Adelaide Thunderbirds Netball Reclaim Top Spot With 55-51 Win

Adelaide Thunderbirds netball reclaimed first place on Sunday, holding off the Melbourne Mavericks 55-51 at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre. The win pushed Adelaide back to the top of the Super Netball ladder and kept its unbeaten run against Melbourne alive.

Shamera Sterling-Humphrey Drives Adelaide

Shamera Sterling-Humphrey delivered seven gains and four interceptions as Adelaide built a 33-24 halftime lead and then survived the Mavericks' fourth-quarter push. Kate Heffernan added 27 feeds and 17 goal assists, while Elmere van der Berg finished with 47 goals from 49 attempts.

Melbourne Mavericks Close Hard

Melbourne turned the final quarter into a contest after cutting an 11-goal deficit to one goal, but the comeback stopped there. Jamie-Lee Price finished with 34 feeds and 13 goal assists, Uneeq Palavi made four Super Shots, and Shimona Nelson scored 22 goals from 23 attempts.

Super Netball Ladder Shift

Adelaide had slipped from first place after a 56-50 loss to the Melbourne Vixens on April 18, then moved back on goal percentage after the Vixens lost to the Sunshine Coast Lightning on Saturday. The Thunderbirds are now 9-1, while the Mavericks sit at 5-5 with four rounds left and a crucial match against Sunshine Coast next Saturday.