Putney High School’s Mikki Austin says she was immensely proud of the tremendous effort Surrey Storm showed at 2018 British Fast5 Netball All-Stars Championship despite missing out on the top prize, writes Ziad Chaudry.

The Duck Egg Blue brigade lost to eventual winners and current Superleague champions Coventry-based Wasps Netball in a pulsating high scoring 45-36 semi-final last Saturday at a sold-out Copper Box Arena, Hackney Wick.

Earlier Guildford-based Storm, who had Australia's two-time world title winner Sharni Layton in their line up, twice turned over defending champions Loughborough Lightening in the Double Elimination stages of Barry Hearn's Matchroom MultiSport five hour netball bonanza.

Storm claimed £12,500 but Austin, the 25-year-old director of coaching and centre player admits the performance mattered the most: "For me whether it's prize money or no prize money it's more just about the performance," she said. "The girls attitude towards me in my first competition as director of netball and honestly couldn't be prouder and more grateful of the performance they put out there today."

Austin took over the top job from Aussie Tania Hoffman back in August and her next task is to hopefully guide Storm to a third Netball Superleague title in 2019 beginning in January.

"It's been stressful," she admits. "it's been an adjustment period I think for us all but I much rather be in this position than not. I feel very blessed and very honoured that I've got the chance to do what I do. And with the group of girls, with the workrate and the attitude that I have behind me wearing this dress we will not fail."