Gems fall to New Zealand in WC second round of pool play

Liverpool — The first ever Test meeting between the sides pitted Group B winners New Zealand against Zimbabwe, who finished as runners-up in Group A after a nail-biting 51-49 victory over Northern Ireland yesterday afternoon.

Zimbabwe, who handed a tournament debut to Adelaide Muskwe, once again brought their flair and enthusiasm to the M&S Bank Arena as the Gems sang and danced their way onto court, delivering the vibrancy that has captured so many hearts in the tournament so far.

The Gems translated their pre-game energy into the early stages of the contest as they matched New Zealand, and the score was tied at 5-5 after four minutes, as the Gems’ Pauline Jani and Sharon Bwanali combined to convert their first five goal attempts.

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