England begin netball title defence with big win over Trinidad and Tobago

England began the defence of their Commonwealth Games netball title by cruising to a 74-22 win over Trinidad and Tobago in Birmingham.

Jess Thirlby was able to give court time to all 12 players as her side built on a 37-9 half-time advantage to ensure a winning start in Group B.

Thirlby said: “Overall I’m pleased. We inserted some people and made some changes during the game, which we afforded ourselves the chance to do.

“In the main, what I saw was great impact off the bench and us problem-solving with real purpose. It’ll be a great settler for the group – there are a lot of smiley faces.”

England’s performance was under-pinned by 37-year-old Geva Mentor, who is competing in her sixth Games after making her debut as a 17-year-old in Manchester in 2002.

“I was so proud to represent my team and my sport” said Mentor. “It was a phenomenal experience – Birmingham really stole the show.

“My heart was beating out of my chest and I was really nervous. Someone told me there were one billion people watching worldwide. If someone had told me that before, I think I would have melted.”

Australia, who were nudged into silver by Helen Housby’s dramatic last-second winner on the Gold Coast four years ago, served notice of their intentions with a crushing 85-18 win over Barbados in Group A.