Jamaican Shamera Sterling-Humphrey had another stellar game for Thunderbirds.
(Photos: Getty Images)
Adelaide Thunderbirds extended their unbeaten run with another dazzling performance as they romped to a 73-58 win over Melbourne Vixens in a lopsided Round 12 top-of-the-ladder clash at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, on Saturday.
Thunderbirds attacking charge was again led by Romelda Aiken-George, who scored 47 goals from 53 attempts, as Georgie Horjus and Lucy Austin chipped in with 12 goals and nine goals from 11 and 10 attempts respectively. Lauren Frew had a perfect five goals from five attempts.
Meanwhile, Sophie Garbin had 29 goals from 31 attempts for the Vixens, with Kiera Austin (27 goals from 27 attempts) and Lily Graham with a single two-point Supershot, contributing the others.
Both teams produced a clinical display in the early exchanges as they demonstrated why they are the two best teams in the competition. The Vixens were first to slip up, with suffocating defensive pressure from the Thunderbirds forcing the visitors into a few errors.
Still, the contest remained evenly poised at 15-15 at the end of the first quarter.
However, the Thunderbirds found an extra spark in the second quarter and briskly raced to a seven-goal lead early, courtesy of some impressive defending by Jamaican Latanya Wilson, who robbed a few Vixens possession, which the shooters capitalised on.
The Vixens tried to trim the margin in the Power Five, but Matilda Garrett and another Jamaican standout Shamera Sterling-Humphrey, forced the Vixens to work overtime in the goal circle to find space and shoot. That coupled with a bit of magic from Aiken-George, ensured Thunderbirds remained seven goals ahead at 32-25 at halftime.
Melbourne Mavericks in action against Sunshine Coast Lightning.
The Vixens were more settled to begin the third quarter, as the Thunderbirds found it harder to move the ball into their attacking third. Despite Vixens hard-fought battle to close the gap from 10 goals down during the Power Five, Thunderbirds remained eight goals up at 51-43 heading into the final quarter, which was a mere formality.
This, as the Thunderbirds went from strength-to-strength in that final quarter and outplayed the Vixens in all departments to power to a commanding 25-goal win, with Sterling-Humphrey named as the match MVP.
Elsewhere, another Jamaican Shimona Jok scored 42 goals from 43 attempts to assist Melbourne Mavericks to a 72-71 win over Sunshine Coast Lightning in a nail-biting encounter in Hobart.
Along with Jok, Mavericks had clinical performances from Gabrielle Sinclair, who scored a couple of two-point Supershots in her five goals from three attempts, while Eleanor Cardwell had four Supershots in her 25 goals from 22 attempts.
Cara Koenen (39 goals from 42 attempts), Steph Fretwell (26 goals from 26 attempts) and Reilley Batcheldor (six goals from six attempts) also showed good knick for the Lightning in a losing cause.
With both teams desperate to sit in that elusive top four spot as the road to finals closes in, every play and decision was critical throughout the thrilling contest.
But, it was the Mavericks, who held their nerves best and took a massive stride closer to breaking through that top four, as they now sit level with Lightning on the ladder on 20 points apiece.
Caribbean teams face tough draws for Netball World Youth Cup
The road to the Netball World Youth Cup 2025 has officially begun, as Caribbean representatives Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Barbados now know their opponents for the tournament, which will see 20 of the world’s top under-21 netball teams vying for supremacy on the international stage.
With 10 months to go before the September 19–28 showpiece in Gibraltar, Jamaica’s young Sunshine Girls, as well as the young Barbados Gems and Calypso Girls, will intensify preparations as they have tough draws to navigate.
Jamaica’s young Sunshine Girls have been drawn into a competitive Pool C alongside powerhouse England, Tonga, Wales, and Sri Lanka. It’s a challenging group, but one that Netball Jamaica President Tricia Robinson believes they will be well-prepared for.
“We know the quality of our opponents, especially England, who are always strong at the youth level. However, we will be ensuring that the girls preparation is very thorough, as we have every intention of possibly making a deep run in this tournament. So the focus of the preparation will be on fine-tuning strategies and sharpening the team’s physical and mental readiness in the build-up to the World Cup,” Robinson told SportsMax.Tv.
While Jamaica, having established itself as a powerhouse in senior netball, aims to carry that momentum into the youth competition. For Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados, this tournament represents an opportunity to showcase their developing talent and challenge more seasoned teams on the global stage.
This, as Tuesday’s draw pitted Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados in Pool D, where they face an equally formidable lineup. They will go up against Fiji, South Africa, and Malawi—teams known for their athleticism and tactical prowess.
Meanwhile, Pool A will see host Gibraltar square off against defending champions New Zealand, Malaysia, the Cook Islands, and Zambia.
Australia, Samoa, Scotland, Singapore, and Northern Ireland will contest Pool B.
The initial pools further highlighted the global diversity of the competition, with at least three teams from each of World Netball’s five regions—Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and Oceania—represented.
Games will be played at the Europa Point Sports Complex and Tercentenary Sports Hall in Gibraltar.
World Netball President Dame Liz Nicholl, DBE, emphasized the importance of the tournament for young athletes.
“This competition is often the first time many players experience different styles of play from across the globe. The NWYC is a platform for emerging elite talent, and we are excited to see what new matchups and experiences await,” Nicholl said.
Expectations high as Sunshine Girls, England eye victory on Jamaican leg of Horizon Netball Series
After two exciting encounters at the AO Arena in Manchester, Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls and England’s Vitality Roses are now in Kingston for the second leg of the four-match Horizon Series.
With England leading the series 1-0, after topping game two 56-47, while the game one ended in a draw, the decisive third and fourth games scheduled for November 25 and 26 at the National Indoor Sports Centre promises to keep spectators at the edge of their seats.
In fact, with the games set to be the Sunshine Girls’ first encounter at home in a long time, Head coach Sasher-Gaye Henry is optimistic that they can deliver two top performances to treat local fans.
“I think we did great as a team and we should be proud of our achievements, maybe the last result was not we what we wanted but it’s something that we have to work through and try to come the last two games and improve on our performance” Henry said shortly after arriving at the Norman Manley International Airport on Monday.
Henry believes her number four-ranked Sunshine Girls possesses enough quality to top their number two-ranked opponents, but in the same breath, pointed out that it is easier said than done.
“It is going to be two keenly contested games. It’s going to be competitive. We have to respect England and their second place in the world and we are number four. It all comes down to being disciplined, being precise in our movements and to improve on our weaknesses that we had. We have to limit our turn overs and capitalize on their strengths so it’s something that we have to work on,” Henry noted.
First time captain Shamera Sterling-Humphrey was also optimistic about the team’s chances against the Vitality Roses.
“I feel like once we can fix what needs to be fixed in the three ends of our court –the mid court, the shooting and the defence –then I think Jamaica can get the two wins.” Sterling-Humphrey shared.
Her counterpart Fran Williams was happy to be in Jamaica for the first time to compete against the Sunshine Girls as she also declared high expectations for the two matches.
“We are so excited to be here and it’s amazing to get to travel and get to play in other countries and explore new places. We’ve had such a good start to the series with two really close matches including a draw so it’s going to be exciting on Monday and Tuesday next week,” Williams beamed.
Meanwhile, England’s coach Jess Thirlby echoed similar sentiments.
“We know that this is going to be a really tough ask coming out to Jamaica but we know we are on the hunt for one more win to try and take that series. Our expectations of ourselves re high but the Jamaica Sunshine Girls have got some if not a lot of world class girls in that side,” Thirlby stated.
Game time 6:30pm on Monday, and 7:00pm on Tuesday.
NB: The Horizon Netball series can be seen live on SportsMax and the SportsMax App.
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.
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