30 Aug 2010

Silver Ferns captain unhappy with umpiring but concedes team must be better

7:59 am on 30 August 2010

The New Zealand netball captain Casey Williams has criticised the umpires for not controlling some over-zealous defending in the Silver Ferns 48-43 loss in the first test of a three match series against Australia in Adelaide but says the Ferns aren't looking for excuses.

The aggressive Australian defence made it difficult for the Fern's midcourters to feed shooters Irene Van Dyk and Maria Tutaia who in turn struggled to convert their chances missing several shots at crucial times.

Williams says the umpires could have done a better job of controlling the over-defending but says the Ferns must find ways to combat the Diamonds physical style of play.

The second game of the series is in Wellington on Thursday.