BRITISH Club 'A' capped an immaculate season with an emphatic 46-17 victory over Champion Technologies 'B' last night, clinching them their fourth successive title in the Bahrain Netball League.
British 'A' raced out to a 16-4 lead after the first quarter led by the expert marksmanship of goal attack Ruth Daly and goal shooter Meir Weaver. They then virtually sealed the win in the second when they extended their lead to 25-8 heading into halftime.
The victors didn't let up in the second half and were up 32-10 after three periods, and banked on the sweet shooting of substitute goal attack Suzy Millar to close out the contest and claim the coveted winners' trophy.
Goal defence Rachel Erasmus was named the player of the match for British 'A', while Champion 'B' goal attack Leanne Bailey was her side's top performer.
The result earned British 'A' their fifth win in as many tries in the division 'I' championship round, including two in which they grinded out narrow wins against their closest rivals Champion 'A' and Bahrain Rugby Football Club (BRFC) 'A'.
The other team members of the newly crowned champions are wing defence Mandy Stieger, wing attack Clare Maidment, centre Mikela Peacock, goalkeeper Grethin Clow, and number one supporter and team official Eric Moss.
"This is our fourth straight year, and this time we were undefeated; I can't believe how we've just achieved it," an ecstatic Daly told the GDN. "When we first won it, British Club hadn't won in 25 years; so to do this now four years in a row is quite big.
"Every year, we get a new team out there and every time it's a different experience. Everyone played their best and it was a great team effort once again," added Daly, who is the only member of British 'A' to have been part of all four title-winning seasons.
"It's really great how we put our mark in our final match to end the season," said Maidment. "It's not easy when you come up against teams who obviously want to beat you.
"We were able to pull it off this year by keeping calm during matches, encouraging each other and not putting teammates down when things get tough. When the pressure's on, that's when we really rise to the occasion and keep things steady, as opposed to just running around like headless chickens [laughs]."
When asked if the four-year winning streak can be labelled a dynasty, Daly paused momentarily then said: "It's certainly something to live up to."
Finishing behind British 'A' in division 'I' were Champion 'A', who closed out their campaign with a thrilling 24-18 win over BRFC 'A'.
The winners came back from being down 3-5 early in the contest to claim their fourth win in five games this round. Mel Goosen was adjudged the best player for Champion 'A', while Yasmine Hujair was given the honour for BRFC 'A'.
Elsewhere, Champion 'C' brushed off British 'B' 31-5, with Rebekah McMurdo and Nikki Stone being named the best players for their respective teams, while Dilmun Club Social won by default over BRFC 'B' who were unable to field a team.
After last night's matches, players took part in the annual general meeting. League chairwoman Kate Knapton later confirmed that the end-of-season awarding ceremony will take place on April 11.
