Sri Lanka lose to Zimbabwe in Netball World Cup 2019 opener

By Hishan Welmilla (Liverpool)

Sri Lanka lost their first match in their quest to conquer the Netball World Cup at Liverpool in the United Kingdom when they were beaten by a strong Zimbabwe team who showed superior quality netball in all aspects of the game. The final score read 79 points to 49 to a Zimbabwe victory.

Lankan lasses battled it hard from the first quarter to have a lesser margin in the scoreboard between the two sides. It was a tough challenge for the islanders as the African superpower controlled the ball most of the time in the first quarter, but the defenders made a solid wall, making it hard to progress to the goal post all the time. The first quarter score read 19-14, favouring Zimbabwe.

The twist battle continued in the second half as Sri Lankan resistance to the opponents was as in the first quarter. One time the score margins were thin between the sides, Lankans were able to turn around the Zimbabwe rally to a certain extent and keep the score moving as well. But Zimbabwe scored 19 goals to 15 in the second quarter to read the total score 38-29 at the half-way.

Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka battled it out for third place in Group A, and the opening match played a significant role in determining their position in the group. Zimbabwe competed in their first World Cup, but they arguably have the edge in quality here so expect the Gems to win their first game against Sri Lanka, who are ranked five places below them in the world rankings.