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Sunshine mindset reaps reward

Captain credits team belief for first victory over Australia

Published:Friday | August 5, 2022 | 12:13 AMKeith McGhie/Contributor
Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls get to dancing in celebration of winning the match and finishing top of Pool A after their Netball Pool A match against Australia on day seven of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games at NEC Arena yesterday in Birmingham, Englan
Courtesy of birmingham2022.com
Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls get to dancing in celebration of winning the match and finishing top of Pool A after their Netball Pool A match against Australia on day seven of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games at NEC Arena yesterday in Birmingham, England.

Jhaniele Fowler described her side as “incredible” after Jamaica’s netball stars were left dancing in the National Exhibition Centre Arena following their historic 57-55 comeback victory over Australia yesterday.

The Sunshine Girls trailed by as many as six goals heading into the final quarter but finished in resounding fashion to claim their first-ever win against the world’s number-one ranked team at a Commonwealth Games.

The success means unbeaten Jamaica top Pool A en route to Saturday’s semifinal against New Zealand.

Captain and goal shooter Fowler, who plays in Australia for West Coast Fever in the Suncorp Super Netball, led the Jamaican assault with 47 goals, while Shanice Beckford supplied the other 10 goals.

“It’s a bit surreal to beat Australia in a Commonwealth Games. We’ve not done that before, but this team of ours is incredible, and we went out there and proved everyone wrong.

“Our mindset from the start was that we are as good as them if not better. We have so much discipline and the focus of our squad showed today.”

Australia had not previously lost a single quarter in the tournament, but with Fowler dominant, Jamaica jumped out to a 7-3 lead.

The Diamonds worked their way back into the contest, with Gretel Bueta matching Fowler’s 10 first-quarter goals as they took a one-goal lead to the first break.

The second quarter saw the pre-competition favourites open up a 27-23 lead, but with the backing of a predominantly British crowd fired up by a historic England-Australia rivalry, Jamaica stormed back to get within one goal at the long break.

The third quarter was dominated by Australia, who jumped out to a six-goal lead before Jamaica’s late surge finished with them dancing on the court.

Fowler thanked the Birmingham crowd for their backing, adding:

“The crowd was our eighth man out there on the court. They really inspired us.”

“I can’t dance, but I kind of get sucked in every time. It just shows the spirit we have in this team.

“Hopefully, we will be dancing all the way to the gold medal.”