Malawi Queens defender Towera Vinkhumbo-Nyirenda leads on one of the six statistical charts with the most intercepts in the United Kingdom’s (UK) Vitality Netball Superleague with two games to wrap up the first phase.

The Strathclyde Sirens defence pillar is also second on most turnovers and third on most penalties. She is ninth on deflections.

The statistical charts are a yardstick used to determine the league’s best player of the season.

According to Vitality Netball Superleague website netballsl.com, the former Kukoma Diamonds player has 58 intercepts, followed by Loughborough Lightning’s Francesca Williams and Shaquanda Greene-Noel of Celtic Dragons, who are tied on 52.

In an interview yesterday, Vinkhumbo-Nyirenda said: “I am so excited to be on top of interceptions leader board. This gives me courage to work extra hard for my team.”

In top form: Vinkhumbo-Nyirenda

On turnovers, the 32-year-old is second with 90, three behind Greene-Noel while on penalties she is third with 220. Jo Trip of Severn Stars tops with 277 followed by Greene-Noel.

Although her team Sirens are struggling in the league, Vinkhumbo-Nyirenda’s individual brilliance continues to shine and she is on the right track to winning the Vitality league’s player of the season for the second time after doing it in 2021.

She also won the best player of the season for her club consecutively in the last two seasons. Currently, Sirens are seventh on the 10-team log-table

with 13 points from 16 games.

Her compatriot and Queens captain Carol Mtukule-Ngwira, who found TeamBath at the bottom of the table when she joined the club in February, helped the team register a third win in 16 outings on Monday to retain ninth place with nine points after beating fifth-positioned Saracens Mavericks 57-54 on Monday.

Mtukule-Ngwira yesterday said she was happy that her team has returned to winning ways in the 11 games that she has played.

“It felt great to register a win which is a big boost to our campaign,” she said.

In Suncorp Super Netball in Australia, Queens shooter Mwawi Kumwenda-Mbwana is fourth on the scorers’ chart with 338 goals after helping Melbourne Vixens secure a 60-39 victory over leaders Adelaide Thunderbird on Saturday.

Vixens are now fourth on the eight-team log-table with 28 points from 10 games. Thunderbirds lead the pack on 30 points from the same number of matches.

Another experienced Malawian export, shooter Joyce Mvula-Nyirenda, who plays for ANZ Premiership side Central Pulse in New Zealand, has helped her team to move up to second on the six-team ladder with 33 points from 15 outings. Northern Mystics are on top with 36 points

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