Jamaican goal shooter Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard was in her usual dominant form to help the West Coast Fever open their 2024 Suncorp Super Netball season with a commanding 19-goal win over Sydney-based Giants Netball at the Ken Rosewall Arena on Saturday.
The Fever jumped out to a 26-21 advantage after the first quarter and stretched it to 45-34 at halftime.
Another dominant period in the third meant they had a comfortable 67-50 lead heading into the final quarter before winning that one 17-15 for a combined score of 84-65.
Fowler-Nembhard, the five-time MVP, scored 64 goals from 64 attempts while Shanice Beckford had 12 goals from 16 attempts.
Beckford also had one interception, the same amount as teammate Kadie-Ann Dehaney.
Elsewhere, Romelda Aiken-George converted 48 goals from 57 attempts to help the defending champions Adelaide Thunderbirds secure a tense one-point win over the Queensland Firebirds at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.
The Thunderbirds led 18-14 after the first quarter before a 19-19 second quarter meant the teams went in to the half with the defending champs leading 37-33.
The Firebirds won the third quarter 18-15 meaning the teams went into the fourth period separated by just one point, with the Thunderbirds ahead 52-51.
The fourth quarter was as close as it could get, with the teams finishing level on 11 points meaning the Thunderbirds held their nerve to secure a 63-62 win.
Aiken-George’s Sunshine Girls teammates, Latanya Wilson and Shamera Sterling-Humphrey, both starred on the defensive end for the winners.
Wilson had three interceptions while Sterling-Humphrey had 10 gains, eight deflections and six interceptions.
Sunshine Girls rally to secure thrilling 49-49 draw with England in Horizon Netball Series opener
Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls rallied from six goals down at halftime to secure a dramatic 49-49 draw with England’s Roses in a nail-biting opening contest of their four-game Horizon Netball Series at the AO Arena in Manchester on Saturday.
Latanya Wilson, showcasing her versatility and tenacity at wing defence, earned the Player of the Game award for her outstanding performance, which included critical interceptions and relentless pressure on England’s attackers.
While proud of her team’s effort, Wilson, who represents Adelaide Thunderbirds in Australia’s Suncorp League, acknowledged that they had much work to do, especially with this being their first international outing since last year’s Netball World Cup.
“I think it was pretty much a close game; we knew that we were in it, and we came to win it, so I am proud of myself and the team’s effort to at least draw the game, so well done to us. So I am very pleased, but there is a lot more work to get done, and we are going to do things step-by-step, and we are going to give it our all,” Wilson said in a post-game interview.
Jamaica's Latanya Wilson tries to disrupt England's play.
The match began with both teams showing flashes of brilliance but also committing early turnovers. England’s match-fitness from their recent series win over New Zealand—to move to number two on the ranking chart—was evident as they displayed better composure and consistency for the most parts.
Still, the Jamaicans, who won bronze at last year’s Netball World Cup, did well to disrupt England’s fluency in patches but struggled to capitalize on opportunities as both teams ended the first quarter locked at 13-13.
Abigale Sutherland replaced Crystal Plummer at centre for Jamaica at the start of the second quarter, but an early turnover from their centre pass set the tone for a challenging period.
England, bolstered by sharp passing and disciplined shooting from Helen Housby, took charge of the contest in the second quarter as they outscored the Jamaicans 13-7.
The hosts were also aided by tidy defensive work from Imogen Allison and Funmi Fadoju, who were effective against the towering Romelda Aiken-George in the shooting circle for Jamaica.
In fact, England-born Rhea Dixon’s introduction at wing attack provided some creativity for Jamaica, but their inconsistency allowed England to maintain control for much of the quarter, and they opened up a six-goal lead, 26-20 at the interval.
Jamaica's Shamera Sterling-Humphrey and England's Olivia Tchine challenge for possession. (Photo: Skysports)
Jamaica came out spiritedly in the third quarter, forcing a few turnovers, but in the same push, returned possession by virtue of unforced errors. England capitalized and extended their lead to eight goals.
However, the Sunshine Girls gradually found their rhythm and rallied to cut the deficit. By the five-minute mark, they trailed by just one goal, 33-32, but missed opportunities kept England in the driver’s seat, as the Roses again pulled away to lead 38-35 entering the final quarter.
Jamaica knew they needed a flawless fourth quarter to mount a comeback, and they responded with resilience. They leveled the score at 39-39 with over 11 minutes left and ignited a thrilling end-to-end battle.
The Sunshine Girls surged ahead 44-42 with less than eight minutes to play, but a sloppy centre pass allowed England to claw their way back.
A crucial offside turnover by Jamaica with less than three minutes remaining presented a chance to seal the game, but the opportunity went begging and England capitalized to go up 49-47 with less than a minute remaining.
Just when it seemed as England had the first win in the bag, up came Jamaica’s ever-reliable goalkeeper Shamera Sterling-Humphrey to snatch possession from Lois Pearson in the dying seconds.
Though Aiken-George missed her two attempts, goal attack Shanice Beckford showed steely nerves to secure the dramatic equalizer.
Sunshine Girls head coach Sasher-Gaye Henry praised her team’s determination but stressed the need for improved consistency.
“We showed great heart today. I think the first time playing in 15 months is really a big thing for us as it starts our journey (to the next World Cup), so I am quite pleased with what we saw. We still have some rough edges to fix, but England gave us a fair contest; we knew they were going to come hard, and I am glad that our girls stood tall to the task,” Henry said.
With the series finely balanced, both teams will head into Sunday’s second game with renewed determination, eager to gain the upper hand ahead of the Jamaican leg scheduled for November 25 and 26.
Sunday’s game is set for 9:00 am Jamaica time.
NB: The Horizon Netball Series can be seen live on SportsMax and the SportsMax app.
Sunshine Girls face setback with Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard’s withdrawal from Horizon Series against England
Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls have suffered a significant blow ahead of their upcoming Horizon Series against England’s Roses with the withdrawal of star goal shooter and team captain Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard. Netball Jamaica announced today that Fowler-Nembhard, who has been a crucial presence in the goal circle, will be unable to participate in the series due to medical advice, affecting both the Manchester games on November 16 and 17 and the Jamaican leg on November 25 and 26.
Fowler-Nembhard, who has been training with the team for the past month, was anticipated to play a vital role not only in scoring but also in mentoring the new players who recently joined the senior squad. However, Netball Jamaica President Tricia Robinson emphasized the importance of prioritizing Fowler-Nembhard’s health. “Netball Jamaica is focused on her health and well-being and will provide updates as necessary regarding her condition. Romelda Aiken-George will instead join the team in England for the series,” Robinson said.
Sunshine Girls’ head coach Sasher-Gaye Henry expressed disappointment over the unexpected loss of Fowler-Nembhard but reinforced the team’s commitment to supporting her recovery. “Jhaniele is the captain and a very important player for Jamaica, and so we are quite disappointed that she will not be able to participate in the Horizon Series. However, our priority at this time is her health, and we are committed to supporting our players every step of the way. Additionally, we remain confident in the strength of our squad as we move forward with the series,” said Henry.
As the Sunshine Girls prepare to depart for England, Netball Jamaica extended their gratitude to fans for their understanding and continued support, assuring them that the team is ready for what promises to be a highly competitive series despite this setback.
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.
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