England beat Malawi 73-38 at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Monday, recovering from their 66-47 loss to world number one Australia. The Roses took control early, led 18-9 after the first quarter and kept that advantage throughout before pulling clear in the final period.
How did England respond after the Australia defeat?
England showed no sign of a hangover from their defeat to Australia as they delivered a dominant performance against Malawi. They steadily protected their lead and then stepped it up in the final quarter, outscoring Malawi 18-5 to complete a comfortable victory.
Goal shooter Eleanor Cardwell made a strong impact after coming off the bench, scoring all 21 of her shots after her introduction in the second half.
“After yesterday's loss, we've definitely turned things around and fixed some of the things we got wrong,” said vice-captain Amy Carter.
“At the start of a tournament, a loss isn't actually a bad thing to have. In the last 24 hours, we've looked at video, righted some of the wrongs, connected as a group, had a games night and just spent time together as team-mates.
“We didn't get too bogged down by it because we've got to look forward.”
The Roses are third in Pool A behind reigning champions Australia and South Africa. They will next face Tonga on Wednesday at 16:00 BST before playing South Africa on Thursday at 21:00 BST, in a match that could decide who advances to the semi-finals.
Why is this tournament important for England?
England are aiming to regain the gold medal they won in 2018, but their build-up to Glasgow has been disrupted. Jess Thirlby stepped down as head coach in March for family reasons, leaving assistant Anna Stembridge in interim charge, while injuries to Helen Housby and Natalie Metcalf mean 10 of the 12-player squad are making their Commonwealth Games debuts in Glasgow.
What happened in Tonga's first Commonwealth Games win?
Tonga recorded their first ever Commonwealth Games win by beating Northern Ireland 58-52 in an enthralling game at the Hydro. After losing their first two matches, Tonga started strongly on Monday and led 15-11 after a clinical first quarter.
The second quarter was more competitive as Northern Ireland, who had also lost their opening two games, fought back, but Tonga still went in 31-26 ahead at half-time. Tonga pulled away again in the third period to lead 45-37 and held on for victory despite Northern Ireland outscoring them in the final quarter.
The result leaves Northern Ireland bottom of Pool A before a tough game against South Africa on Tuesday at 14:00.
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Key Facts
- England beat Malawi 73-38 in Glasgow.
- England led 18-9 after the first quarter and 73-38 at full-time.
- Eleanor Cardwell scored all 21 of her shots after coming on in the second half.
- Tonga beat Northern Ireland 58-52 for their first Commonwealth Games win.
- Northern Ireland remain bottom of Pool A and play South Africa on Tuesday at 14:00.
