Day 6: Uganda vs South Africa
African teams, Uganda and South Africa clashed on Wednesday with the game going in favour of the south Africans by 67 – 40.
The victory confirms a semi-final place for the winners who have this far won all of their four matches at the tournament.
The Proteas now join holders Australia and New-Zealand who on Tuesday qualified for the semis with their fifth victories at the World Cup.
Uganda have won three games so far, only losing to hosts England, and are playing to better their 8th place finish at the 2015 World Cup.
England are also through to the Netball World Cup semi-finals after a 72-46 win over Trinidad and Tobago.
The Roses got off to a slow start in Liverpool but turned things around to remain top of Group G.
South Africa confirmed England’s place in the last four with victory against Uganda later on Wednesday.
The top two sides from each group will advance to the semi-finals and, in Group F, Australia and New Zealand have already sealed their places.
Commonwealth Games champions England are bidding to win the World Cup for the first time.
Trinidad and Tobago remain winless in the second preliminary round and are fifth in the group.
England, bronze medallists at the last World Cup in Australia, face world number five side South Africa, who are second in the group on Thursday in their final match before the semi-finals on Saturday.
Trinidad and Tobago will play Scotland on Thursday in their final game of the preliminary round.
England struggled at the start of the second quarter when they allowed Trinidad and Tobago to cut their lead to three goals.
But the momentum soon started to swing the Roses’ way as their play became more fluid and they piled on the pressure in defence.
Rachel Dunn was brought into the starting seven for the game but the veteran goal shooter left the court holding her wrist after 20 minutes, replaced by Helen Housby.
Captain Serena Guthrie was also substituted for Natalie Panagarry but that did not stop England finding their rhythm to lead 40-22 at half-time.
Jo Harten and Housby both impressed in the shooting circle, with 90% and 91% shooting accuracies respectively, and Harten wowed the crowd as she repeatedly landed shots from long range.
With a comfortable lead in the second half, Neville took the opportunity to try out an unusual combination – bringing Chelsea Pitman, normally a wing attack, on at centre.
And a later substitution will come as a relief for fans of England, who have already lost Layla Guscoth to injury for the rest of the tournament, as Dunn came back on for the final quarter.
