Aiken in top form

BRISBANE, Australia (CMC):

Romelda Aiken marked her 50th appearance in a Queensland Firebirds uniform with another solid performance that drove the ANZ Championship front-runners to a convincing 57-36 victory over the Melbourne Vixens yesterday.

The Jamaican goal-shooting star scored 35 goals from 42 attempts to extend the Firebirds winning streak for the season to 11 matches, as they stayed on course to finish the regular season at the top of the ladder.

The Firebirds seemed to overcome the loss of their inspirational captain Lauren Nourse to injury better than the Vixens' loss of their leader Sharelle McMahon.

The home team continued with the compelling form they have shown all season, and got off to a blistering start, living off the major share of the possession as they moved into overdrive early on to lead 16-9 after the first quarter.

almost unstoppable

The Firebirds were almost unstoppable in the second period, with their defensive pressure yielding several turnovers, which sparked the home team's offence and led them to a 29-18 advantage at half-time.

But Aiken and the Firebirds continued to hold the upper hand, as Vixens had to work overtime in the third period for every scrap of possession.

Riding a wave of confidence, the Firebirds were clinical in their approach, and this propelled them to a 43-30 lead after three periods.