Diamonds have last 2015 chance to shine

Australian netball coach Lisa Alexander will be hoping to celebrate her 50th Test in charge by clinching the Constellation Cup series in Perth on Friday.

Australia's netball Diamonds have the chance to cap off a glorious two-year period and mark a landmark game for coach Lisa Alexander when they play arch rival New Zealand in Perth on Friday evening.

Commonwealth Games gold medallists in 2014 and world champions in 2015, the Diamonds can effectively lock up all of the game's shiniest baubles by defeating the Silver Ferns in front of a massive capacity crowd of close to 13,000 at Perth Arena.

Australia holds a 2-1 series lead over their old trans-Tasman foe heading into the fourth and final Constellation Cup Test.

New Zealand can still win that trophy on goal difference, but only if they beat Australia by a 14-goal margin.

The game represents the 50th Test in charge for Alexander since she took over the head coaching reins from Norma Plummer following the 2011 World Cup.

For all the success they have enjoyed under Alexander, which includes going unbeaten through 2014, Australia have still hit an occasional hurdle.

They have dropped two of their last three home Tests against New Zealand, losing their pool clash at the World Cup back in August and last Sunday's match in Melbourne.

Of course the one home win sandwiched between those losses was the game which mattered most, the World Cup final in Sydney.

While Alexander injected some new blood into the team earlier in the series, she has gone back to her veterans for the decider in Perth.

Captain and defensive launching Laura Geitz has been called back one game early from a scheduled rest and midcourt stalwart Renae Ingles has returned after missing the last two Tests with a calf injury.

Ingles passed a fitness test on Thursday as did shooter Caitlin Bassett, who was forced off at halftime of the third Test loss with foot soreness.

Prolific scorer and WA product Bassett is bound to get a massive welcome from her home town crowd.

It will be just her second Test in Perth and her first in four years.

Bassett's high conversion rate has made her a massive thorn in the Silver Ferns side in recent years.

Friday's match will be the last in charge for Alexander's New Zealand counterpart Wai Taumaunu and possibly the final Test for some of the Ferns' veteran players.


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Source: AAP



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