2019 Vitality Netball World Cup: Australia beat Malawi and New Zealand crush Northern Ireland

By Paul Prenderville, M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool

Australia eased past Malawi to join New Zealand in progress to the last four

Australia and New Zealand booked their place in the Vitality Netball World Cup semi-finals with comprehensive victories on Tuesday

Both teams maintained their perfect start of five wins from five games in five days and head into their day off in perfect shape.

The Aussie Diamonds powered past the world's ninth best team Malawi with a 74-25 victory, although they were kept below 90 goals for the first time in three matches.

Earlier in the afternoon session, the Kiwis beat Northern Ireland 77-28 and the Antipodean pair now face each other in their next match.

Silver Ferns captain Laura Langman admitted afterwards having watched England and Jamaica slug it out on Tuesday afternoon, both teams may have been better served in the other half of the draw to be battle-hardened.

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Vitality Netball World Cup - Day Five Results

Group E Fiji 71-56 Singapore
Group E Sri Lanka 55-65 Samoa
Group F Northern Ireland 28-77 New Zealand
Group F Australia 74-25 Malawi
Group F Zimbabwe 66-41 Barbados
Highlights of New Zealand's victory over Northern Ireland

They will get that chance as the two great rivals meet in a heavyweight contest on Thursday at 10.30am that will determine who tops Group F, with the loser likely to face England in the last four.

The Roses and South Africa are the only other teams with 100 per cent records and both can join Australia and New Zealand in the last four with a game to spare if they win their matches on Wednesday.

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Earlier in the day, as the single court set-up commenced, there were wins for Samoa and Fiji. The two sides are part of Group E where the battle for 13th to 16th place in the final competition standings has commenced.

Samoa beat Sri Lanka 65-55 to record a second successive victory at this stage that ensure they will finish in the top two of this mini-group.

Fiji kept their hopes of joining them with a win over Singapore, who went down 71-56 and are the only team in the competition without a victory.

It means Sri Lanka and Fiji will meet on Thursday for the right to join Samoa in the 13th place play-off on Friday.

Coverage of the Netball World Cup continues on Sky Sports Netball right through until the final on Sunday, July 21

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