The Adelaide Thunderbirds were nearly robbed of a thrilling one-point win as a scoreboard stuff-up sparked Super Netball chaos.
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The Fever led 20-12 at quarter time but the Thunderbirds won the next three quarters, turning the match into a low-scoring grind as they slowly clawed back the deficit.
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Adelaide didn’t hit the lead until the dying stages of the final quarter as the game went down to the wire.
Eleanor Cardwell nailed the matchwinning Super Shot on the buzzer the last time these teams met, and the England import was once again the hero for the Thunderbirds.
Cardwell shot two of her three Super Shots in the fourth quarter to put the Thunderbirds in front.
Eleanor Cardwell (left) was the hero once again for the TBirds. (Photo by Sue McKay/Getty Images)
But there was confusion when Fox Sports’ scoreboard graphic registered Cardwell’s last Super Shot as only a one-pointer, leaving Adelaide’s tally one short of what it should have been.
Lucy Austin shot a one-point goal to give Adelaide the lead, before the Thunderbirds maintained possession to take all time off the clock.
The scoreboard inside the Netball SA Stadium correctly showed Adelaide won 54-53, but the Thunderbirds players’ celebrations paused when the umpires conferred with the scorer’s table.
But the officials confirmed there was a “one goal difference” in the score and Adelaide had claimed victory.
Appears that at the 2:08min mark Fox registered Cardwellâs Super Shot as a single goal.#SSN2023 ⢠#THUvFEV
— Michael Hutchinson (@xLurch) May 27, 2023
Absolutely dramatic scenes here at ACL arena. Stadium scoreboard has Thunderbirds up by one. Fox score have them level. Insane finish to an INSANE game #THUvFEVhttps://t.co/GzLcntloiU
— courtney gould (@heyycourtt) May 27, 2023
Fever coach Dan Ryan looked perplexed by the bizarre scenes as the realisation set in his side had suffered its second defeat to the TBirds this year.
All four of Fever’s losses this season have been by just a single point.
The Thunderbirds celebrate a chaotic win over the Fever. (Photo by Sue McKay/Getty Images)
Fever goal attack Sasha Glasgow shot 14 Super Shots last week, but she was nullified by Matilda Garrett and restricted to just one two-pointer against Adelaide.
Glasgow was double teamed in the Super Shot periods and Jhaniele Fowler was unable to land a Super Shot in the final term.
The result moves the Thunderbirds a game clear on top of the Super Netball midway through Round 11.
The Fever sit third but could be leapfrogged by the Melbourne Vixens, who face the second-placed NSW Swifts on Sunday.