Rhiannon Koch, Yorke Peninsula Country Times

The Australian Diamonds are 2023 Netball World Cup champions, defeating England 61-45, in Cape Town on Monday, August 7.

Australia only dropped one match for the championship, going down by one goal to their fellow grand finalist in the last stage of the preliminary round.

Sarah Klau, Yorketown, played 48 minutes in this preview to the final, taking two intercepts, three deflections and seven penalties.

Australia subsequently advanced to play Jamaica in the semifinal and won by three goals, 57-54.

Klau had minimal court time in two quarters of that match and received one centre pass and one contact penalty.

England defeated New Zealand in its penultimate game of the championship to play its first modern World Cup final, but Australia was too strong.

Klau took to the court for the first time in the grand final’s third quarter, playing 11 minutes at GD, and having one deflection, one second phase receive and three penalties.

She played six minutes in the final term, sharing GD with Jo Weston, and getting one deflection, one rebound, three penalties and two turnovers in general play.

This article appeared in  Yorke Peninsula Country Times, 8 August 2023.