Netball is back on the court

Netballers who have been yearning for some competitive action have finally got it, with the start of the Bank of SVG/ Flow Fast 5 Tournament.

The Kingstown Netball Centre at New Montrose, last Saturday, May 21 was a hive of action, anticipation and excitement as the sport’s shortest format whetted the appetite of those who showed up at the venue.

There was no wasting of time when the tournament began in earnest on Saturday. Getting off the mark immediately was On Trac X- Ceed Two, who easily got the better SVG General Services Maple Netball Club 28-9 in a Division Two encounter.

On Monday, there was one Division Two match and two in Division One.

In a ding-dong tussle in Division Two, Sion Hill Netball Team had a slender 19-18 win over Success Radio.

In Division One, Maple squeezed out RSVG Police , 27-25; and National Properties Netters outdid Clinchers, 27-22.

The other contender in Division Two is Future Stars, while On Trac X- Ceed and Mitres complete the Division One teams.

Meanwhile, the SVG Male team will play in Division One, but only as a guest team.

Matches will be played in quarters, each of six minutes duration. The tournament will be played on Mondays and Thursdays from 5:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 4:30 p.m.

Under the Fast – 5 format, only five players are on court, with unlimited substitutions. The positions are goal shoot, goal attack, goal keep, goal defence and centre. The goal keep and goal shoot can utilise two-thirds of the court, whereas the goal attack and defence can use the entire court and their goal circle but not the opposition’s goal circle.

Three points are awarded for successful shots made from outside the arc, while two points and one-point shots are scored within the designated inner circles. Each team has a power quarter in which points scored at double.

The SVG Netball Association hosted the first Fast- 5 Tournament in November and December, 2020.

X- Ceed was the overall winner.