England's Commonwealth Games campaign took a disappointing turn as they faced a 66-47 defeat against defending champions Australia on Sunday at The Hydro in Glasgow. Captain Fran Williams expressed her team's struggles, stating they were "far from our best" and acknowledged the challenge of coping with Australia's physicality.

The match began with Australia establishing a strong foothold, leading 18-11 after the first quarter. They continued to dominate, extending their lead to 56-35 by the end of the third quarter. Key player Sophie Garbin shone for Australia, scoring an impressive 41 goals from 42 attempts. In contrast, Olivia Tchine led England with 23 goals from 25 attempts but could not spark a comeback.

Earlier in the tournament, England had opened their campaign with a convincing 83-34 victory over Northern Ireland. However, the loss against Australia highlighted their vulnerabilities, especially with only two players, Eleanor Cardwell and Imogen Allison, possessing Commonwealth Games experience due to injuries sidelining gold medallists Helen Housby and Natalie Metcalf.

Looking ahead, England is set to face Malawi at 14:00 BST on Monday, aiming to bounce back and regain their competitive edge in the tournament. Meanwhile, in Pool B, Scotland celebrated their first win, defeating Wales 56-47.