Sunshine Girls seek redemption on home soil

The stage is set for an exciting clash at the National Indoor Sports Center (NISC) today as Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls look to bounce back against a formidable England Rose side in Game 3 of the Vitality Netball Horizon Series.

The game is set for 6.30pm and the home side are keen to ignite their campaign in front of a passionate local crowd.

The Vitality Netball Horizon Series marks the start of annual international competitions, featuring two matches in England and two matches in Jamaica, which will fuel the rivalry and growth of global netball over the next four years.

Teams compete for the Ron Hornsby Trophy. This trophy is presented to Molly Rohn, a Jamaican sports administrator and former national team player, and Jean Hornsby, an English tennis player who broke barriers to become the first black player to represent her country.

The series had been a tight one so far, with the first match ending in a 49–49 draw and England winning the second match 55–47 to lead 1–0. Both matches were played at the AO Arena in Manchester and the Sunshine Girls will be looking to level the scores and regain momentum on their home ground.

Head coach Sasher-Gaye Henry expressed pride in her team’s performance despite being at a disadvantage due to England’s greater international experience.

“The fact that we haven’t played for so long, these girls weren’t match ready compared to England who had played 17 Test games before us… I think we did exceptionally well,” Henry said Jamaican columnist.

“(In) the first two games we were lucky to do well. The first game was very good; I mean we played poorly in places, but I thought it was a very competitive game. Both teams have similar losses and it wasn’t in anyone’s favor. We could have easily won this game.

“In the second game we also played in parts. We didn’t live up to our responsibilities, we weren’t disciplined enough to work in court and in some other areas that I think we fell short in,” Henry further said.

With the support of the fans, Jamaica will look to capitalize on their strengths and make adjustments to their game plan to ensure victory. Henry emphasized the importance of discipline and patience in performing his plays.

“We had so many limitations (but) despite our limitations…we still succeeded. We didn’t have all the girls in training – they came in late – and it’s just nice to see the start of our new four-year cycle and it’s something we can learn from. So, losing Game 2, I think that’s where we can really look at all the things we need to work on and try to improve our games, so we move on to Game 3 in hopes of putting in a better performance. – said Henry.

“The competition will be very high. (And it will be) good for the fans to come and watch because, I mean, we’re at the beginning of a new journey and we’re hoping to improve on all the work that they’ve done over the years. and the (only) way to improve is to keep competing with these top teams.

“The girls showed their skills and what they are capable of, and I am pleased. I think we as a group are satisfied that these girls are doing well,” she added.

England Rose head coach Jess Thirlby shared her thoughts on the series, praising the level of performance from both teams.

“They set the show on fire, didn’t they?” – exclaimed Thirlby. “I think the fact that the first game ended in a draw, I think it kind of lived up to all the expectations of the long-standing rivalry between us and the Sunshine Girls,” Thirlby said.

“The standard of both teams is excellent,” she said. “And like I said, there’s such a great rivalry and we’re two teams that want to get to the top and top of Australia and I think there’s great motivation between both of us.”

Ahead of today’s meeting, Thirlby stressed the importance of preparing for a stronger Sunshine Girls performance on home soil.

“I think it is very important that we are under no illusion that the Sunshine Girls will definitely up their game now that they are back on home soil. So it’s important for us, I think, to make some adjustments and be ready for a Sunshine Girl performance that will be highly appreciated by their home crowd,” Thirlby reasoned.

She highlighted her team’s key areas, including taking care of possession, finding ways to win the ball away from Jamaica’s high-scoring attack and having the mental toughness to play until the final whistle.

England head coach Rose also praised the performances of key Jamaican players including Romelda Aiken-George and Shanice Beckford.

The last game of the series will take place on Tuesday.

From left: England captain Fran Williams, Jamaica reserve captain Shanice Beckford, British High Commissioner to Jamaica Judith Slater, Jamaica head coach Sacher-Gay Henry and England head coach Jess Thirlby share a photo opportunity at the reception held in their honor netball players. team at the British High Commission on Wednesday 20 November 2024 (Garfield Robinson)