England Roses made a strong start against Uganda last night on an opening day if the Netball World Cup in Liverpool.

England was on it from the start, with goal shooter Jo Harten – winning her 100th international cap – starting well, and Helen Housby soon following suit.

Despite the best efforts of She Cranes shooters Peace Proscovia and Rachael Nanyonga, the final five minutes of the quarter saw a calculated England move into a commanding position, leading 15-6 at the end of the first period. 

The second quarter was a closer affair, with England appearing unsettled as Uganda remained persistent, with Proscovia and Nanyonga displaying impeccable precision in the shooting circle.

At the other end though, Uganda’s defence could not hold England back as Serena Guthrie, playing in her third World Cup, and Chelsea Pitman was able to feed the impressive Harten. Uganda’s increased confidence in the second quarter prevented England from dominating, but the hosts still led by 10 goals heading into the third quarter.

“We weren’t really allowed to get a flow going tonight, but that’s not a bad thing – this is a World Cup and teams won’t be making it easy for us. I’m pleased with the way we dealt with some things and kept the scoreboard ticking over.

“There are so many different teams with different styles here and you’ve got to mix it up, and that’s what it was about for us tonight. It wasn’t perfect and we won’t be 100% happy with some of the stuff we executed out there tonight. While it’s a good start, there’s a bit of work to do,” said Guthrie.

Uganda showed their physicality in defence as they attempted to hold off England in the third quarter, but the Roses were in complete control going into the final quarter, leading 44-24.

The fourth quarter was similarly competitive, and one foul too many meant that Uganda’s centre Stella Oyella was sent off the court.

The Roses found their second wind and worked hard to play the ball into Rachel Dunn, who converted 17 from 19 shots after her introduction. England was equally as impressive at the other end of the court, dealing well with an increasingly physical game to only concede six goals in the final quarter. 

In front of an appreciative home crowd, England ran out 64-32 winners to open their home World Cup in solid fashion.

“Uganda is a really tough team, and after the test series we had against them last year, we knew they’d be a strong side. So getting them first out meant we had a few nerves to get over, but I think that performance sets a benchmark for us to build from.

“We felt the nerves in the warm-up, but I think the performance was good. The girls went out there and got a lead, and we didn’t look back from there.

“It was good to get a win, and a good win as well. It’s been a lot of years in the making, and it was great to get out there and get a win on the board in front of the amazing crowd,” said England's Rachel Dunn.