Stacey is player of the match against New Zealand

Team Bath netballer Stacey Francis was named player of the match as England went down by just two goals to world number two side New Zealand last night (Monday).

University of Bath Sports Performance graduate Francis impressed after coming on at goal defence at the end of a first quarter that saw England trail 15-6 to the Silver Ferns in Nottingham.

England eventually went down by just 41-39 as New Zealand wrapped up a series win following their 42-40 win in Saturday’s first game of the Fiat International Netball Series.

Team Bath’s Sasha Corbin and Serena Guthrie also impressed last night in a game that saw all five of the Team Bath players in the squad get court time.

Pamela Cookey and Eboni Beckford-Chambers started both games, with Cookey scoring 18 goals from 20 attempts playing goal attack in Saturday’s contest. Francis and Guthrie also featured in Saturday’s game.

The final game of the series takes place in London on Wednesday night.

Team Bath’s players will then return to Bath to hone their preparations for the start of the Fiat Netball Superleague campaign, when the team aim to win their fifth Superleague title.

Team Bath’s netballers open their 2011 Fiat Netball Superleague campaign with a trip to Team Northumbria on Saturday 29 January.

The four-times Superleague champions play their first home Superleague game of the season against Celtic Dragons on Thursday 3 February and then host Loughborough Lightning on Monday 7 February.

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Members of the media who require further information can contact the Team Bath Press Office at Matchtight Ltd on (01225) 383518 or 01225 443998 or see the Team Bath website.