YWCA Bury recorded a convincing 63-39 home win against a combative Oaksway Netball Club to maintain their 100 per cent winning start to the season with 12 wins from 12 games and remain at the top of National Premier League Division Two.

On the eve of the fixture it was announced that three of the team, Elia McCormick, Lois Pearson and Alicia Scholes, had been awarded training partner contracts with North West Netball Superleague franchise Manchester Thunder for the coming season.

McCormick, Pearson and Scholes along with Mille Roscoe all played for Manchester Thunder in Bath the day before in the U21 National Performance League, meaning that their court time was to be restricted for the Oaksway game and with Jade Clark unavailable due to a Wasps fixture, player-coach Rachel Henry knew that she would need to utilise the full squad against a team who were sitting fourth in the table.

Putting out a strong starting seven for the first quarter, Bury got off to a fast start building up a 5-1 lead before Oaksway hit back to reduce the deficit to 6-5.

However, the home side really found their rhythm with Scholes, Henry and Pearson looking lively and creating good shooting opportunities for Caitlin Sharkey and Pearson to convert.

A run of nine unanswered goals took the lead out to 15-5, firmly establishing a winning position, and the first quarter ended with Bury leading 19-8.

Ex-Manchester Thunder player Dani Bloomfield was back for her first run out this season at the start of the second quarter, and with Kelsie Taylor and Millie Roscoe also taking to court, Bury rang the changes.

They initially disrupted the home team’s flow and allowed Oaksway to go goal for goal with the league leaders.

However, it didn’t take Bury long to re-establish their superiority and moving through the gears as new partnerships bedded in, the home side built up a commanding 35 goal to 17 lead by half-time.

With the game effectively over as a contest, Henry continued to juggle her resources over the remaining two quarters.

The third quarter was evenly matched with Oaksway proving to be physical opposition.

Bury just edged the quarter 13-12 to go into the final period of the game with a 19-goal advantage.

The final quarter saw Bury make further changes with Henry trying out several new combinations and an excellent defensive effort from Bloomfield, Tyrene Karim and Jenny Cross ensured that the home team had extended their lead as the final whistle went.

YWCA Bury have a two-week break before tough back-to-back games, but they know that wins in those games will guarantee three consecutive promotions.