INCLEMENT weather has thrown a spanner in the works for Bathurst products Tamsin Bunt, Jess Watterson and their NSW Arrows Australian Hockey League side.
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NSW were trailing 2-0 behind the Canberra Strikers in Saturday’s last pool game before a second delay, due to a lightning strike, brought the Arrows’ hopes of an undefeated run to an end.
The Strikers were declared winners, allowing Queensland Scorchers to leap NSW into top spot in Pool A.
The result helped Bunt's sister and fellow Bathurst talent, Rebecca Lee, get her Strikers team off the bottom of the pool.
Instead of facing a much easier quarter-final opponent, Northern Territory Pearls, the Arrows will now have to be on full alert against the Western Australia Diamonds this Thursday night on the Gold Coast.
Strikers were able to take advantage of their second quarter power play on Sunday to jump two goals clear with a single strike.
READ MORE: NSW Arrows victorious over Tassie Van Demons
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Two minutes out from the main break Beckie Middleton found the back of the NSW goal from a penalty corner.
The match was called off due to the weather midway through the final quarter.
Bunt said it was unfortunate not to play out the full game but conceded the Strikers earned their first success of the tournament.
“We warmed up but then there was a huge strike of lightning. Under the rules, once there’s a strike of lightning the game has to be called off for half an hour,” she said.
“With five minutes of the game to go there was another strike close by so we had to wait another 30 minutes.
“Because the game took longer than two hours to play they called the game off. We still had our power play to use so we were very disappointed.
“All credit to ACT though. They were 2-0 up at the time and there was nothing we could do in the end.”
Arrows will have to have a Diamonds side on a high after getting their first win of the tournament, a 5-1 victory over the Pearls.
“Our run through in the finals would have been different if we got the win but you still have to win every game regardless of who you’re playing,” Bunt said.
“WA have been playing quite well. They’ve had a lot of close games. We always have tough games against them.”
Perhaps the worst part of the defeat for Bunt was that it came against her sister.
“She had all the bragging rights which was a bit of a shame,” she said.
“She took me out for breakfast the next day to soften the blow for me.
“I tried to say that it didn’t count but she said ‘Those are the rules’.”
Last year’s grand finalists Scorchers and Victoria Vipers finished on top of their respective pools – the latter with an undefeated record and three clean sheets.
Meanwhile Souths player Nic McEwen and his NSW Waratahs team have continued their tough run in the men’s competition after going down 3-1 to the Canberra Lakers.
The result has left the Waratahs win-less in the pool stage following matches against Queensland (6-4) and Tasmania (5-4).
They too face a quarter-final match against Western Australia, who went undefeated in the other pool.
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Alexander Grant
Part of the Western Advocate's sports desk in Bathurst.
Part of the Western Advocate's sports desk in Bathurst.
