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The Jamaica Observer
The Sunshine Girls celebrate their 2-1 Horizon Netball Series win over England at National Indoor Sports Centre on Tuesday, November 26, 2024. (Photo: Collin Reid)

THE Horizon Netball Series will be etched in the memories of Jamaican netball players and fans for years to come.

The Sunshine Girls’ hard-fought 2-1 victory over England has sent shockwaves of excitement throughout the island, rekindling a sense of national pride and the nation’s passion for the sport.

After falling behind 0-1 in the England leg of the series at OA Arena in Manchester, England, the Sunshine Girls regrouped and refocused, determined to turn the tables on home soil. And turn them they did, with a stunning 50-49 win in the first match at National Indoor Sports Centre on Monday.

The stage was set for a thrilling finale on Tuesday, and the Sunshine Girls did not disappoint. In the fourth and final game they produced a truly scintillating display of netball, defeating the England Roses 61-53 to seal the series 2-1.

Romelda Aiken-George led the way for Jamaicans with 40 goals from 43 attempts, while Shanice Beckford netted 21 from 25.

For England, Liv Tchine scored 42 goals from 47 attempts and Louis Pearson got 11 for 13.

As the Sunshine Girls bask in the glory of their triumph, Head Coach Sasher-Gaye Henry reflected on the significance of the win.

“I mean, it is a good series. I am quite impressed, and I am humbled with this win. I think it’s something we can build on and grow on as a team,” Henry told the Jamaica Observer.

Henry attributed the team’s success to their consistency, precision, discipline, and sharp attacks.

“The key to success was being consistent, being precise, being disciplined, being sharp in our attacks, and playing a decent game — and I think the girls did that well tonight [Tuesday]. This showed our resilience. It showed that we can compete with the best teams in the world.

“I mean, a number-four-ranked team that doesn’t play for so long? It showed that we have class and are a force to be reckoned with going forward. I think the girls were more disciplined tonight in terms of their group play and our centre pass. We struggled to maintain a high percentage but I think we’ve done well and outclassed England,” Henry, a former player of the game, further added.

The coach lauded veteran player Romelda Aiken-George who filled the gap left by injured star Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard.

“Romelda is a veteran; she has been playing for a very long time. We played together, and it shows the depth we have,” she said.

England Coach Jess Thirlby was full of praise for the Sunshine Girls, acknowledging that they were deserving of the win.

“I think it’s been an incredible series. I think there’s really not much separating these two sides — it was almost the same result here as it was back home — but the Sunshine Girls are very deserving of the win on home soil today [Tuesday],” Thirlby told the Jamaica Observer.

The English team exploded out of the starting gate, racing to an 8-3 lead that left the Sunshine Girls scrambling to catch up. But the Jamaican squad refused to back down, finding their rhythm and clawing their way back to within striking distance. By the time the quarter drew to a close the Sunshine Girls had trimmed the deficit to 11-9, setting the stage for a thrilling showdown. England would ultimately take the first quarter 15-11, but the Sunshine Girls had served notice: They were in this to win it.

The Sunshine Girls stormed back into contention in the second quarter, erasing the Roses’ early lead and sending the game into a thrilling tailspin. Jamaica reduced the deficit to just two points at 20-18 before drawing level at 21-21 and sending the crowd into a frenzy.

Their momentum continued to build as they surged ahead 26-25, and by half-time they had wrestled control of the game, leading 28-26. The Roses’ early dominance was now a distant memory, and the stage was set for a nail-biting second half.

The intensity reached boiling point in the third quarter as the Sunshine Girls and the Roses clashed in a frenetic, back-and-forth affair. Despite a plethora of turnovers that threatened to derail their momentum, the Jamaicans dug deep to carve out a four-point lead at 35-31.

As the quarter drew to a close the Sunshine Girls continued to push forward, fuelled by their determination and passion. When the dust settled the Jamaicans had emerged with a hard-fought 42-39 lead.

The Jamaicans meant business in the final quarter, storming out of the gates to establish a commanding 45-40 lead. The crowd was electric and the Sunshine Girls fed off their energy, upping the tempo and bringing the score to 49-42 with 10 minutes and 37 seconds remaining.

As the clock ticked down the Sunshine Girls’ grip on the game only tightened. With just over four minutes left the outcome was all but certain, with Jamaica leading 55-48. The final whistle blew, and the Sunshine Girls celebrated a hard-fought 61-53 victory, their dominance and determination proving too much for their opponents to handle.

Jamaica’s Rhea Dixon was named Player of the Match while Shamera Sterling-Humphrey was named Player of the Series.

As the Sunshine Girls look to the future Henry emphasised the need for the team to be well-prepared — physically and mentally — to compete against strong opponents like South Africa.

“It is going to be a new series. It is going to be some new players coming in, as some of our players will not be available, and so we have to go back to the drawing board, look at what we have, prepare them strongly — physically and mentally — to compete against South Africa,” she said.

The focus, according to Henry, is on the necessity of being disciplined and consistent to achieve success. With a new series on the horizon, the Sunshine Girls will be looking to build on this momentum and continue their upward trajectory.
Jamaica
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2024-11-28
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GIRLS ON FIRE
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