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• England Roses defeat Sunshine Girls 55-47 to take 1-0 lead in Vitality Netball Horizon Series; team heads back to Jamaica for final two games

  England Roses Defeat Sunshine Girls to Take 1-0 Lead in Horizon Series

  England’s Roses secured a 1-0 series lead against Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls on Sunday with a hard-fought 55-47 victory in Manchester during the second match of the Netball Horizon Series. The result followed a thrilling 49-49 tie in the series opener on Saturday.

  The match showcased the contrasting styles of the two teams, with England capitalizing on crucial turnovers and maintaining composure under pressure, while Jamaica struggled to sustain their momentum in critical moments. England started strong, leading 12-8 at the end of the first quarter. However, Jamaica responded with intensity, applying pressure all over the court to edge ahead 23-21 late in the second quarter. England regained control before halftime, thanks to unforced errors by Jamaica, to tie the score 24-24 going into the break.

  The third quarter proved pivotal, as England upped their defensive intensity. The Roses forced several turnovers during Jamaica’s attempts to find Romelda Aiken-George in the circle, creating opportunities to extend their lead. Despite a spirited rally by the Sunshine Girls to close within two goals late in the quarter, England held firm to enter the final quarter with a 39-35 advantage.

  Turnovers continued to plague the Sunshine Girls in the final quarter, and though they fought valiantly to narrow the gap to 42-41 with 10 minutes to play, England’s relentless pressure proved decisive. The Roses forced critical errors that disrupted Jamaica’s rhythm, pulling away in the closing stages to secure a comfortable win.

  Jamaica’s head coach, Sasher-Gaye Henry, reflected on her team’s struggles in the second half, particularly during the third quarter when England took command. “I think we struggled today in the latter part of the game in terms of getting our balls through the court and getting it on top of circle’s edge,” Henry said. “I think the movement was a little stagnant. It’s something we have to look at and correct quickly going into Game 3.”

  Henry also highlighted the team’s focus on rotating players to assess different combinations. “It’s about building players, and we want to see rotation,” she explained. “I think we didn’t do a lot with rotation yesterday, so today we wanted to see where the players are at, to see what combination works. We are grateful for that opportunity.”

  On the substitution of Shanice Dixon, who limped off and was replaced by Rhea Dixon, Henry noted, “We are looking for more options in our goal attack. Both are options, and we still have to rotate them. I think both did well tonight.”

  The Sunshine Girls will look to regroup when the series shifts to Jamaica for the final two matches at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Kingston on November 25 and December 2. With England leading the series, Jamaica will need to address their turnover issues and refine their attack if they hope to level the series and keep their hopes alive.

  The Sunshine Girls, known for their resilience, will be determined to defend home court and prove their mettle against a confident England Roses team.

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

• Powell salutes West Indies' commitment after ending England's winning streak

  Rovman Powell hailed West Indies' commitment after claiming the first win of their T20 series against England on Saturday.

  The hosts successfully chased their target of 219 in St Lucia to stop the rot in the five-match series, reducing the deficit to 3-1. 

  West Indies won the toss and elected to field, though England did their best to make the most of the flat pitch.

  Phil Salt's contribution of 55 set the tourists on their way, while captain Jos Buttler chipped in with 38, and Jacob Bethell hit an unbeaten 62 - reaching his latest half-century off just 22 balls.

  England finished at 218-5, but West Indies hit the ground running in their chase as Evin Lewis (68) and Shai Hope (54) notched up 136 from the first nine overs.

  However, the hosts' momentum stalled when Rehan Ahmed caught Lewis, Hope was run out and Nicholas Pooran bowled for a duck in as many balls.

  Nevertheless, skipper Powell got them back on track with 38 from 23 deliveries and, though he was dismissed in the 17th over, back-to-back sixes from Sherfane Rutherford in the penultimate over sealed a five-wicket victory.

  "The guys were a little bit more committed today, and the toss fell in our hands," Powell said. "It's been a series where, once you win the toss, you seem to win the game. But, the guys played well."

  "It was an excellent wicket, and we got off to a great start with our openers putting them under plenty of pressure," Buttler added. "We thought we needed at least 220, and then their openers played exceptionally well, too."

• Borthwick concedes 'these are painful days' after Springboks defeat

  Steve Borthwick was left "incredibly disappointed and frustrated" following England's defeat by South Africa, conceding "these are painful days".

  England suffered their fifth successive Test loss after going down 29-20 at the Allianz Stadium on Saturday.

  The hosts were quick out of the blocks with Ollie Sleightholme crossing on his first international start, and led 20-19 in the second half.

  However, a Handre Pollard penalty and Cheslin Kolbe's second try of the game settled the contest in favour of South Africa, who then stubbornly defended their lead during a late England surge. 

  Borthwick's side have now lost three consecutive home games for the first time since 2006, but he hopes these experiences will benefit his players further down the line.

  "I am incredibly disappointed and frustrated," he told BBC Radio 5 Live. "You see so much good' the way the team came out of the blocks at the start and came at South Africa.

  "Then, for a long time, the game was toe-to-toe, but in the last period, we failed to take our opportunities. How many times did we fail to take our chances in their 22?

  "These are painful days. At times, we are putting ourselves in positions to win games, and we are not converting them. Whilst these are painful, we will use them in a positive way to help with our development.

  "We have a lot of young players that have come into this team, and we have accelerated their transition.

  "As you look towards the future, these players are going to be brilliant international players. But, right now, these days of development are tough. We will persevere and be better because of these experiences."

  Borthwick is adamant England are "going in the right direction", and believes he still has the backing of the RFU.

  "I'm not going to be talking about private conversations here, but what’s actually more important is the feeling I get," he added. 

  "The feeling I get from the RFU is one of absolute support and absolute belief that this team is going in the right direction."