Thunder trio selected for World Netball Series training squad

Following trials at the weekend Thunder’s Sara Bayman, Emma Dovey and Laura Malcolm have been selected into a squad of 15. The squad will train weekly in preparation for the World Netball Series at the end of November and will face a final elimination process on the 13th of November when the squad will be reduced to 12.
 
The World Netball Series is hosted for the third year in the north west and will take place at the Liverpool Echo Arena from the 25th-27th of November. England will be captained by Thunder’s former captain Jade Clarke, now with Northern Mystics (New Zealand).
 
The fantastic news is that Sara Bayman is fit and will hopefully make her comeback following knee surgery in Liverpool. This is positive news for Thunder whose absence proved crucial at the end of last season’s Superleague campaign and her progress will please new Director of Netball Tracey Neville.
 
On her selection Sara commented: “It is so good to be back, I can’t wait to get back on court. It has been a very frustrating few months and my rehabilitation process has been pretty immense but obviously the reason why I have got back to fitness so quickly. But the real test will come in a competitive game where hopefully the hard work will come to fruition.”
 
More good news in the Thunder camp is that Neville has also been appointed technical coach to the World Netball Series squad and will be working alongside Anna Mayes and Collette Thompson with the England squad. The squad will be training at the new Thunder venue Wright Robinson Sports College in Manchester.
 
Of her appointment Neville said: “This is an unbelievable opportunity for myself to work alongside the current senior coaches Mayes and Thompson in their preparation for the World Series. The squad is very new and exciting and a great development opportunity for England Netball for the future. In my new role at Northern Thunder I feel that the constant contact and being involved in the same environment as world class athletes is essential to increase my coaching repertoire and knowledge of the game and also give me that much valuable experience needed. In my playing days I relied on the support from my club/county coaches at national level to observe my development and design my training program in accordance to making me a better player, this support I am hoping to replicate with our Northern Thunder athletes this year and moving forward"