Scotland made it through to the second pool phase of the Netball World Cup in South Africa.
The Thistles, ranked 10th, opened with a 55-49 defeat against Malawi on Friday before a 53-44 victory against Barbados on Saturday.
Malawi’s win against Barbados on Sunday meant that Scotland knew they were through to the next stage of the competition before taking on England, ranked third, later in the day.
The Scots were beaten 62-37 but move into Pool F along with Australia and England, who progressed with three wins out of three.
Today was about testing ourselves against one of the best in the world, and we came together as a full squad in that performance. Heads High Gorls 😉#NWC2023 #PowerofScotland pic.twitter.com/Zffk1p55SW
— Scottish Thistles (@ScotThistles) July 30, 2023
Aberdeenshire’s Claire Maxwell, the Scotland captain who is from Turriff, made history in the opening match against Malawi when she became the country’s most capped player.
After earning her 122nd cap, the 34-year-old said: “It is an absolute honour to become the most capped player for Scotland. It’s a huge privilege to play for Scotland and I’ve made the most amazing memories.”
Maxwell, who earned her first cap against Wales aged 20, added: “I have changed a lot as a player, teammate and person since my first World Cup.
“I’m ready to embrace the challenge and use all my previous learnings to get the best out of myself and the team in South Africa.”
