Stars fail to progress in Fast5 - The Worcester Observer

Stars fail to progress in Fast5

Worcester Editorial 20th Oct, 2019   0

A NEW-LOOK Severn Stars team fell short in their bid to progress into the final stages of the British Fast5 All-Stars Championships.

The side were unable to come away with a win from games with last year’s Vitality Netball Superleague runners-up Wasps and champions Manchester Thunder and as a result were eliminated from the competition.

Fast 5 is an adapted version of netball, with shorter games, less players, a different scoring system and a powerplay on offer.

Stars faced last year’s Fast 5 champions Wasps in the opening match of the tournament at the Copper Box Arena in London on Saturday.




Despite the wealth of talent in the Stars squad, the team struggled to adapt to the Fast 5 game.

Stars struggled to score on their own powerplay whereas Wasps were able to make their power play count on the scoreboard. Even though Stars took more shots in the game, it was Wasps who came away 30-22 winners, with more of their shots coming from the higher scoring zone.


Strong shooting from Paige Reed and Alyssa-Jean Savelio and defensive pressure on the opposition’s shots by Leana de Bruin kept the game with the Thunder competitive.

However, the consistent clockwork scoring of three-pointers by Thunder’s shooters, added to the longer range five-pointer shots not sinking for Stars, saw Thunder pull away, winning the game 27-14.

Head coach Melissa Bessell said: “It was a mixed bag for us. There was great team bonding, along with some strong combinations played, but we were short on points when the final whistle blew.

“Fast 5 is fast and furious and it’s all about the ‘long bombs’ and ours were just short.”

Stars’ attention will now turn to preparation for the Vitality Netball Superleague competition, which starts in the new year.

Mid-courter Ella Powell-Davies added: “It’s not quite the result we hoped for, but there were so many positives to take from this experience and we can’t wait to get going again in preparation for the new season.”

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