Gallant Girls lose final Test

Jamaica fought hard but eventually had to concede defeat in their last scheduled game before this year’s Netball World Cup in South Africa.

The Sunshine Girls lost 63-59 to England at the Copper Box Arena in London yesterday, and so, like two years ago when they last toured Britain, relinquished the series 2-1.

Unlike the previous two games, it was tight throughout but a frustrating third quarter for the tourists, which the Vitality Roses won 18-13 and were temporarily reduced to six girls, and this proved decisive as the last 15 minutes was shared equally.

For the third time in five days, the Sunshine Girls used the same starting line-up while their hosts brought in vastly experienced goal keeper Geva Mentor, now 38, in an attempt to disrupt the world’s leading goal shooter, Jhaniele Fowler, who scored with 100 per cent accuracy in her sides second Test victory.

Shanice Beckford opened the scoring, but already, coach Connie Fowler had made a change as trying to manage Nicole Dixon-Rochester’s injured knee, she was forced to introduce Abigail Sutherland off the bench.

England repeatedly opened a four-goal lead in the initial quarter to take a healthy 20-16 advantage into the first break.

Jamaica, who were controversially denied a Fowler goal as the ball bobbled on the ring, delaying dropping through right as the hooter sounded, pegged that advantage back to lead by just one at the end of a second quarter in which Fowler volunteered to come off and was replaced by Shimona Nelson for the first time in the series.

Immediately after halftime, Jamaica extended their narrow lead to two, but as the period wore on, lost direction, and crucially, the quarter ,by five goals.

Crystal Plummer, so hard working but sometimes errant during the series, picked up a warning and was then sent off for two minutes through ‘persistent contact’, and with Beckford also being withdrawn for treatment, Jamaica never managed to retrieve the four-goal deficit, although drawing the final quarter 15-15.

While England’s Layla Guscoth was deemed ‘Player of the Series’, there was special mention from the judges for wing attack Khadijah Williams for her sterling support role to the Jamaican attack.

“I knew what we were up against, and I knew our capabilities, and I’m quite happy to see that expectations were mostly fulfilled, especially when it came to the younger players stepping up,” coach Francis said.

“I have appreciated that some of our youngsters were able to have time on court as our usual centre Nicole was not feeling too well today.

“She felt she could have contributed more, but our back-up plan includes two other rotating centres, and they came in and did the work,” she added.

JAMAICA: Kadie-Ann Dehaney (GK), Jodi-Ann Ward (GD), Crystal Plummer (WD), Nicola Dixon-Rochester (C), Khadijah Williams (WA), Shanice Beckford (GA). Jhaniele Fowler (GS, capt)

Substitutes: Malysha Kelly, Shimona Nelson, Rebekah Robinson, Abigale Surtherland, Roxanna McLean.

Goals: Fowler 37/38(97 per cent ), Nelson (14/14 (100 per cent), Beckford 8/10 (80 per cent).