No 47: Dunedin hosts first netball international (1948)
Netball was still struggling for an identity when New Zealand hosted its first international in August 1948.
For a start, the venue was a racecourse - good old Forbury Park in St Kilda to be precise - the game was still called women's basketball and the New Zealand team was unaccustomed to playing the seven-a-side version of the game.
The test was played in four quarters, as it is today, and a crowd of 2000 watched as Australia wasted little time stamping its authority on the match, shooting out to an 11-1 lead at the end of the first period and eventually winning 27-16.
"The game was robbed of much of its spectator-appeal by the easy technique of the Australians," the Otago Daily Times reported.
"The New Zealand team ... seemed bewildered by the long passing" and "work in the forward area was lacking in finish".
The Australian shooters, on the other hand, "seemed almost infallible, netting the ball gracefully with one-hand throws".
A strong cross-court wind made scoring at the eastern end a tricky prospect. So New Zealand was able to make some inroads before halftime, closing to the gap to six goals.
But the visitors sealed the victory with an unanswered scoring run of 13 goals to take a 26-7 lead. The home side rallied in the final quarter, outscoring its opponent 9-1 to bring some respectability to the final score.
New Zealand defender Dell Turner's anticipation was "uncanny" but generally the defence was too slow and the attack too inconsistent.
A 10-minute nine-a-side game was played at the end with New Zealand getting some revenge, winning 4-2.
The first netball international was played in Melbourne in August 1938 between New Zealand and Australia. Australia won the game 40-11.