Co-operative Netball Superleague TeamBath 37 Mavericks 50 MAVERICKS beat defending champions TeamBath to reach the next stage of the Co-operative Netball Superleague play-offs. The Hatfield-based netball team avenged their two Grand Final defeats to Bath

Co-operative Netball Superleague

TeamBath 37 Mavericks 50

MAVERICKS beat defending champions TeamBath to reach the next stage of the Co-operative Netball Superleague play-offs.

The Hatfield-based netball team avenged their two Grand Final defeats to Bath with a superb 50-37 victory in Sheffield on Saturday.

The Mavericks' star-studded squad produced a solid team performance that never allowed the two-time netball league champions room to manoeuvre.

TeamBath had won the previous national elite Superleague titles in 2006 and 2007, beating Mavericks both times.

Mavericks raced into a 14-10 first quarter lead against their opponents who had just 10 of their 15 players available due to injury.

The Hatfield side were then pegged back and in front by a single goal, 22-21, at half-time.

In what proved to be the telling part of the match, Mavericks dominated the third quarter 16-6 to comfortably go 38-27 ahead.

Despite a comeback effort by Bath in the final quarter, the damage had already been done.

The Hertfordshire side triumphed over their West Country rivals by 50-37.

During the play-off encounter Karen Atkinson showed all the sparkling centre court skills which have led to her signing for Perth-based side West Coast Fever in the ANZ Championships in Australia.

The England vice captain drove the ball at pace through to the Mavericks' shooters where Louisa Brownfield was once again her side's top scorer, netting 34 from 39 attempts.

Other scorers included Monique Wood with 10 from 12 and Michelle Hall, who netted six from eight.

Mavericks will now face Tynesiders Team Northumbria in a fortnight's time in the minor final, to be played at the EIS in Sheffield on March 29. Play starts at 3pm.

The winners will then move on to face Loughborough Lightning in the overall Grand Final, to be played at K2 in Crawley on April 5.

Loughborough powered into the Grand Final of the play-offs with a 66-48 win over an injury-hit Team Northumbria outfit.