Narrabri Netball Association hosts round one matches at the Bev Burrows Courts on Saturday

Narrabri Netball Association hosted round one of its 2021 ladies’ winter season at the Bev Burrows Courts on Saturday.

After the 2020 season was abandoned amid the COVID-19 pandemic, players from across the entire Narrabri Shire returned to the courts on Saturday, April 24, for a day of trial/grading games.

Fifteen senior teams will compete across two grades in 2021 while in the junior competitions there are four teams in the under-9/10 division and five in the under-11-13 division.

Younger players will also play in the Net Set (5/8-years) age group across four teams.

More than 250 players have registered this season and Narrabri Netball Association president Linda Croaker told The Courier that she was pleased to see so many keen netballers hit the courts for round one on Saturday.

“Everything is very busy at the moment but it’s all coming together,” she said.

“Everyone seems to be happy with how things are going.

“We are really pleased with player numbers and we are still getting regos now.

“Obviously netball was not on last year so it’s great that it’s back and so many players have come back to netball.”

There were 13 matches scheduled to be played in round one of Saturday and 12 of those went ahead.

The other saw A-grade side Toros forfeit their match against Fever.

The three contested A-grade fixtures saw P and P down Goal Diggers 35-25, Tourist Tornados beat Pharmacy Flamingos 37-27 and Wee Waa Flames edge out Blue Diamonds 26-25.

There were three matches played in the B-grade competition. Vicious Delicious defeated Goss Gals 20-15, Big Blues outscored The Chickies 26-17 and Don’t Stop Ball-ieving beat Thunderbirds 23-9.

In the two under-11-13 competition matches, Namoi Cotton Thurderbirds downed Swifts 23-9 and Lightning defeated C and W Firebirds 9-3.

A close contest in the under-9/10 competition saw Sapphires edge out Diamonds 3-2 while the other match in that division was won by Valley Vixens which outscored Emeralds 23-3.

Both winning margins in the Net Set division were 7-4 as Blue defeated Green and Pink downed Red.