Saracens Mavericks have won the inaugural Lyn Gunson trophy after beating Team Bath in the BiG Showdown.

The Mavericks beat the hosts Team Bath 33-27, after leading by just one point going into the final quarter. 

George Fisher, the Maverick’s shooter secured her team the first-ever Lyn Gunson trophy with some fantastic shooting in the final quarter.

The BiG Showdown is the netball season’s annual pre-season event and was expanded this year to include six teams, three more than the previous three-team format.

This year was the first to feature an all-male team, The Knights, in the competition. The Knights missed out on a spot in the final as eventual winners, The Mavericks beat Severn Stars in their final group face-off.

The Mavericks took home the Lyn Gunson award, named after the former Bath and England coach in recognition of the work she achieved at Bath University.

Gunson has been called the ‘Wenger of netball’ as a result of the style of netball she implemented at the clubs she coached during her career.

Current England head coach Jess Thirlby, who was coached and mentored by Gunson called her coaching style “like a breath of fresh air”.

“She created an environment where we could explore, take ownership and innovate the way we wanted to play the game.”

Netball’s Superleague will return to action in January 2020 and will feature Celtic Dragons, Hertfordshire Mavericks, London Pulse, Loughborough Lightning, Manchester Thunder, Severn Stars, Strathclyde Sirens, Surrey Storm, Team Bath and Wasps.

Manchester Thunder won the competition last year and captain Emma Dovey will be hoping her team will be able to emulate last year’s form as she leads them for her third consecutive season.