Birds hold champions to a draw in season finale

DIVISION 1 champions Vipers had to settle for a share of the spoils in their final game of the season.

Vipers were already assured of top spot and they ended their campaign with a hard-fought 39-39 draw against Jade Bailey Birds.

They edged 9-8 ahead at the end of the first quarter and they stretched the advantage to 21-18 at half time.

Birds, though, had a reshuffle and good shooting from Tara Jones and Georgina Brain saw them level at 30-30.

And they scored in the dying secWatford’s onds to earn a deserved draw.

Best players were Tiff Wigmore (GD) for Birds and Vipers’ Lakeisha Maxey (C).

Jets White clinched second place after a battling 39-33 victory over promotion rivals Caravatti.

Jets took the first quarter 10-5 with excellent shooting from Nikki Smith and best player Gracie Matthews.

Caravatti hit back to trail just 1817 at half-time thanks to shooters Anna Sukwong Fletcher and best player Laurie Norton.

But Jets stepped up their defence to lead 28-24 at the three-quarters mark.

Caravatti hit back again to bring the scores level, but it was Jets who finished the strongest to seal a vital win.

Jets Orange were condemned to finish the Division 2 campaign in bottom spot after narrowly failing to win their final game.

They met Hungerford Scarletts – just a point above them in the table – and the sides battled out an entertaining 41-41 draw.

Scarletts led 10-9 at the end of the first quarter, but Jets hit back to move 19-18 up at half-time thanks to tight defence from Scarlett Wilson and Francesca Head.

There was more of an aerial battle at the other end, with Jets Orange edging the lead with a height advantage, capitalising on rebounds and overhead balls into Lynsey Marshall and Sarah Salisbury.

Jets retained a slender 29-28 lead after three periods, but Hungerford came out strongly in the final quarter with Clare Sims and Karolyn Smith outstanding, to snatch a draw.