Australia's Steph Wood shoots during their semi-final game against Jamaica in Cape Town, South Africa on Saturday.
Shaun Roy
While they remain on course to achieve their objective of breaking a 16-year Netball World Cup medal drought, Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls hopes of making it a gold or silver, were dashed, as they fell 54-57 to the Australian Diamonds in a semi-final contest that lived up to its billing from the very first centre pass.
With the number four-ranked Jamaicans having never contested a World Cup final before and number one-ranked Australia having never missed a final, both teams had all to play for inside a packed Cape Town International Conventional Centre in South Africa, especially after witnessing England’s historic rise in making their first ever final when they defeated now dethroned champions New Zealand 46-40 in the first semi-final.
Both the Sunshine Girls and the Diamonds were evenly poised for most of the way, much to the delight of the vociferous crowd that was seemingly rooting for a Jamaica triumph to spur another historic feat, but it was not to be at the end.
Captain Jhaniele Fowler, who would have wanted to celebrate her 100th cap in winning fashion, again led her team from the front with 45 goals from 46 attempts, while goal-attack Shanice Beckford shot nine goals from 10 attempts.
At the other end, Cara Koenen starred for Australia with 29 goals from 30 attempts, with her vice-captain Steph Wood contributing 28 goals from 31 attempts to put the 11-time champions on course for a 12th title.
Sunshine Girls vice-captain and outstanding defender Shamera Sterling expressed disappointment with the end result.
“We are gutted that we lost because we came here determined to go all the way to the final, but it was a good fight and I am very proud of my team and how we came out,” Sterling said in a post-game interview.
The Jamaicans were gradually slow into rhythm at the start, as they gave away an early turnover which allowed the Diamonds to race to a three-goal lead in the early exchanges. However, when the Sunshine Girls started flowing, the quickly erased the deficit and even forced a few turnovers of their own and also took a two-goal lead at one point.
They could have widened that gap, but a few wayward passes allowed the Diamonds to rally and from there it was end-to-end action all the way to the whistle, as the quarter ended with both teams locked at 14-14.
After initially matching strides at the top of the second quarter, the Sunshine Girls let possession slip twice and that coupled with a rare miss from Fowler saw the Diamonds opening a three-goal lead. In fairness, the Jamaicans did take a few hits that should have been called but were instead ignored by the umpire.
The most blatant was when Beckford got bounced by Brazill while aerial, but nothing came of the play.
Still, the Jamaicans maintained their composure and consistent pressure in defence, particularly by the outstanding and gritty Shamera Sterling shifted momentum back in the Jamaicans favour, as they scored three unanswered goals to pull level and then go up by one.
But the deficit was short-lived as the Diamonds hit back in a heated goal-for-goal battle which saw both teams again evenly poised at 29-29 at the half-time break.
The momentum gained by the Jamaicans at the backend of the second quarter were dashed at the top of the third, as they struggled to complete passes and Australia duly capitalised and raced to a five-goal lead, the widest lead of the game at that point.
Australia could have and should have extended the lead even further while the Jamaicans laboured, but much like she did in the second stanza, Sterling came up with a big deflection that once again sparked a rally and soon they were back on level terms at 40-40, before the Diamonds stuck their noses in front at 40-42 at the whistle.
Jamaica, with what was their most efficient start to a quarter, easily erased the two-goal deficit and later opened up a three-goal lead of their own and seemed well on their way to join England as first-time finalists. But all their hard work was undone by a few poor decisions in mid-court and once Australia got their feet on the accelerator in the last five minutes, they never let up.
The win sent the Diamonds supporters into frenzy, while it was heartbreak for the Jamaicans and their loyal followers, who will now be hoping to make amends in the third-place contest against New Zealand on Sunday at 9:00am Jamaica time. The Australia England showpiece will follow at 11:00am.
Sherdon Cowan is a five-time award-winning journalist with 10 years' experience covering sports.
Alzarri Joseph suspended for two matches following on-field incident in ODI match against England
Cricket West Indies (CWI) has imposed a two-match suspension on West Indies fast bowler Alzarri Joseph following an on-field incident during the third CG United ODI against England at Kensington Oval, Barbados.
The incident, which took place during the fourth over of England's innings, sparked discussion among players and fans alike. Joseph appeared visibly frustrated with a field placement decision, leading to a disagreement with captain Shai Hope. After taking the wicket of Jordan Cox, caught behind on the fourth ball, Joseph chose not to celebrate with his teammates, instead walking back to his mark without any acknowledgment of the dismissal. His frustration escalated as he left the field unannounced at the end of the over, leaving West Indies to begin the fifth over with only ten players.
CWI’s Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe, emphasized the importance of professionalism, stating, “Alzarri's behavior did not align with the core values that Cricket West Indies upholds. Such conduct cannot be overlooked, and we have taken decisive action to ensure the gravity of the situation is fully acknowledged."
Joseph’s actions also drew criticism from head coach Daren Sammy, who voiced his concerns in an interview with TalkSPORT. Sammy described the behavior as “unacceptable,” underscoring his commitment to fostering a positive team culture. "Behavior like that is unacceptable on my cricket field," Sammy said. "We will be friends… but in the culture I'm trying to build, that’s unacceptable. We will definitely have a chat about that.”
Reflecting on the incident, Joseph issued a public apology, expressing regret for his actions. "I recognize that my passion got the best of me. I have personally apologized to Captain Shai Hope and my teammates and management. I also extend my sincerest apologies to the West Indies fans—I understand that even a brief lapse in judgment can have a far-reaching impact, and I deeply regret any disappointment caused.”
CWI remains committed to promoting a culture of respect, integrity, and discipline within the West Indies cricket team, both on and off the field. Joseph’s suspension serves as a reminder of these core values and reinforces CWI's dedication to professionalism for all players representing West Indies cricket.
Sunshine Girls stage final training session before departing for Horizon Series
The Sunshine Girls staged their final training session Wednesday night at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Kingston ahead of leaving the island on Friday for England for the first two of their four-match Horizon Series on November 16 and 17.
Team coach Sasher-Gaye Henry and captain Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard were upbeat about their preparation and chances of doing well against England in the series.
“England is a good team and they have been going well. They are coming off about a eight game advantage compared to us so that’s something that is going to be good on their table so it’s good to just see how the girls will go in and give a good account of themselves. The preparation has been going fairly well for us. We have been looking specifically a lot in terms of our strength and conditioning, our court play in terms of our tactical play and we are super excited to see the growth and development especially of our younger players and there is still room for improvement knowing the fact that they are coming in now working with the senior girls. It’s not such a long time that we have had all of them together but the short time that we have them, I think they are improving daily” said coach Henry.
She also said that the new players Teresa Beckford, Chrystal Plummer, Mischa Creary, Rhea Dixon (English based player), Simone Gordon, Zaudi Green and Kimone Shaw are all excited to showcase their talent and do well.
Captain Fowler-Nembhard who joined the training squad for the past month talked about unity in the team and her own readiness for the series. “We are gelling together. The training sessions that we’ve had thus far have been really good and purposeful so yea it’s been good.”
"I just think my game is going well. I had a pretty good year so far and I am going to just transfer that into this series” said Fowler-Nembhard.
The other two matches in the series will be played in Jamaica on the 25th and the 26th of the month at the National indoor Sports Centre.
Schmidt hands Suaalii starting spot for Australia's England Test
Joe Schmidt is choosing to view the inclusion of rugby league convert Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii for Australia's November international against England as an opportunity rather than a risk.
The inclusion of the 21-year-old former Sydney Roosters player, who signed a lucrative three-year deal to feature for the Waratahs, is the Wallabies' only change from their last fixture with New Zealand back in September.
Head coach Schmidt said the time felt right to give Suaalii, in at centre for the injured Hunter Paisami, his shot at Twickenham on Saturday with the Lions series taking place in 2025.
In quotes reported by BBC Sport, Schmidt said: "The thing that gives me confidence around Joseph is how well he prepares himself.
"He's a very professional young man and hopefully he can hit the ground running in a couple of days’ time.
“Everything's a risk, but I would challenge that with ‘everything's an opportunity’, and it's a fantastic opportunity for a young man who's really excited about getting the chance.
“There are four test matches left this year before we embark on a massive Lions’ tour next year. So if not now, when?
"I think it makes some sense for him to play. It's unlikely it'll go perfectly, but it will be a benchmark that he can build from.”
Australia squad in full:
Tom Wright, Andrew Kellaway, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Len Ikitau, Dylan Pietsch, Noah Lolesio, Jake Gordon, Harry Wilson, Fraser McReight, Rob Valetini, Jeremy Williams, Nick Frost, Taniela Tupou, Matt Faessler, Angus Bell
Replacements: Brandon Paenga-Amosa, James Slipper, Allan Alaalatoa, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Langi Gleeson, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson, Max Jorgensen
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