England hold on to beat South Africa in series opener

London Pulse's Berri Neil was impressive as she made her first England appearance at home

England held off a late comeback to beat South Africa 54-51 in the first game of their three-match series.

South Africa piled on the pressure in the final quarter, taking it 15-11, but England battled through to hold on.

The game was the first Jess Thirlby's side have played on home soil since winning a historic silver in August's Netball World Cup in South Africa.

The second and third matches in the series take place in Nottingham on Saturday (17:00 GMT) and Sunday (14:00).

"We know we've got more to come but that is really exciting," head coach Thirlby told Sky Sports.

"I am really pleased with the players that came off the bench as they are perceived to be the lesser experienced ones.

"There were some really pleasing signs and to know we've got more to come but to still be able to take a win against a stellar team like South Africa, with some really experienced players, is a great sign."

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Only two of the seven starters from the World Cup final were in the side that took to the court in Manchester, with captain Nat Metcalf and shooter Helen Housby, who was player of the tournament at the World Cup, both rested for this series.

Thirlby has also had to deal with the retirements of Geva Mentor and Chelsea Pitman, a knee injury for Laura Malcolm and World Cup co-captain Layla Guscoth taking a break from the sport.

Fran Williams captained England for the first time while Eleanor Cardwell, Funmi Fadoju and Imogen Allison featured for the first time since the World Cup, after missing a 2-1 series defeat in New Zealand in September.

"It felt great to be back out there," player of the match Allison told Sky Sports.

"You could feel they were on a run [in the final quarter] so it was important to stay connected as a unit. We went a bit quiet in the third quarter so that's maybe why she moved me to wing defence so I had more in my lungs to shout.

"This squad is really special. It is really special to be there. We're really gelling as a team and coming together. There is a huge sense of pride. We are loving the journey."