Commonwealth Games: Cramp and Aussies fail to nobble Golden Ferns

A two-pronged attack from Australia and muscle cramps failed to nobble the Silver Ferns in New Delhi last night, as they clung on to their Commonwealth Games netball crown with a gripping 66-64 win.

It took 84 minutes -- extra time, then added extra time, in which the first side to go two goals up would claim gold and Commonwealth bragging rights.

It took nearly 10 agonising minutes for that gap to open.

When Silver Ferns goal attack Maria Tutaia calmly slotted the winner a torrent of emotions was unleashed, with New Zealanders rolling on the floor in joy and the exhausted Australians slumped in despair.

Tutaia may have looked calm, but she had her concerns. Her calves were cramping and she could barely move.

Tutaia had to ask goal shoot Irene van Dyk to switch to her running role, while she positioned herself under the net and waited for the chance to drive home the dagger that ended the agony.

"Both my calves cramped up in that last overtime," Tutaia said.

"Irene was doing all the running. She did great, she helped me out, and it was my job to put the ball through the hoop.

"Man, cramping in the final of the Commonwealth Games. It's jinxed. I wouldn't have been any help if I got the ball and didn't shoot."

At the other end of the court it was much the same story, with defenders Katrina Grant and captain Casey Williams cramping and visibly struggling.

Williams said her side had been prepared to endure pain in their quest for gold.

"If we have to drag each other off the court then that's what we have to do. Pretty much you can't leave anything in the tank."

With Tutaia taking most of the shots - 50 to 29 by van Dyk - New Zealand wound up on the upside of a seesaw battle.

It was the second gold for New Zealand in two Games, and an inverse replica of the Manchester final in 2002, when Australia won 57-55 after it was 46-46 at normal time, and 55-55 after the first extra time.

Tonight it was 47-47 at fulltime, then 58-58 after the first extra time.

New Zealand nearly blew it, leading by seven goals early in the final quarter, until an appearance by former Diamonds captain and goalshoot Catherine Cox hauled Australia off the canvas and back into the game.

"You've got to give it to us for fight," Cox said.

"We were out of the game in that last quarter and managed to get it back to even. It felt like an eternity and I was only playing the last quarter of the game.

"The other girls must have been dying -- just amazing guts. I had two chances to win it, which is not sitting well at the moment. But anyway."

Tutaia felt New Zealand might have considered the match won when they cleared away with five unanswered goals to open the final quarter.

"Against Australia, 20 up is not enough. I think we kind of celebrated a little bit too early. Collectively we knew that they were going to come back and we just had to peg back each goal."

Cox and van Dyk, who tried a high-risk long range shot, both had chances to seal it in the final minute of ordinary time.

It was much the same story in extra time, as first one side then the other seemed to have the winning of the game, only to somehow avoid it.

New Zealand had trailed for much of the game as Australia applied a mid court stranglehold, but halftime changes by coach Ruth Aitken pulled the gold medal back.

On came Anna Scarlett at wing defence and Liana Barrett-Chase at wing attack and suddenly it was Australia losing their way after leading 10-9 after the first quarter, and 23-20 at halftime.