Plenty of promise and learning to take for Blue & Gold NPL sides from opening-day fixtures against Loughborough Lightning

The results may not have gone their way but there was plenty of promise and potential on display when Team Bath Netball’s U21s and U19s began their NPL seasons against Loughborough Lightning at Worcester Arena.

A number of Lightning’s U21s are part of their 2020 Vitality Superleague squad too and they were strong and organised in defence, while their shooters were clinical as they secured a 62-32 victory.

Team Bath, led by co-captains Caitlin Rowley and Hannah Passmore, worked tirelessly throughout and showed a great resilience and determination to learn, culminating in them drawing a much-improved final quarter.

Head coach Nikki Lloyd, who selected defender Rachael Fee as her player of the match, said: “This new, young group showed a lot of promise and returned to training this week having completed their analysis of the game with an honest and constructive attitude with intensity, confidence and a determination to learn from and build on the result.

“All 12 of our players took to court during the game, providing invaluable experience against a very classy Lightning side. This season is very much about the learning process and journey of this group and I’m excited by what is to come.”

Everyone also managed to take to the court for Team Bath’s U19s who lost 61-42 to Lightning but played well throughout, particularly in the first quarter.

Molly Hole, Rosie Bartlett and Lily Jones enjoyed excellent shooting stats of 89% and head coach Lois Jackson said: “There is lots to build on going into our next game in January.”