It was fantastic to watch Manchester Thunder take to the court for a pre-season friendly at Wright Robinson College last weekend and to see the C&C name so prominently displayed on the team kit and perimeter advertising. Huge thanks to our very own, die-hard netball fan (and Accounts Controller), Sarah Dentith, who was on hand to catch some great shots of the girls in action.
The fixture was a round-robin tournament with London Mavericks and Nottingham Forest, with Thunder winning the first match 38-35 and losing the second to Forest, 38-50.
But with three weeks to go until the start of the season, that’s what these fixtures are all about: experimenting, trying different player combos and exploring all manner of tactics and strategies.
Four-time champions Thunder finished at the top of the league last season but missed out on winning the Grand Final to Loughborough Lightning. Who, by coincidence, are also the first opponent of the new season on the 16th March. Thunder has the home advantage with the fixture being held at the AO Arena, but the pressure is on – it’s already being dubbed the match of the season!
Malc says: “Netball continues to go from strength to strength, and with Sky Sports now trebling their coverage to 75% of all matches, this is fantastic exposure for Thunder, the wider sport and of course, the C&C name. The atmosphere at these matches is electric, the play is pacy, and the whole spectacle is hugely entertaining. If you’ve never been to a Thunder match, I’d say that this is the season to change that!”
Best of luck to the squad as they continue their preparation for the season start. We’ll be following them closely throughout their journey through their fixtures. We can’t wait for that first game… when Thunder and Lightning get together, you know you’re in for a mighty storm!
Images courtesy of Sarah Dentith
