Arabic version: دايموندز تسعى لمنع اكتساح سيلفر فيرنز في ملبورن

According to ABC News, Australia’s Diamonds will try to avoid a clean sweep by New Zealand in the fourth and final Constellation Cup match in Melbourne on Wednesday night. The Silver Ferns have already secured the 2026 trophy, leading the trans-Tasman series 3-0 after victories in Auckland, Christchurch and Sydney.

New Zealand won the opening game 56-50 in Auckland on October 18, followed by a 62-50 result in Christchurch on October 21. The Ferns completed their series-winning third victory in Sydney on October 25, prevailing 52-49 after Australia led 41-39 at three-quarter time. New Zealand opened the final term with seven consecutive goals, before holding off a late Diamonds challenge.

The Melbourne fixture, scheduled for 7:30pm AEDT on October 28, offers the Silver Ferns the chance to complete something they have not achieved in the competition’s history. Since the series began in 2010, it has been clean swept twice, in 2014 and 2017, but never by New Zealand.

For Australia, the match is its final international game before the Netball World Cup in Sydney next August. Diamonds player Amy Parmenter said the team had focused on trialling combinations and playing styles for next year’s tournament, noting the importance of building depth before the World Cup. Silver Ferns coach Noeline Taurua has also said her side needs to win all four games to rise from second to the world number one ranking, with World Netball next due to update its list on December 1.