By Di O’Connell
The best of five test series between the Silver Ferns and the Diamonds will be decided in Melbourne on Sunday night after the home team levelled the series up at two each, winning 51- 44 in Adelaide last night.
The win was largely thanks to a storming fourth quarter.
Newcomer Catherine Latu was given the nod to start ahead of Irene van Dyk and she helped the Ferns take the first quarter.
The Commonwealth champs still lead by one at half time in a tussle hotly contested between Erin Bell and Laura Langman.
Deadlocked going into the final quarter coach Waimarama Taumaunu changed her defensive combo in a bid to stop the world champions pulling away in a devastating final spell, but the leaks were springing at both ends.
Taumaunu decided against pulling Latu who stopped firing and, surprisingly, was not swapped for the bench warming centurion Irene van Dyk.
The Ferns struggled to contain the rampant Australians.
Latu's best of the match 87 percent heartening after the former Samoan international's stand down for eligibility.
“I made my decision to play for New Zealand and the wait alone makes the pressure quite hard so I have definitely learnt a lot from it,” says Latu.
The Ferns must win Sunday’s decider in Melbourne to take the Constellation Cup off Australia.
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