Related items

• ‘The work continues’: Sunshine Girls coach Henry says Horizon Series victory a springboard toward World Cup ambitions

  The cheers were still echoing in the background as the Sunshine Girls celebrated their hard-fought 2-1 win over England in the four-match Horizon Netball Series.

  For many, it was a victory that felt like a milestone, especially given that it was the Sunshine Girls’ first international series since their Netball World Cup bronze medal-winning feat and first at home in a while. However, Head coach Sasher-Gaye Henry was quick to temper the celebrations, reminding everyone that while the triumph was significant, the journey is far from complete.

  After a 49-49 draw to start the series, England won the second contest 55-47 at the AO Arena in Manchester, before the Sunshine Girls rallied with 50-49 and 61-53 victories in the final two encounters at the National Indoor Sports Centre.

  “Well, I think the game was a very keenly contested game. I must congratulate England for putting up a good fight. Our goals tonight were strong, disciplined, and consistent, but we also had some struggles. Our through-court play wasn’t where we wanted it to be at first, but we fixed it tonight. We limited our errors, and that was key to our success,” Henry told SportsMax.TV, her voice calm yet full of pride after Tuesday’s decisive win.

  

  Though the series ended with a confident performance, Henry also pointed to other highs and challenges, as she was honest about the team’s growth.

  “We’ve come a long way since our first game of series. That draw against England and then the eight-point loss was a wake-up call for us. It gave us a chance to go back and evaluate what went wrong. We worked hard to address those issues, and our performances in the third and fourth games showed how much we’ve improved,” she shared.

  “This is just the start. The girls have shown their class, but there’s still a long way to go. We’re excited about the win, but it’s a work in progress. There’s more development needed, more players to bring on board, and definitely more support from sponsors. Running a program like this is not easy, and we’re struggling. The backing is crucial if we are to continue pushing forward,” Henry noted.

  With the South Africa series in January next on their agenda, Henry said the aim is to build on their Horizon success as she stressed the need for consistency, especially as they build towards the 2027 World Cup in Australia.

  

  “South Africa is a solid team, and we have to be consistent. We’ll have a new squad because we’ll be without one or our two shooters for that one, so we’ll have to adjust. The focus now is on identifying and developing new players and pushing them to perform at their best come January.

  “The victory was a testament to the depth of the Sunshine Girls’ talent, which is good, but we still have room for improvement. I was happy that we were able to rotate most of the players during the series, with only one not getting a chance to play. That shows we’ve got options, and it’s good for the team,” Henry reasoned.

  That said, the former player turned coach singled out Romelda Aiken-George among the team’s standout performers against England, as she was drafted at the last minute to replace injured star shooter Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard. England-born Rhea Dixon was named player of the game on Tuesday, while Shamera Sterling-Humphrey copped the player of the series accolade.

  “Romelda really stepped up to the challenge. We didn’t train with her leading into the series, and again, it showed how much depth we have. The girls were disciplined, and their willingness to step up in the absence of some key players was impressive. It was a true team effort,” Henry declared.

  “But again, this win is an excellent start for us. We’ve proven to the world that we can compete with the best. But as I said, this is just the beginning. There’s a lot more work to be done, and we’re ready to get back to the drawing board and keep improving,” she ended.

• Stokes: We know what we're doing on Bethell call

  While Ben Stokes understands the choice to put Jacob Bethell in to bat at number three has raised questions, he has affirmed England's decision-makers know what they are doing.

  Bethell is 21 years old and is in line to make his Test debut against New Zealand in Christchurch on Thursday.

  A left-hander for Warwickshire, he has never made a century in his senior cricket career and has never batted above number four in his 20 first-class matches.

  When asked about the decision to field Bethell higher up the order than most expected, the England captain tried to allay any fears that people may have.

  "You can totally understand it, but you've got to be true to yourself when you get given the opportunity to be able to make decisions," he said.

  "We've always done what we feel is right for the team. It's gone in our favour quite a lot, so I think we do know what we're doing.

  "We're not picking people just to wind people up. We do know what we're doing.

  "We do know what we look for, and when you're in a position to make decisions you've got to do it by your standards and your means."

  Bethell comes into the Test side having made 15 white-ball appearances, with plenty of excitement around his future.

  He was originally due to be the backup batsman in the squad, but following wicketkeeper Jordan Cox's broken thumb, he was thrust into the team.

  But Stokes was relaxed about him coming in, explaining that he had full faith in his ability.

  "Beth's got the capability to be able to go out there, bat three and hopefully impact the game, like he has done throughout the summer in the white-ball team," he said.

• Bellingham 'felt like a scapegoat' for England at Euro 2024

  Jude Bellingham feels as though he was made a scapegoat after England lost the final of Euro 2024 to Spain.

  The 21-year-old played in every round during the tournament, following a season in which he made 47 appearances for club and country.

  Having spearheaded Real Madrid's charge to a LaLiga-Champions League double, Bellingham failed to match those same heights for England in Germany.

  Though he feels he came in for extra scrutiny.

  "I lost my smile a lot playing for England after the Euros as I felt I was a little mistreated compared to what I contributed," Bellingham told reporters ahead of Real Madrid's game away to Liverpool in the Champions League.

  "[The] smile is back [now].

  "I think it was a bit harsh on me. I felt a bit like the scapegoat. Maybe I felt a bit sorry for myself.

  "I felt I contributed some pretty big moments, but it felt like the whole world was crumbling down on me, especially in the three days after the final. It wasn't a nice feeling."

  Bellingham scored two goals during the tournament, the first a winner against Serbia in the group stage and the second a last-minute bicycle kick in the round of 16 to force extra time against Slovakia.

  He came in for criticism at Euro 2024 for his apparent refusal to speak to the media, but explained that there were complex reasons for his stance.

  "That was reported in a way that made it sound like I think I'm above it, but it's not that at all," he said.

  "I had some personal things going on where journalists had gone to see members of my family while I was at the tournament, my grandparents.

  "I don't think that's fair, it crosses the line of respect. That's where I took it a little bit personally and decided I would just focus on the football and let that do the talking, instead of talking in the press to people that seemingly don't respect me.

  "My family comes first, my nan didn't want to leave her house for the whole summer.

  "Maybe I should have communicated that, so people understood my situation. But that was a little bit more personal to me, so that's why I decided to keep my mouth shut."