Lightning seal hard-fought NSL win over Panthers

Netball Super League leaders Loughborough Lightning returned to winning ways with a hard-fought 76-60 victory over Birmingham Panthers on Friday.

Lightning, whose 100% record was ended by defending champions London Pulse last weekend, are now four points clear of second-placed Pulse at the top of the NSL table.

Pulse take on Manchester Thunder, who are six points behind Lightning in third place, on Saturday.

Bottom side Panthers made a quick start to Friday’s game, leading at the end of the first two quarters to take a two-point advantage into half-time.

But Lightning hit back after the break and were four goals ahead at the start of the fourth quarter, before sealing victory with a dominant display in the final 15 minutes of the round 11 match.

Panthers’ Betsy Creak was top scorer with 35 goals, adding four rebounds in the match played at Coventry Skydome, while Lightning shooter Samantha Wallace-Joseph scored 33 goals and team-mate Ella Clark was named player of the match.

Wallace-Joseph, 32, is now the NSL’s top scorer this season with 339 goals.

Lightning are next in action against fourth-placed Nottingham Forest on 15 May, in a match you can watch live on the BBC Sport website, app and iPlayer.

Forest face fifth-placed London Mavericks this Saturday, live on the BBC, with six points separating the two sides in the hunt for a top-four finish and a spot in the play-offs to determine this season’s champions.

BBC Sport will show one game per week during the regular season.

These are the games you can watch live on the BBC Sport website and iPlayer (UK only, all times BST):

9 May: Nottingham Forest v London Mavericks (15:00)

15 May: Loughborough Lightning v Nottingham Forest (19:00)

24 May: London Pulse v Dragons (17:00)