Crickets. With high spirits Crickets made a valiant start as Emma Wick's speed and acceleration carved holes in the defence leaving scope for Jill Scarlet (GA) to increase their goal count. The opposition's defence, with the monkey-esque Goal Keeper Jamie Hardgrave, read their game play and made many interceptions so Chequers could record their first win of the day.

Dressed in blue tartan Coombe's highly skilled team convincingly defeated Mars & Venus. The division 2 side had coached their defence well and continuously overturned possession with effective blocking and putting pressure on the passes from Mars & Venus. Score 11:2

Club clash Ladyboys Vs Mr & Mrs, both of Chequers netball club, pitted friend against friend. Tony Stone GS a veteran of mixed rallies, partnered with Sarah Sheahan GA, proved themselves by excellent teamwork and shooting accuracy. The Ladyboys triumphed 6:2.

Draughts repositioned their men moving Clive Rowland to GK, Leroy Parks to GS and Steve Clancy to C for the match Vs CMO1. The new system capitalised on loose balls, making more effective use of the space on court ensuring a win of 8:4.

Draughts GK Kevin Ruggins said "I felt that this day was going to be a breeze, but after playing my first match I realised how much fitness the game demands. I really enjoyed the day and I'm a definite for next year!" Harvey Johnson, Mars & Venus added, "I have never laughed so much on a Sunday morning, I really enjoyed playing C as you get the chance to be more involved and influence the game. My friends had good fun and we already talking about the next one."

CMO2 played rally regulars Howard in a tantalising end to end match. Howard's strong defence of Dominique Parker GD, Donna Holmes WD and Steve Adams GK enabled them to turnover possession and take the lead in the final seconds to secure their place in the final Vs Chequers.

Howard and Chequers entered the final undefeated, both teams playing for the pride of their club. A goal for goal start left little room for errors. Surrey County regular Modressa Yartey returned to her club position of GD and led a competent partnership with Jamie Hardgrave at GK. Howard shooting duo Karen and Chris Brandrick worked well with Tony Gillick C to keep the scores level. Tony provided reliable centre passes making it difficult for Chequers to steal possession. Newlywed Clare Hardgrave WD pushed herself to the absolute limits, creating opportunities for Shirley rugby squad member Robert Beard to seize the interceptions. WA Kelly Gardner never gave up fighting for the win showing the sprit of Howard Netball Club. However, excellent feeds from Amy Ireson WA and shooting giant Gareth Fox gave hot shot Leanne Charles several chances for her to show that she is capable at any range. An immense crowd cheered and applauded as Chequers were crowned Mixed Rally champions 2005.

Saturday 12th March 2005

CHEQUERS C (21) V WHIRLYBIRDS (15) - EVENING LEAGUE
Chequers C needed this well deserved win in the CNL evening league, having not had much luck yet this season. They soon took the lead within the first few moments of the game, due to some superb passes into GS Dawn Middleton from fellow attacking players Anne Clancey & Claire Titchner. Emma Spivey soon found her feet as Centre a position the team captain had not yet played this season. Whirlybirds made tactical positional changes during the 1/2 time break in order to try and close the gap. This proved unsuccessful and Chequers continued to build on their positive play and increased their lead even more. Defensive trio Clare Harris, Mandy McGlade & Clare Eskriett, worked well together to ensure a low amount of goals ever scored against the C's.

CHEQUERS A (15) V ARITHESA (19)
Late afternoon start for a fight for the coveted 3rd division 1st place. With well-timed interceptions Arithesa took the lead to end the first quarter 5-2. Chequers substitute Clare Hardgrave (Bully) came in as Centre enabling Pip Rata to move to GA and strengthen the attack. The home side pulled back the score to 8-9. The fighting spirit continued through the 3rd quarter with both sides matching each other goal for goal. Arithesa's focus and fitness paid off in the final quarter as the capitalised on their 1 goal lead to win the match 19-15 and remain division leaders. Kate Hemmings (Arithesa) and Pippa Jones (Chequers) were both voted in as player of the match.

KARISMA (40) V WHYTELEAFE D (27)
Although a rather bright morning, it was a very cold day up at SHS. Game got off to a slow start. Whyteleafe had a better start than Karisma and managed to score on the first four centre passes. Karisma soon realised if they were in with a chance of winning this game they had to start playing Netball. Karisma soon caught up and were neck and neck 7-7 all in the 9th minute. In the 12th minute, play was advanced from Whyteleafes goal end due to dissent displayed by GA to the umpire's decision. Further dissent resulted in GA being sent off and sin-binned for 6 minutes, a rarity in netball! Whyteleafe were forced to play with only six players for the last two minutes of the first quarter. At the end of the first quarter Karisma had taken the lead 12:10. The second quarter started with Whyteleafe still with 6 players for the first four minutes and until the next goal was scored. On the 5th Minute, the Whyteleafe GA was back in play and able score her first few goals. By this time, Karisma had capitalised on Whyteleafes one-woman short squad, were able to establish a good lead and the 2nd quarter ended without further incident, Karisma 24 Whyteleafe 17. Third quarter started with two determined teams intent on attacking and scoring. There were many great interceptions from Karisma's defence whilst Whyteleafe's defence were able to capitalise on Karisma's missed shots & rebounds. At the end of the third quarter the score was Karisma 35 Whyteleafe 24.
The fourth quarter saw a lot of centre court play, with plenty of interceptions from both teams and long periods in between goals. The game was stopped in the 12th minute of the last quarter due to an ankle injury, a possible break sustained by the Whyteleafes WA.

Saturday 19th February 2005

Selsdon A (29) V Warren Z (15)
Selsdon A put into practice their training for the match against Warren Z on Saturday. Centre court play flowed with good strong passing. The shooters Lisa Banner and Liz Jaques were under pressure from very windy conditions, but with great teamwork and some good interceptions Selsdon managed to pull away. Warren Z put up a good fight but Selsdons defence worked hard to get rebounds and bring the ball down the court. With some encouraging support from coach Jo Fredricks Selsdon pulled away in the end. A very enjoyable match has by two sporting teams.
Sporting players were. Selsdon: Mary Bogue Warren Z: Katie Barthorpe.

Howard A (55) V CMO A (43)
A double result for Donna Holmes of Howard last Saturday where she not only took the most sporting player award but was also voted by her team mates for performance of the match where Howard won their second game on the run. This return match with CMO looked from the outset as being a closely fought game and that it was, with both teams needing a win. The first quarter was end to end and it was Howard who led at the quarter time whistle by three goals. CMO fought back with precise shooting from Charlotte Kirby and Jenny Knight Simpson in the second and were winning at one point 19-18. Howard stepped up their game in the third and fourth quarter. A tactical team change was made, Helen Williamson coming in at GK and Hannah Tucker moving to WD. This inspired the whole team and the great passing by Holmes into the attacking circle continued. Shooter Karen Brandrick took advantage of the passing and with her accurate shooting made sure that she converted every goal. Howard led by 10. Howard eventually won the game 55-43.
Most sporting player for CMO was Anna Chapman who plays centre and Holmes for Howard playing Wing Attack.

Chequers B (56) v G&T (12)
Second time this season that Chequers B team had met G&T, this time at G&T's home ground - de Stafford! Weather conditions were pretty good but extremely cold, with flurries of snow predicted. The game started slowly with Chequers taking a small lead over G&T in the first quarter but once the supporters and the two teams got warmed up, the second and third quarters
were far more enjoyable. Chequers managed to gain a bigger lead in these two quarters, a few team changes and team talks at half-time provoked this. Chequers defence were extremely strong putting great pressure on the G&T's shooters. In the final quarter, those predicted flurry's started to come down and so did the game, although both teams were still battling, momentum
became low and Chequers finally scooped a 56-10 win over G&T. Well done both teams, a very friendly and enjoyable game to both play and watch!

Roundwood A (36) - Selsdon A (26)
The game started off goal for goal with great court play from both teams. With the half time score at 16-16, Roundwood got into a good rhythm in third quarter and picked it up a gear. Roundwood took the lead at the end of the third quarter and extended the goal difference in the fourth to win the match 36-26. Player of the match went to both Marsha Allen and Lisa Sams.

Roundwood B (24) - United (24)
Roundwood B played exceptionally well this week, and showed that they have really started to gel as a team. This was an exciting game to watch from the very beginning. Roundwood took the lead at the end of the first quarter, but United picked it up in the second quarter and went into the lead by half time. United pulled away leaving Roundwood trailing by 6 goals during the last quarter. Roundwood gave it they're all and managed to draw the game with only seconds to go. Player of the match was Charlie Jelley.

Saturday 12th February 2005

Roundwood A (57) - Howard B (32)
This match was bought forward from its original date to be played on 6th February. Roundwood got off too a slow start, and Howard took full advantage and went straight into the lead 3-0 within the first couple of minutes. With Clare, Abbie and Danielle making some great interceptions in defence along with Kim and Tara putting in some superb balls to Sara and Lisa in the shooting circle, Roundwood managed to settle their play down, and take the lead at the end of the first quarter. Roundwood kept this lead throughout the game and win the match 57-32. As always, it was a friendly game, with great interceptions and shooting from both teams. Player of the match deservedly went to Danielle, who played up from our B team and managed to fit into our style of play beautifully.

Roundwood B (17) - Whyteleafe D (28)
It was a slow start from both teams, who both needed to adjust to the windy weather conditions. Whyteleafe accomplished this quicker than Roundwood and took the first quarter 6-1. Roundwood returned to court and fought hard, and managed to settle down their play with short and accurate passing, and drew the second quarter 5-5. Roundwood's defence dug deep and pulled out all the stops, but the Whyteleafe shooters were on top form and nothing could stop them from scoring. Roundwood fought hard all the way in this match, but just couldn't close the gap. Roundwood's player of the match went jointly to Leanne, Charlie and Vicky.

Chequers A (15) V Karisma (11)
Both Chequers and Karisma battled against wind, rain and even hail to complete their second meeting of the season. The match started well for Chequers who took an early lead with the score at 8-4 after the first quarter. Karisma came back strong and so did the rain! Struggling against the elements, both teams were finding it hard to get the goals in and both defences were on form to stop the balls from getting into the circle. The weather let up for the final quarter where Chequers held on for their second win over Karisma this season. Both shooters were "hailed" sportspersons of the match, Pippa Jones for Chequers and Claire Beck for Karisma.

Howard A (45) V Lifeline A (33)
Howard returned to winning ways last Saturday with a great display of netball from both teams. Howard started strongly and had a 16-7 lead in the 1st quarter - with great all round play from the whole team. This continued into the 2nd quarter with Howard taking a 27-15 lead. The experienced Julie Walker at WD inspired the whole team and the confidence oozed from the whole court - Howard were back in town! The third quarter started and Lifeline upped their game with some defensive changes and came within 9 goals of Howard's score. Into the fourth and Howard made sure that Lifeline were not going to come back, and returned the play that secured them the 1st half. With the excellent centre court play and passing by Donna Holmes at WA the final score was 45-33. Howard move up to joint 3rd in division one. Most sporting player votes went to Alison Gaylard from Lifeline and Dominquez Parker received Howard's award for the second Croydon match running.

Highlanders A (37) V CMO A (32)
Croydon MO's A team saw their winning streak end last Saturday with a testing game in the Croydon League. Another shake up in defence meant that Highlanders walked away with victory despite MO's holding them in all but the final quarter. Original WD Karina Thorne was moved to GK to welcome back Lisa Hall: but even her determined and inspiring display, chasing loose balls and going for interceptions, could not prevent Highlanders from pulling ahead.
One change at the front paired sprightly Centre Anna Chapman with Captain/WA Cathy Knight-Simpson, who worked hard together to feed in around the circle. And although GS Jenny Knight-Simpson was able to further develop her shooting position learning well from seasoned player GA Charlotte Kirby - a very strong defence kept another MO victory at bay.

Saturday 29th January 2005

Chequers B (36) V Roundwood B (32)
It was the most gripping game of the season so far; Chequers and Roundwood fighting it out for second place in the league. By the end of the first quarter Chequers had leapt into the lead but the second quarter saw Roundwood bounce back and fighting for success. By half time it was unclear as to who would win this energetic, lively and friendly game. The third quarter saw many occasions when the teams were neck and neck with their goal scoring. The supporters' cheers matched the zealousness exhibited by the players. By the end of the game we had seen a number of injuries, some outstanding passing and some amazing shooting. Both teams were worthy of winning the match but Chequers managed to win convincingly by 4 goals. It was a fun but serious game that was mirrored by the approach of the umpires.

Crickets A (21) V Chequers A (26)
This was an exceptionally close game, which unfortunately the Crickets eventually lost 21 goals to 26. Despite the wet conditions both teams fought hard and played excellent netball, especially in defence as shown by the low score line. Chequers went ahead in the first quarter but Crickets managed to bring the goal difference back to 1 by the end of the second quarter of the game. Crickets had an exceptional 3rd quarter and managed to gain the lead however, Chequers made a significant come back in the last quarter to win the game by 5 goals. Well played to both teams especially Katie Tong who got sportsperson of the match for Crickets and Pippa Jones who won it for Chequers.

Howard A (29) V Highlanders A (39)
With Howard playing Division One leaders Highlanders this match could always go either way. Howard took charge of the game in the first quarter with 2 team changes, Dom Parker making her debut at GD and Helen Williamson retuning as GK - both made an impact on the game and Highlanders looked worried. The second quarter showed that either team could win this game, Highlanders were winning at half time with some precise shooting from Sue McSherry. The third quarter came to a close with just three goals separating the 2 teams. Both teams changed around and Highlanders were just too strong for an improved Howard team and the final score was 29-39. Only positives can come from this game for Howard and they look forward to the next division one clash with Lifeline A. Most sporting player awards went to Lisa McSherry from Highlanders and a great debut for Dom Parker as she received Howard's award.

Crickets B (17) V Chequers B (38)
The first quarter of the game was evenly matched, with both teams matching each other goal for goal, the score being level at quarter time. In the second quarter, Chequers started to pull away from Crickets. A number of great interceptions from various Chequers players were capitalised upon after some attacking pressure by Chequers, despite Crickets defensive determination. As a result, by the time half time came along, Chequers were ahead 16 goals to 10. It was important that Chequers continued to build on the lead, and some tight marking ensured that Chequers turned round Crickets centre passes. Chequers defensive unit stood firm and yet more interceptions during the third and fourth quarters prevented Crickets from being able to catch up the score despite their valiant efforts.

Spice (35) V Arithesa (25)
Arithesa remained unbeaten in div 3 of the Croydon League so far this season, but was all about to change? Spice started off strongly and soon had a goal advantage over Arithesa. Arithesa responded with determination and fought back hard to close the gap. Spice's ability to have lots fun whilst playing certainly paid off this time, they made few mistakes which enabled them to keep the lead and win 35:25

PRESS RELEASE
The Croydon Netball League are to enter a team(s) into the forthcoming Surrey Rally on 30th April 2005. The team(s) will consist of players from any club currently participating in the Croydon Saturday or Evening League. Trials for the squad will take place on Saturday 19th March, 13:30 at Shirley High School. There may be an additional trial day on 2nd April for anyone unable to attend. An independent selector will be in attendance to help pick the squad. The CNL will then arrange a few training sessions before the rally. Further matches or National Club League entry could then be the next step for this new 'Croydon' squad. None of the above will interfere with CNL matches. It's a great opportunity for CNL to show off its talented players and the league!

Saturday 15th January 2005

Chequers A (33) Highlanders B (17)
Highlanders were the only team to gain a victory over Chequers A last season, so the pressure was on both teams last Saturday, for Highlanders to repeat the performance and for Chequers to ensure it didn't happen again! Chequers took the lead immediately and were soon 7 goals to 2 up, but Highlanders were not going to be beaten without a fight, they soon caught up and the 2nd quarter score line was extremely close. Chequers GS, Pippa Jones was on excellent form and was scoring goals from any spot in the goal circle to increase the score and Chequers were soon broke away. The 4th quarter confirmed this and Chequers played some great defensive zone marking netball to keep the scores apart. Highlanders new GS (Rosie) scored some fabulous goals and deservedly won player of the match along with Pippa Jones from Chequers.

Chequers B (34) V United (28)
The two teams began to realise in the first quarter that they were evenly matched when the score was close. Chequers felt that a win may not be within reach when an injury early in the second quarter and no subs left them a player down. At the start of the third quarter Chequer's injured player GK, Andrea Rogers hobbled on and the teams managed to keep the score line even as this quarter drew to a close. Chequers knew that they would certainly need to up their game if they were to win, and so they did with four consecutive goals in a similar time they were able to win the game with a six goal lead making the final score 34:28 to Chequers. A very enjoyable game had by two sporting teams.

Coombe Ladies (23) V Warren Z A (21)
The first match back after the Xmas break for some players, and with it being an early morning start it took a while for this match to get going! The first 2 quarters resulted with very low scores and both teams needed to increase their attack if there was going to be a clear winner. Both teams had some great defending players, the GD & GK's had superb stretches (height was also on their side) and kept the goals far and few. But Coombe attacked hard in the 4th and passed the ball well down the court, which enabled them to take the lead, keep onto it and eventually won the match.

Howard A (39) V Hayes A (38)
A Division One mid table clash saw both teams playing exciting netball.
Hayes started strongly and took the lead 12-7 in the first quarter. This forced Howard to make some tactical team changes and they came back strongly in the second quarter although Hayes still had a cushion of a 4 goal lead. With the game going goal for goal it looked like Hayes were going to win this crucial game. Howard had to change something again! A swap of the 2 shooters, Kellie Gardner and Karen Brandrick, in the last quarter transformed this game and Howard revelled in this. The game flowed and the passing improved dramatically, a great team effort secured this win in the last moments and Howard's persistence paid off. Julie Walker grabbed the most sporting player for Howard.

Whyteleafe E (34) V Crickets A (32)
In the first game of the New Year the Crickets showed a promising start leading at half time but unfortunately the festive excesses had taken their toll and the Crickets eventually lost a close game 32 goals to 34. Whyteleafe played a defensive game and once gaining the lead in the 3rd quarter made is impossible for the Crickets to make up the goal difference, despite lots of encouraging supporters on the sideline! Emma Wicks (GD) was voted sportsperson of the match for the 3rd match this season for her outstanding performance in defence - congratulations Emma and well played to the rest of the Crickets squad!

Roundwood A (35) V Croham (24)
For the second week running Roundwood played Croham, but this week for the Croydon Netball League. The weather was less winder than the week before but after heavy rain the court was slippery and made the ball difficult to handle.
The game got off to a close start and slowly Roundwood took a five goal lead. The goal difference remained the same through the 2nd quarter. Then Roundwood extended their lead to 11 goals in the third quarter with excellent interceptions from Clare Russell. Most sporting player was Lisa Sams of Roundwood and Jackie Sullivan from Croham.

Roundwood B (45) V G&T (16)
The first quarter was low scoring to start with both teams taking a while to warm up. Roundwood started up their game in the second quarter and only conceded 1 goal. Roundwood maintained this pace of play to the final whistle. Player of the match and most sporting player was Tripti Chakraborty (GS) and Tracy Russell (GK)

Highlanders A (50) Pilkington (48)
Both teams were top of their division so this match would be the decider to finish top at this seasons midway point. Pilkington took an early lead, but Highlanders fought back and took a 5 goal lead by the end of the first quarter. The game continued goal for goal throughout the second and third quarter. During the last quarter there was great interceptions from both teams, putting the pressure on the shooters to convert every time they received the ball. Pilkingotn then bought the game back to 1 goal difference with a chance to draw level, but an interception from the Highlanders GD allowed for the final scoring opportunity of the match.

Saturday 4th December 2004

Crickets 'A' (43) V Highlanders 'B' (27) - Division 3
Crickets 'A's' had a fantastic match winning 43 goals to 27! Everyone played well with many of the team playing out of position most of the match! Emma Wicks was named player of the match for the second game in a row for her outstanding defence. Other special mentions must go to : Lorraine who had a storming match at WD, Ange was on fire in the attacking circle, Laura for playing fantastically despite feeling unwell and Jill for being caretaker GK. Highlanders made a good come back in the second half but Crickets worked hard to keep their lead and win the match. Players of the match were awarded to Emma Wicks (GD - Crickets) and Highlanders WD Emma Kitley.

Chequers A (37) V Whyteleafe D (24) - Division 3
Due to absent players Chequers' line up included newcomer defender as C, something she was quite apprehensive about! The match started at a quick pace and it was a tight first quarter. Weather conditions were good and thankfully not as cold as recent Saturdays. Whyteleafe had a young, fit team on court but Chequers' experience kept them just ahead during the 2nd quarter and into the 3rd. Unfortunately during this quarter, play became sloppy from both teams and good opportunities were missed due to a lack of accurate passing. Chequers made a tactical change in the final quarter and moved GK Leanne Charles to GA who helped increase their lead tremendously. Both teams had some impressive support from the sidelines that kept the momentum up during most of the match, which Chequers won 37 goals to 24.

Chequers B (30) V Whyteleafe D (23) - Division 5
Chequers thought they had the match in the bag after they won the first quarter 8 goals to 2, but little did they know that Whyteleafe's shooter was yet to take the court! She did so in the 2nd and after some superb shots at goal they soon caught up and overtook Chequers. Chequers were determined not to give up and gave it everything they had to close the gap, but Whyteleafe's GA & GS were just not missing! Chequers' captain Kelly Constantine kept the team positive and deservedly won man of the match, but unfortunately their efforts didn't pay off and Whyteleafe won 30 goals to 23.

Saturday 20th November 2004

Howard A (40) Forestdale (40) - Division 1
This game was played in the spirit that all netball should be played in. With both teams mid table this game could have gone either way. Both Howard and Forestdale started strongly with the teams level after the 1st quarter. Helen Williamson started at Centre for Howard and played well making some excellent passes into the attacking circle, this proved vital with Howard leading by one goal at half time. Howard made several changes at half time with Hannah Tucker switching to GS, Kellie Gardner to GD and Julie Walker to WA, the game changed for the better with Howard taking a strong lead of 3 goals in the 3rd. Going into the last quarter Forestdale came back and the scores were level for most of the quarter. In the closing stages Howard were 2 down but with Amanda Quick in defence making some crucial interceptions and the shooters of Karen Brandrick and Tucker scoring to make the scores level at the final whistle, the points were shared.

Most Sporting Player's Helen Williamson (Howard) Jo Crowhurst (Forestdale)

Chequers A (28) V Spice (18) - Division 3
The coldest Saturday so far in the Croydon netball season, and then it started to rain! A slow start from both teams and at the end of the first quarter the score was 7 - 5 to Spice. Chequers knew they had some work to do and needed to dictate the pace of the game to their style of play. New partnership Mod Yartey and worked well together in defence and kept the score down. The weather conditions continued to deteriorate and play became more difficult, but both teams continued in good spirits. In the fourth quarter Chequers found their feet and managed to increase the gap and at the final whistle won the match 28 - 18

Chequers B (40) V Warren Z B (31) - Division 5
Another win for Chequers in the same day. The game started very evenly matched. Each side matched the other goal for goal in the first quarter and the pressure was on. The pace of the game slowed a little in the second half and Chequers managed to find their strength and gradually began to win centre passes from the opposition and pull away with the score. The ball was being successfully passed around in the attacking end and fed into the circle with precision and accuracy.

In the third quarter Warren Z's put up a strong fight and didn't give in. Their attack was strong and the ball was reaching the circle every time. Chequers defence were quick to collect any rebounds and successfully pass the ball up court to their own attack for a shot at goal!

In the final quarter, Chequers managed to hang on to their lead and the ball moved down the court with ease, however the Warren Z defence attempted to intercept every pass with determination. Warren Z's and Chequers played a friendly but competitive game. Final Score Chequers 40 Warren Z's 31

Crickets A (29) V Arithesa (43) - Division 3
With some solid defending from Crickets 'A's' in freezing cold, rainy conditions against a talented Arithesa team, Crickets went down 29 goals to 43 - although scoring more than half of Arithesa's tally gained Crickets another point. Crickets worked hard with some fantastic interceptions in defence especially from sports person of the match, Emma Wicks (GD). Crickets had a come back in the third quarter but in the end Arithesa proved to be too strong and were able to convert their attacking moves into goals to take the game out of Crickets reach.
Most Sporting Player's: Crickets - Emma Wicks (GD) Arithesa - Alex Dunn (GS)

G&T (45) v Whyteleafe E (51) - Division 5
Another nail biter from G&T. The score was 12-13 at the end of the first quarter with the G&T defence working well with a very tall Whyteleafe GS. A substitute GK was put on for Whyteleafe in the second quarter and they took the lead by half time 21-30. G&T had a new GA who was doing really well for her debut match but luck wasn't on G`s side as they fell behind to 29-43 three quarters way through....however the last quarter was to be dominated by G&T who pulled out all the stops and with Angie Chin (GD) and Lorna Van Zee (GK) playing brilliantly, some fab midcourt passing and spot on shooting from Maria Henderson and Susie Thum. G&T won the last quarter 18-9 but it wasn't enough and Whyteleafe kept the lead and won the match 45-51.

Friday 12th November 2004 - Children In Need Tournament!
The Croydon Netball League hosted a Children In Need charity netball tournament on Friday 12th November at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre. Both had extra reason to celebrate as they are celebrating their 25th Anniversary's this year. It was a hugely successful event with 11 junior and 20 adult teams participating all in fancy dress. The junior rally kick started the evening and after 3 round robin divisions, Chips (Croydon High School & Kendar Primary battled it out in the U12's final alongside Hyenas V Hens (both Hillcrest Netball Club) in the U14's final. Kendar & Hyenas eventually becoming the junior rally champions. The Mayor of Croydon, Brenda Kirby, Camilla Buchanan (England Netball Development squad player), Pudsey Bear and CNL Chairman Jackie Rowland awarded the winners and best dressed team (Chips) with their prizes. The adult rally began soon after, the teams arrived in great style - The Surrey Ambulance netball club dressed as paramedics all pilled out of the back of an ambulance, other clubs also wore great fancy dress costumes including, Fairies, Pirates, School Girls, Jelly Babies, Devils,, Super Heroes. St Trin's and Jelly Babies 1 were the first teams to take the court encouraged by all the spectators and played an enjoyable first game, Jelly Babies taking the first victory of the competition. The evening continued with great spirit, even Pudsey took to the court for some games! A men's match was played before the finals and the lads showed great potential even though they found listening to the umpires quite a difficult task. Then onto the 2 finals, which were between, The Devils (Chequers NC) V Topaz Terriers (Cup final) and Surrey Ambulance Service V CD Phoenix (Plate final). Both were close matches and could have been anyone's game but concluded with CD Phoenix winning 3-2 and Topaz Terriers 5-3. The Pirates of Purley Pond (CMO netball Club) won best dressed team. The total amount of money raised is yet to be finalised, but should be well into the thousands. You can see representatives from the Croydon Netball League on Friday night's official Children In Need Programme on BBC 1.

Saturday 6th November 2004

Roundwood B (33) V Chequers B (30) - Division 5
Two of the newest teams in the Croydon league met for the first time on Saturday in a see saw match, which ended in a tight 33-30 victory for Roundwood. Roundwood began as the stronger team, taking a quick 4 goal lead. Chequers held on and recovered to find themselves only a few goals behind at the end of the 1st quarter. 2nd quarter and Chequers improved their game and dictated the speed of play, slowing down Roundwoods attacking style. This enabled Chequers to take a 2 goal cushion into half time. Both teams made half time changes and this had the desired affect for Roundwood who added extra height in the attacking circle. At the end of this quarter Roundwood had taken the lead again. Chequers responded to the challenge and aided by excellent defensive work fought hard to close the gap but time ran out for Chequers.
An excellent game played by two teams who will certainly do well this season.

United (35) V G&T (38) - Division 5
G&T took the lead by two goals in the first quarter then the score evened out by half time. Substitutions were made by G&T going into the third quarter but United took the lead. It was a tense final quarter with both teams desperately trying not to make any mistakes...two minutes to go and the score is even, both teams overtaking the other one after each centre pass. It was a race against time! G&T went up a gear to get three goals in succession and finally winning.

Crickets (20) V Spice (21) - Division 3
This was an exceptionally close, physical match from start to finish with Crickets A losing to Spice 21 goals to 20 in the last minute! The defence for both teams played a very tactical game which made it
difficult to score lots of goals but Jill Scarlett, Sportsperson of the match for Crickets scored some fantastic goals from the edge of the circle to give Crickets a fighting chance of winning. In the end Spice proved too strong but all of the Crickets played well to put up a good challenge.

Howard A (56) V Shirley B (20) - Division 1
Howard A showed their impressive all round ability in this CNL division one game. In the 1st quarter Howard came out top winning it 11-1 aided by some good defensive play from Julie Walker. The 2nd quarter brought positive changes allowing Hannah Tucker to shoot alongside Karen Brandrick. They increased the lead to 23-8. Shirley B also made changes and proved that versatility is the key with Lisa Harvey swapping to GA to help out this made a difference to their team confidence and doubled their goals scored in the 3rd. Howard's team performance was vital to their success and the changes proved that versatile players could be the key for the remainder of the season. Final score 56 -20 ensuring Howard their 2nd win. Most Sporting Player's: Kellie Gardner (Howard) Lisa Harvey (Shirley B)

Howard B (40) V Coombe Ladies (43) - Division 2
Howard B played this game with team confidence after winning their last game. The game was close all the way through and Howard were drawing at half time. With good all round play by Shelley Minto and Tricia Davies, Howard were very unlucky to lose this tight fought game by only 3 goals. Most Sporting Player's: Georgina Oseman (Howard) Miriam Knowles (Coombe).

Arithesa (36) V Chequers A (29) - Division 3
Chequers knew this would be a tough match having already played Arithesa in the Met league this season. A new recruit to the Chequers team enabled them to put a strong team out. Arithesa took the lead early but Chequers soon caught up and the 1st quarter ended 8 goals each! The game continued in the same manor, in dreary weather conditions. Arithesa's fitness and athletic ability shined in the 4th quarter to increase their lead and won the match 36-29.

Saturday 23rd October 2004

CMO A (40) V Howard A (47)
Howard A recorded their first win of the season at the CMO ground last Saturday. Howard started in lively fashion and took the lead in the first quarter. Two B players were playing up and they didn't let the side down, Donna Holmes in at WD and Shelley Minto at WA they controlled along with Tracey Elliott the Centre Court. With CMO making a defensive changed at quarter time and Half time, it could quite stop the shooting force of Karen Brandrick and Kellie Gardner. There was a 8 goal gap going into the last quarter and CMO made ground quickly, shooters Charlotte Kirby and Rachel Hall did not miss and CMO came within 3 goals of Howard. Some last gasp vital interceptions were made by Hannah Tucker and Julie Walker in defence to make sure of this first win for Howard 47-40.

Chequers B (37) V G&T (26)
Saturday 23 October, the weather conditions were looking a bit bleak but nevertheless Chequers B came on court with a positive attitude. Taking a small lead in the first quarter put the team at ease but quickly things deteriorated weather wise and before they knew it, they were playing in a downpour! Despite this setback both teams battled on with G&T putting on the pressure in the third quarter managing to shorten the gap by only 4 goals. Chequers picked up the pace, showing a strong performance from the defence and a great team effort, leaving the score at the final whistle 37-26 to Chequers B.

Warren A (32) V Howard B (36)
Howard B also recorded their first win of this 2004/05 season. With Vicky Smith making her debut at WD and Eileen Brandrick returning from injury at WA. The game was very even for the first half. With some great interceptions by Ella Simmons and shooting skills from Helen Rixon for Warren and good all round play from Howard's defensive double of Carol Barnes and Annette Howes, Howard just edged the lead at half time. Trisha Davies who had started at Centre switched to help out in defence and Howes went into play centre. With the shooting accuracy of Karen Lewis and Donna Holmes (playing again), Howard had the lead of 2 goals going into the last quarter. With both teams making tactical changes in this last quarter it could have gone either way but Howard made sure that they won this very enjoyable and friendly division two game 36-32.

Roundwood A (40) V Selsdon Casuals A (23)
Again terrible weather conditions ensured that this game would be a slippery one! Short sharp passes were needed to keep this game controlled and that's exactly what Roundwood achieved and took the lead early on. Selsdon defended well but Lisa Sams shooting accuracy was spot on and the goals just kept coming. It was an enjoyable, friendly match and both teams and umpires kept in good spirit despite being soaked through! At the final whistle Roundwood deservedly won the match 40-23.

CMO C v Wandsworth
CMO’s C team continued their good run of form in the Croydon League with a win against Wandsworth despite the treacherous weather and slippery surface. The match began as a close contest, although CMO’s had pulled away by the end of the second quarter, thanks to some great defensive work by WD Alex Furness, GD Jane Burman and GK Jo Bradbury, who received the most sporting player award for her efforts. Wandsworth made some team changes at the start of the third, but shortly after lost their GA after a slip left her with a twisted ankle. Without a reserve, Wandsworth played the remainder of the game with just 6 players, forfeiting their WA, which mean the ball saw little of their circle. CMO’s shooting girls, Nicky Stillwell and Val Chapman, played an excellent second half, with WA’s Hilary Tawan and Chloe Goldsmith and C Claire Whiting ensuring that we kept on the attack. A good win despite the circumstances, and we wish Wandsworth’s GA a swift recovery.

CROYDON GIRLS MAKE SURREY SQUAD

The final Surrey County Netball selections took place last week and The Croydon Netball league are proud to announce that 2 of its members got through to the final squad. Sara Marsh of Roundwood Netball Club & Modressa Yartey from Chequers Netball Club attended 2 trials in total and played some excellent netball to gain the selective places within the team. Surrey will have 3 squads playing this year with matches and plenty of training throughout the season. Both Sara and Modressa will continue with their current club commitments but are both very excited about this challenging prospect. This will be Sara's second season with the Surrey team and although suffering an injury during the summer managed to get back to top fitness to make the final cut.

Saturday 9th October 2004

Crickets A (28) V Wellcome (15)
Building on the encouraging performance of our last match, this
was Crickets 'A's' first home match of the season and they played an exceptional game to
beat Wellcome by 28 goals to 15. There were attacking moves from the centre court players Emma Wicks and Stacey Byatt had another fantastic game in defence. Crickets consistently
turned solid defence into positive attacking play. The centre court was effectively controlled giving our shooters plenty of opportunities to bring home the goals. Sportsperson of the match was awarded to Racheal Harrison (Crickets) & Sarah Wordlaw (Wellcome).

Chequers A (29) V Karisma (26)
With lots of last minute changes, Chequers A & Karisma both finally made it to the ground for a critical Croydon league match on Saturday 9th October. Weather conditions were good, if not a little blustery at times. Newly promoted side Chequers were optimistic from the start and determined to play their best despite a shortage of A team players. Both teams defence were water tight and goals were far and few in the first quarter. Chequers made some tactical changes going into the 3rd and had to attack hard to increase their lead. It was a close scoring match throughout, but Chequers' just kept head and won the match 29 goals to 26.

Highlanders B (29) V Spice (25)
A close match was held between Spice & Highlanders B on the 9/10/04. There was some superb marking by all Spice players, but Highlanders were determined to hold their own. In the third quarter it was neck and neck but Highlanders made a tactical change going into the fourth with Charlotte Hickson taking the GS bib and Lorraine Hicks the GA. This proved to be the key to winning the match 29 - 25.

Becky Forni (Highlanders) & Charlotte Brown (Spice) both were awarded sportsperson of the match for their teams.

CMO C (36) V Selsdon B (37)
What a game! Both teams played really well in this hard fought and extremely tight match. CMO’s fought hard, coming back from a two goal deficit after the 1st quarter and a 7 goal deficit after the 2nd, then scoring 8 straight goals to take the lead at the end of the 3rd. Nicky and Val scored some fantastic goals, Hilary, Clare and Chloe passed the ball well through the centre of the court and Jane and Suzanne played a great defence, with Suzanne getting the Player of Match for her valiant efforts against a tall and accurate Selsdon GS. The last quarter was fast and furious, but Selsdon edged it, winning 37-36. It was a disappointing end, given our perseverance, but a promising display by CMO’s all the same. Congratulations to Selsdon.

Saturday 25th September 2005

Roundwood A(56) V Warren Z's A)22)
In this, the second game of the season, Roundwood A proved they were a force to be reckoned with in Division 2! Every team player had a fantastic game making the result well deserved. We managed to establish a comfortable lead in the first quarter, and this lead was maintained until the very end. With a 'go-go gadget' trio in defense in Joey, Marsha and Abbie, the Warrens attack were constantly under pressure forcing many center-throws and passes in to their D, to go off side. Tara, Kim and Sara - as well as pulling off some great defensive interceptions - were fast, furious and focused in the attack!! Every time the ball made it into our D, Sara and Lisa just couldn't miss. The game ended with a sure win - Roundwood A - 56 Warren Z's A - 22. Sara won a very well deserved Player of the Match, while Lisa was awarded Most Sporting Player.

Roundwood B(37) V Warren Z's B(20)
In their very fist game ever in the Saturday League, the B team made us and themselves proud. Every player gave 110% to secure a definet win. In their first quarter, they established a lead of 8 goals! The defense - Aime, Heidi and Danielle - only conceded ONE goal. At half time, the opposition seemed to find their attacking form, and scored more goals, which made Roundwood, feeling shaky and frustrated - come on girls you only lost three of your 8 goal lead!! However, this frustation seemed to spur them on! Danielle seemed to be in 10 places at once, and Charlie's determination along with Vicky's great attacking support, made sure Tripti, Leanne and Amy in goal had some great opportuinities to score. The three shooters were spot on throughout the game, and the final score was Roundwood B - 37, Warren Z's B - 20. Danielle was deservedly voted for BOTH Player of the Match and Most Sporting Player!

Chequers A (30) V Crickets A (19)
The newly promoted side played host to Crickets A. With some solid defending from Crickets 'A's' in rain-lashed conditions against a talented Chequers team, Crickets went down 19 goals to 30 in their opening game of their campaign although scoring more than half of Chequers tally gained Crickets their first point of the season. Crickets worked well as a team with some fantastic interceptions in defence especially from sports person of the match, Emma Wicks (GD). There were some good attacking moves in the centre court from Crickets and the shooters tried hard to combat the outstanding defence from Chequers (which included sportsperson of the match Leanne Charles (GK)). In the end Chequers proved to be too strong and were able to break from defence culminating in some decisive goals to take the game out of Crickets reach. And the Chequers captains' inspirational team talk on "Bouncebackability" drove the team to a 30:19 win.

Woodlands (51) V Hillcrest (24)
Woodlands won 51 - 24. It was a case of youth versus experience and experience won!! Hillcrest had a squad of 10, 6 players were U15's, two U16's and the other two were over 21!!! It was a good game, won mainly by the experience of the Woodlands attack.

There was a slight upheaval at the beginning of the match as the teams had to move grounds because when they arrived at Woodlands' ground the police had cordoned it off because there had been a murder in the park! Game was played at Hillcrest's home ground.

Chequers B (33) V Crickets B (28)
The first game of the newly formed Chequers B team was a lively and exciting one. The first quarter saw Chequers take the lead by the second and into the third quarter Crickets had come back level and take the lead. It was all down to the last 15 minutes. Chequers made some changes to the line up, and knew they needed to give it their all to succeed. A small crowd had gathered and the tension was building. With lots of hard work, determination and some excellent shooting and defending Chequers managed to pull back the deficit and win the match 33-28.

Thursday 09 September 2004

Evening League - Crickets(11) v Howard(22)
Crickets and Howard lined up for the first match of the Evening League. Howard were very 'quick off the blocks' right from the first whistle and with some very slick passes and quick movements by their attacking players they had opened up a lead of 11 goals by half time. With lots of encouragement at the half time team talk, Crickets were back on court, they really dug in, seeming to settle much better and looking a much stronger team and the second half was drawn. Although Crickets did have a very impressive second half, with the domination of Howard in the first half and the lead they had built up, the final score was 11-22

To submit a news story please click here