IT was just as well Chamberlayne netball team were not put off by their first experience of floodlit netball.

The team, which started through a 'Back to Netball' course two years ago, failed to win a game in their first floodlit league season.

Next season they topped their section!

The team, based at the Chamberlayne Leisure Centre in Weston, may be a relatively new one but, as most players will tell you, it does not take long to get into the swing of things and they have the benefit of having Valda Scott, who plays for BAT, as their coach.

I had a close-up view of the summer league fixture between Chamberlayne and Athletic Sports - as umpire.

It meant I was able to study their play closely.

Both teams played some steady, controlled netball, but their concentration wandered for short spells, enabling the other team to gain an advantage.

Play continued throughout some of the light showers, which did not stop the fixture from being a nice, calm game with skills very evenly matched.

Because of a slight dampness to the court, sprinting into space caused understandable tentativeness at times, so the game was full of interceptions.

There was still some excellent examples of balance and co-ordination from both teams.

It stayed close throughout but the Chamberlayne goal shooter was consistently on target and the team managed to edge home 19-17.

The team train at Chamberlayne Leisure Centre on Tuesday evenings from 7pm until 9pm. They would welcome new players and are a very friendly, happy team. They would also like to say thank you to Valda Scott for her patience and hard work.

If you would like to know more about the team and maybe join them, e-mail me at the address at the top of the page.