PLUMMER...This series is a great opportunity to test ourselves against one of the top teams in the world, but it’s also a stepping stone for bigger things.
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Sunshine Girl Crystal Plummer is no stranger to high-pressure situations, but Jamaica’s dramatic 49-49 draw against England in the opening game of the four-match Horizon Netball Series was an experience that even she found exhilarating.
Still, as the Sunshine Girls look to improve in the second match on Sunday, Plummer is focused on channeling the lessons from Saturday’s thrilling contest into consistent success for the remainder of the series and, by extension, her career.
“It was a rollercoaster of emotions,” Plummer told SportsMax.Tv as she reflected on the match played at the AO Arena in Manchester.
“There were moments when we should have had the upper hand and allowed England to slip. But that’s what makes netball so exciting—it’s a constant test of resilience and focus. All in all, I’m super excited to be back on the international stage, and I am just looking to build on the lessons as they come,” she added.
Plummer, who started at centre before being substituted at the beginning of the second quarter, acknowledged the intense pace of the match. Both teams traded turnovers early on, but it was England who managed to pull away in the second quarter to establish a 26-20 halftime lead.
Despite sitting out portions of the game, Plummer remained a vocal presence on the sidelines, urging her teammates to push through their challenges.
Though they eventually rallied in the last two quarters, it was the comeback from two goals down in the closing seconds of the final quarter to level the game that really took the prize.
“Our team showed so much heart. We made some errors, but we also demonstrated how capable we are of bouncing back, so basically it is a case of all the hard work we put in that paid off. The way we rallied in the third and fourth quarters was truly inspiring,” Plummer opined.
“Those last few minutes were nerve-wracking. Again, we had chances in which we could have opened up big leads, but we let it slip. That’s something we’ll address as a team because we know we have what it takes to win these tight games,” she noted.
That said, Plummer believes consistency will be the key to victory as the Sunshine Girls look to gain the upper hand in the second game of the series on Sunday.
“We’ve shown that we can match England in every aspect, but it’s about sustaining that level of play for all four quarters. If we can clean up our errors and stay composed under pressure, I’m confident we’ll come out on top. We just have to take things one quarter at a time,” Plummer stated.
The talented 22-year-old, who has been a pivotal player for Jamaica since her debut at the Americas qualifiers on home soil in 2022, is also eager to step up her individual performance.
“As a midcourt player, my role is to connect the defence and attack seamlessly, so I want to be sharper in my decision-making and ensure that I’m providing the best support to my teammates on court,” said Plummer, who was a part of the bronze medal-winning Netball World Cup team.
“I always tell myself that I am a hard cookie who will battle to the very end, and I am very confident in my abilities, which is why I consistently set goals and then put in the mental and physical work to ensure I fulfil them. So my goals for this series have already been locked in, and so I just want to put my best foot forward for myself and the team,” she declared.
While her immediate focus is on helping Jamaica secure a series win, Plummer also has her eyes set on long-term goals. With the next Netball World Cup scheduled for 2027, she is determined to elevate her game and contribute to Jamaica’s quest for global dominance.
“This series is a great opportunity to test ourselves against one of the top teams in the world, but it’s also a stepping stone for bigger things. We want to keep building and ensure that when the World Cup comes around, we’re ready to challenge for the title. For now, it’s about putting it all together because I believe our best is yet to come, and I’m excited to be part of this journey,” the jovial Plummer ended.
Sherdon Cowan is a five-time award-winning journalist with 10 years' experience covering sports.
Carsley hopes 'young' England will benefit incoming boss Tuchel
England interim manager Lee Carsley said the widened pool of young players available for selection will help incoming boss Thomas Tuchel.
Carsley was handed the reins to the national team temporarily following Gareth Southgate's departure and has given opportunities to young players during his short spell, which will end with the Nations League match against the Republic of Ireland on Sunday.
The 50-year-old has handed debuts to six players - Morgan Gibbs-White, Angel Gomes, Noni Madueke, Lewis Hall, Morgan Rogers and Curtis Jones - during his five-match reign.
"The challenge [for the young players] is to stay there now. It's a tough squad to get into, and they've put themselves in the picture," the outgoing coach said.
"It's good for Thomas [Tuchel, who takes charge on January 1] that the pool has increased.
"I've seen them up close. I know what they're capable of, and they've got the mentality to compete. There are so many quality players, the competition is extreme, and they've got to stay in the race."
Carsley came under pressure after the Three Lions lost 2-1 to Greece at Wembley in October, but a 3-0 win in the return fixture on Thursday has put them in a strong position in their Nations League group.
England 20-29 South Africa: Sprinboks hold on to edge thriller
England suffered a fifth consecutive loss as South Africa held on to clinch a thrilling 29-20 win at Twickenham on Saturday.
After an open first half, the Springboks dug deep in the second, with Cheslin Kolbe's try ensuring they got over the line.
It had started so well for England, who took the lead just four minutes in as Marcus Smith's dummied drop-goal gave Ollie Sleightholme the chance to cross.
South Africa took their chances when they came though, and three quickfire tries put them in control.
Grant Williams raced through a gap, leaving Freddie Steward behind, and though Smith's kick edged England in front again, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Kolbe kept the momentum with them.
Sam Underhill burrowed through to make it a two-point game at the break, but Kolbe scored the only try of the second half after Handre Pollard's penalty to put them out of sight.
An increasingly desperate England tried to fight back but struggled to find a way through their stubborn opponents as they suffered a third consecutive defeat in their autumn series.
Data Debrief: A worrying sight
England cannot seem to find a win at the moment, as they struggled to come up with ideas to try and get what would have been a first victory since June.
The good news for them is that their final match of the autumn campaign is against Japan, who they beat in their most recent triumph by 35 points.
As for South Africa, they have now won four of their last five matches against England (L1), including each of their last three.
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.
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