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Hot Fever ready to take on premiers

Adelaide’s Eboni Beckford-Chambers tries to block Nat Medhurst’s shot. Picture: Steve Ferrier/WA News

West Coast Fever have set their sights on toppling reigning premiers Melbourne next Monday after maintaining their unbeaten run with a hard-fought 55-50 win over Adelaide at HBF Stadium yesterday.

Fever improved their 2015 ANZ Championship record to four wins and one draw and remained top of the Australian conference as they continue their charge towards a maiden finals appearance.

The teams could hardly be separated through a tense first three quarters, before West Coast heaped the pressure on the visitors in the last to take the game away in a powerful display.

Caitlin Bassett (40 goals from 44 attempts) was kept to her lowest total of the year in a physical battle with former teammate Eboni Beckford-Chambers, while Nat Medhurst (15 from 17) was brilliant.

Carla Borrego shot 35 from 45, while Thunderbirds goal attack Erin Bell struggled against the defensive efforts of April Letton and Erena Mikaere, shooting 15 from 23 at just 65 per cent.

Mikaere was named the match MVP.

Fever coach Stacey Rosman described the effort as sensational.

“We showed just how fit we are, how composed we could be and in this competition it takes four quarters,” she said.

Rosman said the Fever would be ready for their showdown with Melbourne at HBF Stadium next Monday.

“They’ve got the trip over but we’ve got momentum so you can look at it either way, but we’re a team of no excuses and we make the most of what we’ve got,” she said.

Thunderbirds coach Jane Woodlands-Thompson backed Fever to make the finals.

Beckford-Chambers admitted she had mixed emotions about taking on her old side.

The England star said she had chosen to move to Adelaide after three seasons in Perth because she had needed a change.

“I loved it here at Fever, I am very humble because at the end of the day they gave me my first opportunity and I never forget that,” she said. “I’m really pleased for them.”

Netball Australia yesterday announced the first Perth Test in four years, with the Diamonds to take on New Zealand at Perth Arena on October 30 in the last of a four-Test Constellation Cup.