Last Tuesday, Jokers took on Ryland Raptors, and after narrowly missing out on a win last time, we were determined to put things right. We came fully prepared—with plenty of subs, sweets, and post-match ice lollies (thanks, Jodie! 🍭).

The opening few minutes were tough, with Ryland sticking to us like glue and making it difficult to get the ball down the court. Once we settled though, we found our rhythm and finished the first quarter with a narrow lead.

The next quarter was a real battle. We played some lovely netball, but credit to Ryland—they chased every loose ball, kept the pressure on, and never let us get too comfortable.

Then came the third quarter, where the momentum swung a little, with the heat taking its toll and a few… interesting umpiring decisions. 😅

But then at quarter time Jodie let us know about some less-than-sporting comments coming from the Ryland parents on the sidelines… here we go again! If anything, it just fired us up even more.

We came out flying in the final quarter, forcing turnover after turnover, converting our chances, and pulling away to finish with a brilliant 39–32 win! 💪

Massive well done to everyone—it was a scorcher but the effort, teamwork, and determination from everyone was outstanding. And, of course, the ice lollies afterwards tasted even better with a win! 🍦 🖤 ❤️ 🏐☀️

Diamonds 39 – Raiders 61
A tough game for diamonds this evening where the score does not reflect the game play at all!

Diamonds have been working on driving onto the ball and clearing out where the court gets too muddled, it was great to see this being applied tonight and something we will continue to strengthen in training💪🏻

Against a tough shooting duo, defence worked tirelessly with tips and intercepts including some great reading of the game from Leanne and Edie in the circle, and myself with some intercepts at WD. Both myself and Edie aided in a back up option for attack allowing for a reset and to work the ball to goal!

In centre court we had Chloe H, Chloe E and Holly working really hard to work the ball to goal with some great spacing around the top of the D and holding the pocket space allowing our shooters to move around the circle.

In the shooting circle Lucy, Grace T and Chloe E worked well with their circle rotation, and sneaky passes as we continue to work on new shooting combinations! Unfortunately the Raiders defenders had some great tips on the rebounds and allowed them to convert to goals!

A good game for diamonds as we continue to train together and try lots of different combinations!!

Player of the match: Liv
Captains payer: Edie 👏🏻

What a game from the Diamonds, coming away with a well-deserved 56–35 win over the Vixens in tough heat conditions.

The consistency across the court was outstanding, with the whole team working like a well-oiled machine from start to finish. Our defence was on fire, applying relentless pressure and forcing rushed passes into attack to create crucial turnovers. Some incredible intercepts from Libby and Conners kept the pressure firmly on, while Leanne constantly read the play brilliantly, applying pressure at every opportunity.

Through the midcourt, everyone worked hard to transition the ball smoothly into attack, supporting each other and sharing the workload in the heat. The attacking end showed fantastic connection, with Holly, Chloe and I delivering some beautiful feeds into the circle and always working hard for the second phase after releasing the ball.

Grace and Lucy combined really well in the circle, rotating smoothly, creating strong movement in attack, and finishing with some lovely shots under pressure. The communication right across the court was a standout, especially when we executed some cheeky zoning that paid off with important turnovers and added pressure on the opposition.

An all-round team performance and a great win to be proud of.

Alcester Queens 33 – 17 Ryland Rapidz
Alcester Queens secured a convincing 33-17 victory against Ryland Rapidz with a superb all-round team display.

The match started as a closely contested battle, with both sides working hard through the court, but Alcester’s defensive pressure quickly began to shine. A series of great intercepts disrupted Ryland’s attacking flow and allowed Queens to turn over possession consistently.

As the game progressed, we moved the ball confidently around the D, showing patience and composure in attack to create strong shooting opportunities. After a steady first quarter, the shooters really found their form, converting chances with confidence and accuracy to steadily extend the lead throughout the match.

Strong teamwork across the court and relentless defensive effort helped Alcester maintain control, with every quarter seeing the advantage grow further.

Well deserved player awarded to Fran for superb intercepts as always! 🏆

Diamonds 42 – 33 Hotshot Hornets

Diamonds went against Hotshot Hornets and showed how well we are improving as a team. We quickly realised that we could tire them out with lots of short passes and changes of direction in attack, as they struggled to keep up with the fast-paced game. The team worked hard defensively, creating lots of tips and intercepts to win back possession and keep the pressure on. A well-deserved win!!

Jokers 43 – 33 Blackbird Divas
A great match for Jokers! Despite having a tough start and being on the back foot during the first quarter (i’m sure it was nothing to do with the slightly lethargic warmup 😂), we bounced back quickly and were soon playing our game. Fantastic movement through the court and great success with the defensive zone too. Blackbirds kept the pressure on though which forced us to pass back but in response we passed the ball round, and cut it back into the attackers.
Another great win which is helping us grow our confidence in this more challenging league. Well played all, and particularly to Sarah Henderson for player of the match.

Match Summary
Alcester Queens 👸🏼 v Reddich Rubies – 37 – 35 🥳

We secured a brilliant 37–35 win in a fast-paced and hard-fought game 💙🏐 From the first centre pass, the match was end to end, with Queens showing amazing teamwork, patience in attack, and relentless pressure in defence to keep pushing ahead 💪✨

Tia and Amy worked brilliantly together in the shooting circle, calmly slotting away crucial goals and keeping the scoreboard ticking over 🔥👏

Lou H was named Player of the Match after a strong performance in GK, making key interceptions and applying great pressure throughout 🌟🙌

Overall, a fantastic team performance full of energy, determination, and great netball all round 💎🎉

Written by Lou Haycock – POM

Diamonds vs BDR Jets�38–42
A tightly contested game with Diamonds working relentlessly to close the gap right to the final whistle.
The defensive unit was outstanding. Leanne applied consistent pressure on the GS, forcing long-range shots, while Libby and Conner delivered some excellent intercepts and kept the pressure high on both passes and shots. Edie showed sharp reactions, picking up rebounds and loose balls with great awareness.

Through the middle, Holly and Chloe H rotated between C and WA, driving strongly through the court to transition play into attack. Their support on the circle edge was constant, delivering some well-timed and accurate feeds.

In attack, Grace worked hard to bring the ball into the circle in Q1 and remained a reliable support option throughout. Lucy John held her space well, providing a strong target for feeds and converting with some lovely finishes. I switched between WA, GA, and GS, creating fresh attacking combinations. In the final quarter, Grace and Chloe paired in the circle, using smart movement out of the D to open space for drives and effective rotation.

A great team effort—unlucky not to take the win, but plenty to build on.
We’ll get them next time.
Player of the match: Me!
Captains players: Edie 🫶🏼

Alcester Queens 33 – 17 Ryland Rapidz
Alcester Queens secured a convincing 33-17 victory against Ryland Rapidz with a superb all-round team display.

The match started as a closely contested battle, with both sides working hard through the court, but Alcester’s defensive pressure quickly began to shine. A series of great intercepts disrupted Ryland’s attacking flow and allowed Queens to turn over possession consistently.

As the game progressed, we moved the ball confidently around the D, showing patience and composure in attack to create strong shooting opportunities. After a steady first quarter, the shooters really found their form, converting chances with confidence and accuracy to steadily extend the lead throughout the match.

Strong teamwork across the court and relentless defensive effort helped Alcester maintain control, with every quarter seeing the advantage grow further.

Well deserved player awarded to Fran for superb intercepts as always! 🏆

Written by Katie – Co Captain

Diamonds 42 – 33 Hotshot Hornets

Diamonds went against Hotshot Hornets Tuesday night and showed how well we are improving as a team. We quickly realised that we could tire them out with lots of short passes and changes of direction in attack, as they struggled to keep up with the fast-paced game. The team worked hard defensively, creating lots of tips and intercepts to win back possession and keep the pressure on. A well-deserved win!!

Written by Grace C – Player