The Adelaide Thunderbirds beat the Melbourne Mavericks 55-51 on Sunday to return to top spot on the Super Netball ladder, with the result also keeping their perfect record against Melbourne intact. The win came at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, where the Thunderbirds were forced to hold off a late charge after leading 33-24 at halftime.

The victory lifted Adelaide to 9-1 and back above the pack on goal percentage, after they had lost first place in a 56-50 defeat to the Melbourne Vixens on April 18. The Vixens then lost to the Sunshine Coast Lightning on Saturday, opening the door for Adelaide to reclaim the summit if it could finish the job against the Mavericks.

Shamera Sterling-Humphrey set the tone at the defensive end with seven gains and four interceptions, while Latanya Wilson added three gains. Kate Heffernan delivered 27 feeds and 17 goal assists, and Elmere van der Berg finished with 47 goals from 49 attempts as the Thunderbirds built the margin that would ultimately matter.

The Mavericks, now 5-5, had their own moments. Jamie-Lee Price produced 34 feeds and 13 goal assists, Uneeq Palavi landed four Super Shots and Shimona Nelson scored 22 goals from 23 attempts. But Adelaide controlled the first half and then had to survive a furious response, with Melbourne cutting an 11-goal deficit midway through the third quarter to just one goal in the fourth period.

That scramble exposed the kind of match Adelaide had expected after waiting for another chance to climb back to the summit. Wilson said the Thunderbirds had periods where they rushed instead of pulling away, but credited the group with grinding out the win. The result mattered for Melbourne too, which needed the points to keep breathing room from the bottom four in the eight-team league as it chases a first finals appearance with four rounds remaining.

For Adelaide, the cleanest takeaway is the one its record now shows: it has beaten Melbourne every time they have met, and on Sunday it did just enough to ensure the ladder reflects it.