Experienced England face early New Zealand test in netball title defence

The reigning Commonwealth champions England will begin the defence of their netball title on Friday in Birmingham with an understanding that what lies ahead will not be easy. Four years ago, on Australia’s Gold Coast, the Roses dramatically stole victory from the home team, bringing an end to the antipodean stranglehold on the Commonwealth title that had existed since netball was introduced to the Games in 1998.

England, led by captain Natalie Metcalf and vice-captain Jo Harten, have been drawn in Group B for the tournament’s opening rounds. They will meet Trinidad and Tobago first, at midday on Friday, then Malawi, Northern Ireland and Uganda, before facing world champions New Zealand.

Group A, meanwhile, the proverbial “group of death”, includes world No 1 Australia, fourth-ranked Jamaica, the always dangerous South Africa, Scotland, Wales and Barbados. The top two in each group progress to the semi-finals on 6 August with the final the day after as one of the showpiece finales of the Games.

With six members of the golden team returning to the 12-strong squad, England have prioritised experience in the quest to go back-to-back on their home court. The 37-year-old Geva Mentor and 38-year-old Jade Clarke together account for more than a third of England’s 925 caps, which make the Roses one of the most tested teams in Birmingham.

Five players – Mentor, Harten, Helen Housby, Stacey Francis-Bayman and Eboni Usoro-Brown – compete in Australia’s Super Netball league while the remaining seven – Metcalfe, Clarke, Eleanor Cardwell, Laura Malcolm, Sophie Drakeford-Lewis, Layla Guscoth and Imogen Allison – are based in the UK’s Superleague.

Notably absent are 2018 gold medallists Serena Guthrie and Beth Cobden. In a big blow to