T
he 3rds had, once again, an
extremely successful season
with many victories and
exciting experiences. Known
for our ever-happy spirit and
constant laughter, we
somehow managed to channel this energy into
securing several wins against other prominent
netball schools including Blundell's, Castle
School and Clifton.
We had a strong defence with Holly Matthews,
Rebecca Turner and Hannah Cartwright making
life extremely difficult for the opposition when
they were trying to score, and they were
backed up by our attackers; Sophia Warby,
Hattie Johnstone and Laura Smith were fast
and showed exceptional skill in the centre third
especially, with effective ball distribution at all
times. Our shooters, Harriet Butterfield and
Dannii Harvey, blossomed as the season
progressed, and both the opposition and
ourselves were often in a state of awe after
some of the shots that they managed to get in
successfully. Playing her second season for the
3rds, Harriet was our rock and never ceased to
surprise us. She supported her partner Dannii
throughout, allowing Dannii's shooting to go
from strength to strength.
Although famous for having a laugh and usually
ending up in hysterics, when necessary we
always managed to pull it out of the bag and
play some competitive netball; our coach
Mrs Berry was, as always, a hero! Always
there with encouragement (and chocolate!), she
made the season a thoroughly enjoyable one,
and I really can't thank her enough for making
these last three years in the 3rds so enjoyable.
I hope the team continues to maintain the
happy spirit that was always so present in both
practices and matches, and wish everyone who
plays in the 3rds lots of luck for the future!
T
he 4ths had a strong season
tactically and in the sense of
teamwork and effort, but
unfortunately this was not
always reflected in results.
We played four matches,
winning one, drawing one and losing two.
The Clifton match was very enjoyable, and we
immediately dominated the game from the first
whistle. Possession was always on our side,
and was rarely lost, thanks to accurate and
well-timed passing. The shooting was
excellent, with a strong partnership between
Lulu Smyth and Emily Gore, resulting in a
respectable 17-8 victory.
Against Taunton we had to come from behind,
mainly through a combination of perseverance,
determination, high hopes, and again excellent
shooting, especially from Becky Jackson. Hatti
Mason also played well in defence, despite
playing out of position, and the rest of the team
worked well together, the final score 19-19!
Conditions at Queen's were tricky, due to cold
temperatures and strong winds. There was
good attacking play in centre court from
captain Fleur Netley and Kate Taylor, who
formed a useful partnership throughout the
season, helped by some excellent interceptions
from Ginny Nash. Unfortunately though, the
wind made it difficult for shooting and
controlled passing.
Our last match of the season was against
Blundell's at home. The whole team played
well throughout, with Hatti Mason scoring well
in an unfamiliar position at GA. Despite
leading by a few goals all the way through the
game, after six minutes of injury time we were
sadly overtaken in the final minute, losing by
just a single goal.
All in all, the 4ths played solidly and fluidly,
and always with determination and
commitment. Thank you to the whole team for
such an enjoyable season!
Aluredian
72
3rd VII
by Camilla
Harrison
4th VII
by
Fleur Netley
Fleur Netley launches an
attack against Clifton
Image © Harry Marshall
Netball