Manchester Thunder Spring Showdown 2022 Preview
- Joshua Ranford
- Apr 12, 2022
- 2 min read
Written by: Josh Ranford
The Vitality Netball Superleague Spring Showdown takes place on the 16th and 17th of April and will showcase all teams from the Superleague. Ten games over the two days will entertain a sold-out crowd at the NEC arena in Birmingham.
Manchester Thunder will compete in two fixtures over this highly anticipated weekend against Strathclyde Sirens and Surrey Storm in hope of extending their lead at the top of the Vitality Netball SuperLeague table.
Heading up to these fixtures see the Thunder in tremendous form with a twelve-match win streak in the Superleague. Last time out Thunder put on a show with a 78-53 victory against the Severn Stars at their home arena Belle Vue. The game started in a competitive nature with a close contested first quarter which ended 17-12 to Thunder. The tempo of the game seemed to change in the second after Eleanor Cardwell was subbed on, Thunder extended their lead to 39-23.
A defensive masterclass from Kerry Almond and Shadine van her Merwe saw them both pick up five turnovers and interceptions, this resulted in the struggle of the Seven Stars picking up easy points and would prove to be crucial within the outcome of the game.
Thunders first game for the Spring Showdown will be against Strathclyde Sirens at 4:30 pm on April 16th. They sit in 8th place just inside the Fast5 Championships places after a huge win over rivals Leeds Rhinos that ended a poor run of form. They will look to build on this with a big performance but come up against a top Manchester Thunder team. The previous meeting between these two teams took place in round four where Thunder won 71-60, Sirens will set out for revenge making this an intriguing matchup.
The following day will see Thunder come up against Surrey Storm at 3:30 pm leaving little time for recovery which makes these matches more demanding for the teams. Surrey Storm are in 6th place and have aspirations of making the playoffs however suffered a setback in round twelve after a difficult loss to Team Bath. Previous fixture between these teams came at round three which saw Thunder win 76-68. A win against Thunder would be huge for the momentum of the Storm team going forward.
For more Manchester Thunder and Vitality Netball Super league content.
Follow us on Twitter:
Follow us on Instagram:
Comments