Sunshine Girls coach Sasher-Gaye Henry.
Marlon Reid
Sunshine Girls coach and former player Sasher-Gaye Henry says her team is looking forward to the challenge of taking on England in their upcoming four-match Test series.
Henry’s Sunshine Girls will be looking to rebound from a 1-2 series defeat at the hands of their opponents when they last squared off in England last January.
“It’s a big one for us and we’re looking forward to the ranking,” Henry told Sportsmax.tv last week.
We always want to beat England and they always want to beat us so we embrace this type of competition and look forward to it,” Henry added.
Both teams are currently separated in the Netball World Rankings by just two points. England are ranked number two in the world with 189 rating points while Jamaica are fourth with 187.
Henry, who won 75 caps for the Sunshine Girls between 1996 and 2015, was also asked about her best memories as a player against England.
Rather than giving just one memory, Henry noted how excited she was whenever she got to test her skills against the rivals.
“As a player, it was always about wanting to win, especially when it comes to playing England,” she said.
“We’re big rivals and it was always a competition between coming third and fourth so we were always in high spirits when we were playing England and the cycle continues,” Henry added.
Jamaica will first travel to England to take on the Vitality Roses on November 16 and 17 at the AO Arena in Manchester before hosting the Roses at the National Indoor Sports Centre on November 25 and 26.
Henry is pleased with her team’s preparation for the series thus far.
“I think the preparation has gone fairly well. One of our main focuses was on our fitness, mental preparation and tactical plays. What we’re looking is to see hos well the girls will put all of those into play and be ready for the competition,” she said.
Bradley Jacks is a budding journalist and an avid sports fan. His love of research and sports has led him to SportsMax.tv, a place where those passions work hand in hand to allow him to produce content.
Holmwood Technical completes ISSA rural area Netball double; St. Catherine, Wolmer’s Girls win urban area titles
Defending all-island champions Holmwood Technical retained their ISSA rural area Under-19 netball title with a 38-30 victory over Denbigh High in Thursday's decider at the National Indoor Sports Centre.
The May Pen-based won the first quarter 9-8 before the defending champions rallied to lead 15-14 at the half and 37-24 at the end of the third quarter.
The victory for Holmwood completed the double on the day as their Under-16 team had earlier secured the crown with a 21-16 win in an all-Manchester affair over defending champions Manchester High in a repeat of last year's final.
In the urban area final, St Catherine High captured their third straight Under-19 title with a 32-24 win over The Queen's School. The St John's Road-based school led all quarters 11-3, 20-12 and 23-16.
Meanwhile, Wolmer's Girls took the Under-16 crown after beating St Hugh's 27-21 in their decider.
Manchester High defeated Glenmuir 46-44 to claim third place in the rural area Under-19 category while Mile Gully High claimed third in the Under-16 category with a 32-17 win over Titchfield.
In the urban area, Gaynstead High claimed third in both the Under-19 and Under-16 categories with wins over St. Catherine High and Camperdown High, respectively.
They beat St. Catherine 34-19 and Camperdown 37-23.
Sunshine Girls captain Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard expecting second child
Jamaican netball superstar and Sunshine Girls captain Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard is expecting her second child, her club West Coast Fever announced on Thursday. The news, while joyous, has already affected her availability for recent competitions, as she stepped away from the sport to prioritize her health and well-being.
In a statement, the Australian-based Fever extended their congratulations to Fowler-Nembhard and her family:
"Everyone at Fever is absolutely thrilled for Jhaniele and her family. We’ve always known that Jhaniele has dreamed of having another child, and seeing that dream come true is simply wonderful!"
Fowler-Nembhard’s pregnancy meant she was unavailable for the recently concluded Jamaica-England Horizon Series, which was played on November 16-17 in Manchester and November 25-26 in Kingston. She had been training with the Sunshine Girls and was expected to play a critical role in the series, contributing as a top scorer and mentoring new senior squad members.
In her absence, Romelda Aiken-George joined the squad and helped fill the void in the goal circle. Netball Jamaica President Tricia Robinson acknowledged the significance of Fowler-Nembhard’s absence but emphasized that her health and well-being were the priority:
"Netball Jamaica is focused on her health and well-being and will provide updates as necessary regarding her condition."
Fowler-Nembhard married Ashani Nembhard in a private ceremony in Kingston on December 20, 2023. She also has a daughter, Drehannah, from a previous relationship. This pregnancy marks a new chapter for the couple as they expand their family.
As the West Coast Fever’s leading goal shooter and a five-time top scorer in Australia’s Suncorp Super Netball League, Fowler-Nembhard has cemented her place as one of the world’s greatest netballers. Her absence from recent international competition is a reminder of her immense value to the Sunshine Girls, both on and off the court.
While her team and fans will miss her presence in the immediate term, Fowler-Nembhard’s contributions to Jamaican netball are already legendary. The netball community joins in congratulating her on this exciting milestone and looks forward to her eventual return to the sport.
Archer must build fitness to 'handle extra pressure' of Test cricket, says Stokes
Ben Stokes says Jofra Archer must build up his fitness to handle the "extra pressure of a Test match", after the pace bowler extended his contract with England up to September 2026.
Archer has not played a Test since 2021, with back and elbow injuries severely hampering his progress.
England have carefully managed the 29-year-old's involvement, and he has been part of their white-ball setup since May.
Although, it remains to be seen whether he will be involved in next year's five-match series with India or the Ashes, after he was signed by Rajasthan Royals in the recent Indian Premier League auction.
That means he will miss the early part of the 2025 County Championship season with Sussex due to an overlap in the competitions, and his red-ball action will be limited ahead of the series with India.
"The excitement is understandable around Jofra," Stokes said. "The best thing is he is back on the field playing.
"The injuries and surgeries he has gone through could have ended careers, so there is no rushing back.
"No doubt he is going so well at the moment. He will have to build the body up to handle the extra pressure of a Test match."
Jacob Bethell has also signed a new two-year deal with England, while seamers Matthew Potts and Brydon Carse have extended for another year.
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