A Pendle-born netball player has taken her team to the semi-finals in the Commonwealth Games, beating world champions New Zealand.

Natalie Metcalf, born in Pendle, is team captain of the England team who beat world champions New Zealand 54-44, taking the team to the semi-final against Australia.

The hosts thumped world champions New Zealand by 10 points to earn their place in the last four.

Australia limped through to the knockout stages after a shock defeat to Jamaica, but Jess Thirlby is all too aware that the Australians – still smarting from their last-gasp loss on the Gold Coast – will be licking their wounds.

The Pendle Leisure Trust said: “She's one of our own!

“Huge congratulations to Pendle's Natalie Metcalf - Captain of Team England Netball and now Commonwealth Games semi-finalist after a brilliant win against New Zealand.”

The match will kick off at 2.30pm today.