Penrith 1 Toppled by Meerkats in Round Eight
As we near the end of this year’s Summer League, the matches are starting to ramp up in equal measure. Such was the case on Tuesday night when Penrith 1s took on Meerkats 1 in round eight. Meerkats 1 are a Division I side in the Winter League, so it was always going to be an uphill battle for Penrith; they put in an enormous effort nonetheless to end with a score of 55 – 39 to Meerkats 1. Goal-scoring in this game ebbed and flowed, with some coming in quick succession and others taking some time to reach the goal circle. It was also a very physical game, especially in the first quarter, as Meerkats tried to establish dominance against a Penrith side that weren’t for budging! A notable improvement for Penrith 1s was their ability to implement a change of pace as they moved through court, avoiding being lulled into the quick game set by Meerkats. The handicaps applied were in Penrith’s favour by 20 goals at the start of the game, and despite the obvious skill of Meerkats, it took until the third quarter for them to match Penrith’s score – a testament to the hard work put in by the Division II side. Congratulations are extended to Victoria Baker, who was voted Penrith’s Player of the Match, as well as Meerkats 1 Player of the Match, Stuart Nattrass. Thanks are also given to the umpires for the evening. Penrith 1 will be on court again on Tuesday 26th July when they face Stewartry in Round 10.
Penrith 2 Fall Against Division I Meerkats
It was always due to be a tough match for Penrith 2s against Division I side, Meerkats 2, and coupled with a number of Covid-related absences, it was touch-and-go as to whether Penrith could field a team! Thankfully, they could and the match went ahead, ending on a final score of 56 – 31 to Meerkats 2. The Penrith side put up an extraordinary effort in the first half of the game, keeping the score in their favour, helped along by their handicap advantage of 12. Meerkats 2 brought the heat in the second half and powered through their deficit, hitting double figures in both the third and fourth quarters whilst keeping Penrith 2s to the low single figures. The quick play and insane interceptions on the part of the Meerkats were hard for Penrith to keep up with but provided a great number of talking and training points for the future. Congratulations are extended to Nichola Jackson, who was voted Penrith’s Player of the Match, as well as Meerkats 2 Player of the Match, Bear Grey. Thanks are also given to the umpires for the evening. Penrith 2 will be on court again on Tuesday 19th July when they face Div I side, Meerkats 1 in round nine of the league.
Summer League Opens with a Sizzler
Penrith Netball came away with a 44 – 42 victory over Meerkats 2 in the first round of the new Summer League, building upon their successes in the previous winter competition. This new handicap league brings together teams from both Division I and II of the Carlisle Netball League for two full months of stellar netball, and this time Penrith have two teams entering the fray. This starting match-up was hard-fought for Penrith 1s as they faced up with Meerkats 2, a Division I side. Despite this, the Penrith team consistently led in the first half of the game, even if the handicap was removed. The tried-and-tested Blackburn/Holme shooting duo led the charge in the first quarter which ended 32-17 in Penrith’s favour, but mention should most definitely be made of the mid-courters who put in a tremendous effort to keep up with the quick-moving Meerkats game. The second half of the game moved slower, and Penrith did begin to tire. They preserved all the same to cling on to the lead at three-quarter time (score of 43-33) but the fourth quarter was the real nailbiter! Meerkats pushed for every ball to keep Penrith to only one goal scored in the last 11 minutes whilst they netted nine. Sadly, it was not quite enough and Penrith beat the buzzer to take the overall victory. This match also saw the first outing for new league players for Penrith, Nat Edmondson and Jo Richards, who gave it their all and played a key part in the Penrith win. Congratulations are extended to the Players of the Match, Cara Watson (Penrith 1) and Amy Alcock (Meerkats 2), as well as thanks to the umpires for the evening. Penrith 1 will be on court again on Tuesday 14th June when they face Harraby 1 in the next round of the summer handicap league. Next week sees Penrith 2 begin their summer campaign with a Harraby 2 match-up.
