The Australian Diamonds have narrowly missed out on Commonwealth Games gold going down to the New Zealand Silver Ferns in double overtime 66-64 in an epic final.

The trans-Tasman rivals gave the Delhi crowd a typical nail biting tussle with the Silver Ferns eventually claiming gold thanks to a sublime game by goal attack Maria Tutaia.

Tutaia was a constant thorn in the Diamonds side landing 41 of 50 attempts in a best on court performance.

The Diamonds led 10-9 at quarter time in a tight first quarter before extending their lead to three goals at the half-time break.

The third quarter saw the Diamonds hold their three goals lead early on before the Silver Ferns launched a late fight back to grab a two goal lead heading into the final quarter.

That lead stretched out to seven goals and just when Australian fans may have started to doubt the Diamonds they fought back to level the scores thanks to important goals from Catherine Cox who had replaced Natalie Medhurst as goal shooter.

That’s where scores finished as the game firstly went into extra time and then double extra time with both sides having chances to snatch victory.

With the gold medal to be decided by the team that first claimed a two goal advantage Cox had the chance to snatch victory for the Diamonds but her shot bounced agonisingly off the goal rim and into the hands of a Kiwi defender.

The Kiwi’s leading by a goal then went forward and the ball landed in the hands of Tutaia who fittingly had the honour of firing the winning goal to send the Kiwi fans into raptures.

It was heartache for the Diamonds who had been courageous in coming back from a seven goal deficit.

The drama and theatre of the gold medal game will be remembered as arguably the greatest game of netball ever played.