A pumped-up Diamonds outfit meant business when they court in front of a sold-out Adelaide crowd to kick off the Holden Netball Test Series and it didn’t take long for the Australians to ease into the match with captain Sharelle McMahon cool under the net, shooting at 100 per cent for the first quarter. Goal keeper Susan Fuhrmann kept her World Selection shooters busy while centre court Bertouch, debutant Renae Hallinan and Lauren Nourse combined well through the mid-court. However, the Australians didn’t have it all their own way in the opening term with the World Selection keeping pace to enter the first break two goals behind, 15-13.

A focused Australia took the court in the second quarter, dominating the World Selection to score the first six goals. With Kimberlee Green replacing an injured von Bertouch at centre the Australians controlled the opening 10 minutes of the quarter however a composed World Selection team led by English defensive-duo Geva Mentor and Sonia Mkoloma crawled their way back to only trail by three going into the third term.

Victorian Caitlin Thwaites took the court in the green and gold for the first time in the third quarter to reunite the premiership shooting combination with Vixens teammate McMahon. However it was the World Selection shooters that got the jump, taking the lead from the Diamonds with Cathrine Latu and Donna Wilkins combining well under the ring. A late quarter fight back by the Australians leveled the score with two minutes to go, only to have the World Selection team pull away to take a four goal lead into the final term.

Coach Norma Plummer swapped Nourse to centre and Green to wing attack hoping to spark some life into the Diamonds attacking end but it was the World Selection that fired out of the blocks taking a 10-goal win with seven and a half minutes to go. With poor feeding into the circle Mentor and Mkoloma were left to clean up the loose passes, sending them down the other end were Wilkins and Latu continued to convert goal after goal. Facing a 12-goal deficit the Australians looked flustered all over the court while the internationals stayed calm and composed. A late quarter fight back led by McMahon and Thwaites saw the Diamonds close the gap to nine but it was a case of too little of late with the World Selection running out 52-43 victors.

The Diamonds will now have three days to regroup bedfore they face the New Zealand Silver Ferns at 12noon at ACER Arena, Sunday 6 September in Sydney. With the match falling on Father’s Day every dad that comes along will receive a yellow Diamonds scarf.

For tickets visit www.ticketek.com.au