ANZ Championship: NSW Swifts outlast West Coast Fever as Caitlin Bassett writes netball history

SHARPSHOOTER Caitlin Bassett rewrites history as Swifts keep intact their ANZ championship winning run with victory over West Coast Fever.

state sports centre Sydney Olympic park Opening match of the anz championship between NSW swifts and Melbourne Vixens

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The NSW Swifts have outlasted a team bent of revenge and a sharpshooter on song to join the Queensland Firebirds as the only teams in the ANZ championship to remain undefeated after four rounds of competitions.

In one of the most anticipated matches of the early season, the Swifts come from behind at halftime to take the match — their first on the road — 63-52.

While Fever put up a fight and Caitlin Bassett became the first Australian to surpass 4000 goals in ANZ championship history in the match, the Swifts saved their best for last for their 11 goal victory.

Swifts shooter Caitlin Thwaites was exceptional in the goal circle, netting a staggering 39 goals from 45 attempts, while Bassett required just 36 to reach the 4000 milestone, and netted 38 from 42 for the game.

The win has left the Swifts at the top of the league ladder with the defending league champions, the Firebirds.

These two sides will clash for the first time this season in a top-of-the-tables clash on Saturday.

“The first half was not so good but in the second we found some groove,’’ said Swifts co-captain Kim Green.

The NSW Swifts remains undefeated after four rounds.

As expected the opening quarter was a goal-for-goal encounter before the Swifts edged to a three goal jump at the first break.

It was similarly close in the second period with both teams determined to keep their undefeated run intact but Fever the side able to edge ahead for a 29-28 lead at halftime.

Incredibly Bassett and Swifts gun Thwaites both shot exact totals in the first half with the opposing pair netting 20 goals from 22 attempts each.

At the three-quarter break the pair were still locked at 30 goals from 33 attempts each but the Swifts had moved out to a five-goal lead.

The NSW club had opened up a seven goal lead in the third before Fever managed to pull it back to the more manageable five goals,

But the hosts ran out of puff in the final quarter against the aside which had put them out of the finals last year and who have emerged as one of the favourites to claim only their second ANZ crown this season.

Originally published as ANZ Championship: NSW Swifts outlast West Coast Fever as Caitlin Bassett writes netball history