Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games: England Netball Team Beat Wales
England began their Commonwealth Games campaign with an emphatic 65-25 win to leave Wales on the brink of elimination in Glasgow.
The bronze medalists from Delhi 2010 prevailed in each quarter to get their pool stage schedule off to best possible start, ahead of facing the world No.1 ranked nation Australia on Saturday.
But after having lost to the Aussies on day one, Wales face a tough task to reach the knock-out phase and must beat South Africa, Trindad & Tobabgo and Barbados in their remaining matches to stand any chance of remaining in the hunt for the medals.
"I'm delighted with the start," England coach Anna Mayes said. "The first game always sets the tone for the tournament and I was really pleased.
"We've been waiting for this day to come for so long that sometimes the excitement and adrenaline can get a bit heavy.
"We had a good start and demonstrated patience in attack and I feel like everyone had a great impact."
After producing a plucky performance in the defeat to tournament favourites Australia, Wales were fighting for their lives in the pool stage but faced an England team hotly tipped for a medal in Glasgow.
In the wake of Melissa Hyndman being replaced by interim coach Laura Williams, Wales had performance admirably on the opening day of competition however England represented daunting opposition and it took little time for them to edge into their stride.
Backed by seven members of the bronze medal winning team in Delhi four years ago, England stormed into a 17-7 lead after the first quarter, hustling their Welsh counterparts in the defensive third while providing swift counter-attacks at the other end.
Fighting for their lives in Pool B, Wales kept England frustrated for much of the second quarter but failed to eat into the lead, with Cara Lea Moseley's radar slightly askew.
At the break, Wales 48% shooting accuracy was a clear indicator as to their troubles, trailing 29-10, and the third quarter brought little rest bite as England introduced experience pair Stacey Francis and Rachael Dunn.
Wales continued to toil in their attempts to claw their back into their second group match, with England intercepting restarts and passes inside the goal circle as the pressure continued.
By the time the third quarter had come to an end, England had more than doubled their lead to all but secure an opening pool win, yet with points difference likely to be crucial in qualifying for the semi-final, Mayes' side knew they had to press on.
And they did just that, stretching their lead out to 40 points to set themselves up perfectly for takng on tournament favourites Australia on Saturday.
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