Posted 11th Apr 2018

Gold Coast 2018: Eboni Beckford-Chambers helps England to historic win over New Zealand ahead of semis showdown

Team Bath Netball captain Eboni Beckford-Chambers helped England record a historic victory over New Zealand and boost their chances of reaching a first-ever Commonwealth Games final at Gold Coast 2018.

Beckford-Chambers had a major impact after coming on for the second half as the Roses extended their narrow 26-24 advantage to a superb 54-45 victory – their first-ever win over the Silver Ferns on the Commonwealth stage – that ensured they topped Pool B and set up a semi-final showdown with Jamaica on Saturday (6.02am BST).

England went into Wednesday’s final group game knowing they just needed to avoid a heavy defeat to finish above the Silver Ferns and avoid favourites Australia in the last four but they were determined to progress in style.

The teams were level at 12-12 after the opening period and the second quarter was equally tight fought, with England edging into a 26-24 lead at half-time.

Beckford-Chambers was introduced at goal defence and, alongside former Blue & Gold star Geva Mentor, helped restrict New Zealand to just ten goals in the third quarter as the Roses stretched their advantage to 40-34.

They kept up the pressure in the final period to secure a historic victory and finish the group stage with five wins from five games.

Blue & Gold attacker Kadeen Corbin is also in an England squad that now faces Jamaica in a repeat of the Glasgow 2014 third-placed play-off, which was won by the Sunshine Girls. Both teams will be looking to reach their first-ever Commonwealth Games final.

Meanwhile, Zanele Vimbela and her South Africa team-mates finished third overall in Pool A after an 85-25 win over Barbados. They now face Uganda in the fifth-placed play-off on Thursday (7.02am BST).

Team Bath’s Chelsea Lewis and University of Bath Pharmacy graduate Amanda Varey both impressed for Wales as they produced an improved performance in a 68-53 defeat to Malawi in Pool B.

Wales will look to finish the tournament on a winning note when they face Fiji in the 11th-placed play-off on Thursday (12.02am BST).

Don’t forget you can see Team Bath Netball’s Commonwealth Games stars in Blue and Gold during the second half of the Superleague season. Tickets are now on sale for our remaining seven home matches – click here to purchase!

Other news articles

A photo of Team Bath Netball players hugging, smiling and celebrating after their NXT Gen League extra-time victory over Loughborough Lightning in May 2025.
Brilliant Blue & Gold hold their nerve in extra-time to defeat table-topping Loughborough Lightning in NXT Gen League epic

A tremendous all-round performance saw Team Bath Netball inflict only a second defeat of the NXT Gen League season on table-topping Loughborough Lightning after an epic contest that gripped another capacity crowd at the Team Bath Arena. The Blue...

Read More
A graphic promoting The Big #BlueAndGold Bash which is being hosted by Team Bath Netball on Sunday 15th June 2025. It features the text 'Our players, our pathway, our region, our fans' and a call to action to book tickets.
Join us for The Big #BlueAndGold Bash – celebrating our players, our pathway, our region and our fans

Team Bath Netball fans are being invited to a special end-of-season party which marks not just the conclusion of the inaugural NXT Gen League campaign but a year of resilience, resurgence and remarkable performances across the South West pathway....

Read More
A picture of Team Bath Netball wing-attack Sienna Rutherford with the ball in hand, turning away from a Nottingham Forest defender during the first-ever NXT Gen League fixture in February 2025.
Blue & Gold suffer extra-time reverse at Nottingham Forest after yet another closely-fought NXT Gen League contest

Team Bath Netball went to extra-time for the second time this NXT Gen League season but were unable to secure the win on this occasion as they narrowly lost 58-56 at Nottingham Forest on Sunday. It was a frustrating...

Read More
Team Bath Netball Sponsors
Partners and Suppliers