By Llywellenie Mpasa:
The Malawi National Netball Team , the Queens suffered their third defeat at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games after going down 68-32 to world number one Australia in their fourth Group match on Tuesday at the OVO Hydro, in Scotland last night.
Coach Deborah Fuller made one change to the starting line-up that lost 73- 38 to England on Monday after bringing in Melia Soko for Mphatso Banda, but Australia dominated the opening half to take control of the contest.
The Diamonds led 19-6 after the first quarter before extending their advantage with another 19-7 second quarter to open up a 38-13 halftime lead.
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Australia won the third quarter 17-10 to stretch the score to 55-23 before Malawi responded with an improved display in the final period, narrowly losing the quarter 13-9 for a 68- 32 final score.
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The Queens’ physicality and high-tempo style troubled Australia’s conventional approach after the break, forcing the world champions to work harder for possession and scoring opportunities.
Malawi created 38 shooting attempts and converted 32 of them, achieving an impressive conversion rate despite limited attacking chances.
Captain Takondwa Lwazi praised the team’s second-half response.
“We fought back in the second half by playing our Malawian style of play. Playing four matches in four days has really tested the Malawi Queens, but it has also shown our endurance,” she said.
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The defeat follows Monday’s 73-38 loss to England, leaving Malawi with one win and three defeats after also losing 65-44 to South Africa before beating Northern Ireland 64-48.
The Queens will now shift their focus to their final group match against Tonga as they seek to end the campaign on a positive note.
