Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls faced a tough opening day at the Fast5 Netball World Series on Friday, as they lost all three of their opening encounters, but will be hoping for better fortunes on Saturday’s final day in Christchurch, New Zealand.

The young, relatively inexperienced Jamaican squad—fielding seven debutants—was visibly affected by the high-stakes atmosphere, showing early jitters and struggling to find their usual rhythm. Their opponents—New Zealand, England, and South Africa—capitalized on the team's early nerves and shaky play to clinch solid 39-19, 35-15, and 33-25 wins.

In their first game against the host nation, New Zealand, Jamaica faltered under the pressure and succumbed to a 20-goal blowout. The Sunshine Girls’ normally steady ball movement and confident shooting were absent as they grappled to find cohesion on the court before Amanda Pinkney eventually scored 13 goals and Simone Gordon, six.

New Zealand, buoyed by their home crowd, put Jamaica on the defensive from start to finish, with Martina Salmon scoring 17 goals, while Maia Wilson and Saviour Tui had 11 goals each.

Jamaica’s next matchup, against England, unfolded similarly as the shooting struggles persisted, and unforced errors cost them valuable scoring opportunities and inevitably resulted in another 20-goal defeat. Pinkney again led the way for the Jamaicans with nine goals, while Shadine Bartley had the other six.

England’s disciplined defence and polished offensive execution widened the gap, as Harriet Jones hit a solid 13 goals from as many attempts, with support from Sophie Egbaran (8 goals), Paige Reed (8 goals), and Sophie Kelly (6 goals).

However, the Jamaicans returned for their final game against South Africa determined and refocused, and it was evident in what was their best showing of the day.

The Sunshine Girls appeared more positive and organized across the court, as they found moments of fluidity in their movement and delivered some confident shots, giving fans a glimpse of the team's potential.

Despite ultimately falling short by eight goals, they had much to smile about as this time it was Bartley that led from the front with 12 goals, supported by Kestina Sturridge (7 goals) and Pinkney (six goals).

South Africa used their experience to good effect, as Zandre Smith scored 18 goals and Kamogelo Maseko had a perfect seven goals from seven attempts. Rolene Streukter, also scored seven goals, with Lefebre Rademan getting the other goal.

With the first day out the way, the Jamaicans will be hoping for better fortunes on the second day as they face reigning champions Australia, who are so far unbeaten in the tournament, and Uganda. However, fatigue could set in as playing fast-paced games involving four six-minute quarters against five of the world’s best teams is by no means easy.

Those games are scheduled for 6:00pm and 10:30pm Jamaica time.

NB: Fast5 action can be seen live on SportsMax and the SportsMax app.

Nepal came to within two runs of a famous victory over South Africa as the Proteas edged a thrilling encounter in Kingstown to remain unbeaten at the T20 World Cup. 

Sompal Kami knew that two runs from the final ball of the match would secure an unlikely triumph, but batting partner Ghulsan Jha was run out at the non-striker's end to conclude their first meeting in international cricket. 

South Africa were restricted to 115-7 with opener Reeza Hendricks producing 43 runs from 49 balls, ultimately handing the initiative to their opponents to keep their Super 8s hopes alive.

Nepal would last until the eighth over before losing Kushal Bhurtel and Rohit Paudel in three balls, but the Rhinos would steady the ship, leading to a nail-biting finish. 

However, Tabraiz Shamsi (4-19) struck twice in a game-changing 18th over, aided by Ottniel Baartman denying seven runs in the final over to decide the tie. 

South Africa face the United States in Antigua on June 19, while Nepal search for their first win of the tournament as they take on Bangladesh in their final Group D game.

Meanwhile, New Zealand secured their first win of their T20 World Cup campaign with relative ease, beating Uganda by nine wickets at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.

The Black Caps exit from the tournament had already been confirmed following Afghanistan's seven-wicket triumph over Papua New Guinea, exiting a World Cup before the last four for the first time since 2014.

Trent Boult dictated the early pace of the encounter, taking two wickets inside the first over as their opponents quickly saw five wickets fall for just 15 runs.

Kenneth Waiswa was the only batter for the Cricket Cranes to reach double figures, as wickets from Tim Southee (3-4) and Mitchell Santer (2-8) in successive balls saw Uganda all out for 40. 

Kane Williamson's side faced just 33 balls on their way to victory, as Devon Conway scored an unbeaten 22 from 15 balls to win the contest ahead of their final Group C fixture against the Barramundis. 

The West Indies delivered a commanding performance against Uganda in their second match of the 2024 T20 World Cup, crushing their opponents by 134 runs. The star of the night was undoubtedly Akeal Hosein, whose career-best figures of 5-11 spearheaded the West Indies' bowling attack and highlighted the fruits of his relentless hard work and preparation.

West Indies, after setting a formidable total of 173-5, saw significant contributions from their top order. Johnson Charles led the charge with a solid 44, while Andre Russell's brisk 30 off 17 balls, alongside essential innings from Rovman Powell (23), Nicholas Pooran (22), and Sherfane Rutherford (22), set a challenging target for Uganda.

The Ugandan side, however, crumbled under the pressure of the West Indies' bowling onslaught, collapsing to a paltry 39 all out. Only Juma Miyagi managed to reach double figures, remaining unbeaten on 13. Hosein’s exceptional spell was well-supported by Alzarri Joseph (2-6) and a wicket each from Russell, Gudakesh Motie, and Romario Shepherd.

Reflecting on his outstanding performance, Hosein attributed his success to his dedication and strategic planning. "I think I needed this. In the nets and in the previous series, I felt the ball was coming out good but I was just not getting the rewards," Hosein explained.

“It is a lot of hard work. When you get success, guys are going to study you and have a plan. You always have to stay a step ahead. For me, it is just about trying to react to what the surface is doing and planning it out. Even if the ball is going both ways, you cannot do much if you don't plan. So, it is about planning the over well. I am happy to bowl wherever the team needs me."

Hosein’s disciplined approach and adaptability were evident as he dismantled the Ugandan batting lineup, showcasing why he is regarded as one of the top bowlers in the world.

Meanwhile, West Indies captain Rovman Powell praised his team's significantly improved performance compared to their nervy five-wicket victory against Papua New Guinea in the opening match on June 2.

"We talk about improving 10-15 per cent every match. Last game, we were flat so we just wanted to improve as a team," Powell remarked. "When you are playing at home, the pressure can sometimes get to you. So, a little bit of rust in the first match. We started off at 60 per cent, now up to 70-80 per cent and from here, it gets tougher."

Powell was particularly effusive in his praise for Hosein, emphasizing his consistent excellence. "He has been fantastic, that is why he is the number-three ranked bowler in the world. He has done it against Full-Member nations as well, and we expect him to do it against teams that are just coming into international cricket."

Looking ahead, Powell highlighted the challenges that lie in wait but expressed confidence in his team’s preparedness. "It is just for us to continue to play good cricket. We have played good cricket for the last 12 months or so. It gets tougher from here but we understand conditions and cricket is not easy in the Caribbean."

Uganda made T20 World Cup history as they were bowled out for only 39 runs by West Indies in Guyana.

The T20 World Cup debutants lasted just 12 overs, as they matched the Netherlands (v Sri Lanka in 2014) for the lowest-ever total in the tournament.

It was a convincing, 134-run victory for tournament co-hosts West Indies, who have won both of their matches and are second in Group C behind Afghanistan.

Batting first, the Windies posted 173-5. Johnson Charles was their top scorer with 44 runs from 42 balls, while Andre Russell plundered an unbeaten 30 that included six fours.

Akeal Hosein swiftly set about dismantling Uganda's batting line-up, with Juma Miyagi the only player to reach double figures for the minnows.

Data Debrief: Career highlight for Hosein

Hosein was the star of the show for the Windies, with his career-best bowling figures of 5-11.

That made him the first West Indies bowler to take five wickets in a match at the T20 World Cup.

Much like West Indies Head coach Darren Sammy did recently, all-rounder Roston Chase stressed the need for the Caribbean side to not only up their game, but to also remain grounded as they prepare to face newcomers Uganda in their second ICC Men’s T20 World Cup encounter on Saturday.

Chase, who posted an unbeaten 27-ball 42 which propelled West Indies to a five-wicket win over Papua New Guinea in their Group C opener last week, concurred with Sammy that the win was too close for comfort, as they surpassed their target with a solitary over to spare.

Sammy in that post-game assessment, warned his team against complacency against perceived lesser opponents, especially given the number of upsets in the tournament so far, the latest of which came on Friday when Afghanistan hammered New Zealand by 80 runs.

As such, Afghanistan head Group C standings on four points, two ahead of West Indies and Uganda on two points each, with New Zealand and Papua New Guinea yet to get on the board. Uganda also bettered Papua New Guinea in a low-scoring affair.

With that in mind, Chase is well aware that West Indies will require a more efficient execution under the lights at the Guyana National Stadium, as Uganda has nothing to lose heading into the encounter.

“I just think that it’s a World Cup, so you can’t underestimate any team. Every team is as strong as any other team – but I just think for us, it’s a case where we have to improve our dot-ball percentage, especially in the middle overs,” he told journalists during a pre-match news conference on the eve of the game.

“I mean, the pitch is a difficult one that we played on in the first game, so I think it’s a case where we just need to not panic too quickly – just try to stabilise the middle overs, because we have a lot of power in the back end to kind of make up for it. So it’s just a case where we just need to get a few more singles, and turns ones into twos, and stuff like that, and then just launch in the back end,” he added.

Though not as explosive like some of his teammates where boundary hitting is concerned, Chase, 32, has adjusted well to his role in the team –to be a stabilizing force, if and when called upon.

Prior to the global spectacle, Chase showcased his immense growth as a T20 batsman, with scores of 74 and 33 against Nepal, followed by unbeaten knocks of 67 and 32 in the warm-up sweep of South Africa.

“In my cricketing career, I’ve always been one to get some hard tasks, so I really cherish the opportunity and the experiences. I mean, obviously, it’s good to go out there and get an easy job, but I think that your teammates, coaches and especially the fans, I think they rate you more and they appreciate you more when you come through these hard times,” Chase reasoned.

“So I am just always looking to do good even when the pressure is on. I know that once I come out on top, people love me. Once I’m doing what is required for the team, and doing it well, I am happy with that,” the Barbadian noted.

That said, Chase pointed to his unwavering determination to chart his own legacy in the format, as many have likened his role in the team to that of former Jamaican stalwart and batting all-rounder Marlon Samuels, who was instrumental to West Indies’ T20 World Cup triumphs in 2012 and 2016.

“There could only be one Marlon Samuels and one Roston Chase,” Chase declared.

“I mean, if people want to call it the Marlon Samuels role, I have no problem with that. He’s won two world titles playing that role and being the Man-of-the-Match in two of the finals. So, I have no problem with that tag, but I’m my own player,” he ended.

While relieved that they came out tops in the end, West Indies Head Coach Darren Sammy believes the opening ICC Men’s T20 World Cup win against Papua New Guinea was too close for comfort, and called for significant improvement heading into their next encounter and beyond.

Chasing a modest 137 for victory, West Indies overcame a shaky start to secure a nervy five-wicket victory over Papua New Guinea on Sunday. It took Roston Chase with an unbeaten 42 and Andre Russell with a nine-ball 15 to get West Indies across the line.

The sub-par performance left Sammy peeved, as he rued the fact that they not only got to the target with one over to spare, but also lost five wickets in the process. As such, he insists that the Caribbean side tightens up, as he warned against complacency, which was at the root of past World Cup failures.

The Rovman Powell-led West Indies outfit will next face newcomers Uganda on Saturday at Providence Stadium in Guyana.

“These (games against perceived lesser opponents) are the games that cost us in previous tournaments,” Sammy declared.

“Winning with just an over to spare is a bit too close for comfort, but I won’t let this overshadow the positive strides we’ve made throughout the year,” he added.

Sammy’s concern is very much understandable, as after Uganda, West Indies will have more formidable foes Afghanistan and New Zealand to contend with. Hence, Sammy knows there’s no room for slip-ups.

“Every game is crucial,” he stressed.

“We need to focus on the present, one match at a time, and avoid complacency. We didn’t exhibit our usual aggressive batting style; the brand we’ve established over the past year. We allowed them [Papua New Guinea] to stay in the contest for too long,” Sammy argued.

Should West Indies produce a more dominant performance against Uganda, it would put them in good stead heading to Trinidad and Tobago, where they will lock horns with New Zealand on June 13, and Afghanistan on June 18.

Afghanistan heads Group C on two points, same as West Indies and Uganda, but with a superior net run-rate. Only the top two teams from the group will progress to the Super Eight.

West Indies will be eager to avoid a repeat of the last T20 World Cup, where they were knocked out in the first round.

Uganda captain Brian Masaba spoke of his pride after his "special" team overcame Papua New Guinea for their first ever T20 World Cup victory on Wednesday.

Uganda, who are making their first appearance at a major global event across any of cricket's three formats, were held to just 58 runs as they lost their Group C opener against Afghanistan earlier this week.

However, they bounced back in style in their second match, edging over the line in the 19th over for a three-wicket victory in Guyana.

Speaking after the match, Masaba – who finished with figures of 17-1 through four overs – said: "I'm super proud of this group of guys. They've put in the work, they've put in such a shift. 

"To get a win for their country at the World Cup is very, very special. There is no other way to say it – it's massive for Ugandan cricket.

"It has been quite a journey to make this happen. Getting to a World Cup was very special but this is even more special."

Papua New Guinea's total of 77 all out was their worst ever in the format, with Frank Nsubuga playing a starring role for Uganda by giving up just four runs from four overs.

That is the fewest allowed by a bowler through a full four overs at the T20 World Cup and the sixth fewest permitted in the format overall.

Papua New Guinea skipper Assad Vala, though, chose to focus on his own team's shortcomings with the bat.

"We had a lot of soft dismissals. I think anything just over 100 was a good score on that wicket, it was a challenging wicket to bat on," he said. 

"They bowled really well but a lot of soft dismissals from us put them on top. They never gave us any chance to get back into the game. So, credit to them as well."

Afghanistan made a statement of intent as they opened their T20 World Cup campaign with a 125-run victory over debutants Uganda.

With matches against the West Indies and New Zealand to come in Group C, Jonathan Trott's side were quick out of the blocks in Guyana.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz (76) and Ibrahim Zadran (70) led the way with an impressive opening stand of 154 after 14.3.overs.

However, Afghanistan collapsed somewhat later on, adding just 29 more runs as they finished at 183-5.

Nevertheless, they were quick to ensure Uganda were unable to build any momentum. Fazalhaq Farooqi dismissed Ronak Patel and Roger Mukasa in consecutive deliveries during the first over.

Indeed, it was a true baptism of fire for the T20 World Cup debutants, who were bowled out for just 58 with four overs still remaining.

Data Debrief

Afghanistan set the tone with a fast start in Georgetown. Zadran and Gurbaz's opening stand of 154 was the second-highest in T20 World Cup history, behind only the 170 of England's Jos Buttler and Alex Hales against India two years ago.

Farooqi then took centre stage in the field, claiming his first five-wicket haul in T20Is and conceding just nine runs - four of which came from his first ball. His 5-9 was the fourth-highest figure in tournament history.

Jamaica’s pair of Natoya Goule-Toppin and Adelle Tracey both safely progressed to the women’s 800 metres semi-finals, as they had little problems navigating their respective heats on day five of the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary on Wednesday.

Goule-Toppin, who entered the championships ranked second in the world, contested the last of the seven heats, where she bided her time in the early stages, before challenging and pushing America’s reigning World Champion Athing Mu in the homestretch.

In the end, Goule-Toppin finished second in 1:59.64, behind Mu, who stopped the clock in 1:59.59. Switzerland’s Lore Hoffman clocked a season’s best 2:00.14 to secure the third automatic qualifying spot.

Though she ran a national record of 3:58.77 in the 1,500m semi-finals, where she shaved 3.07 seconds off the previous mark set by Yvonne Graham in Monaco in 1995, Tracey was more at home in the two-lap event, and she performed accordingly to book her spot in the next round.

The 30-year-old occupied the inside lane for most of the way before finding space in between competitors in the home stretch to close fast for second in heat four.

She stopped the clock in a season’s best 1:59.92, behind Uganda’s Halimah Nakaayi (1:59.68), with French athlete, Renelle Lamote (2:00.22, taking the third automatic qualifying spot from the heat.

Meanwhile, Cuba’s Rose Mary Almanza, who contested heat six, placed sixth in 2:01.33 and failed to progress.

The semi-finals are scheduled for Friday.

You can catch live action of the 2023 World Athletic Championships by downloading the Sportsmax App.

Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls moved one step closer to booking a spot in the last four of the 2023 Netball World Cup in South Africa after a 61-49 win over Uganda in their first game of the second preliminary stage at the Cape Town International Convention Center on Monday.

Jamaica didn’t have things all their way in the first quarter thanks to a very solid start from the Ugandans.

Uganda scored the first two points of the game but the Sunshine Girls still led 15-12 after the first quarter.

Jamaica picked up the pace to start the second, jumping out to a quick 19-13 lead within the first three minutes of the period.

The Jamaicans stretched the lead to 10 for the first time with 8:00 left in the first half and never looked back.

Eventually, Jamaica won the second quarter 23-9 to enjoy a 38-21 lead at the half.

Despite having less possession than Uganda in the first half, Jamaica forced their opponents into 15 turnovers, eight more than them.

Offensively, Jamaica completed the first half without a missed shot.

Goal Shooter, Jhaniele Fowler, was her usual dominant self throughout the first half with 28 goals while goal attack, Shanice Beckford, had 10 goals. Beckford also had 12 assists while wing attack, Khadijah Williams, had 18 assists in the first half.

Jamaica coach, Connie Francis, made a number of changes for the second half.

Uganda fought back in the third quarter, winning it 16-11 to face a 37-49 deficit going into quarter number four.

Jamaica’s lead built up in the first half proved to be too much for the Ugandans in the end with the final score being 61-49 in favor of the Commonwealth Games silver medalists.

Romelda Aiken-George had 16 goals from 16 attempts in the second half after replacing Jhaniele Fowler.

The Jamaicans entered stage two of the preliminaries with four points and this win puts them level on points with New Zealand on six at the top of Pool G. The top two teams from Pool F and Pool G will advance to the semi-finals.

Jamaica will next play Caribbean rivals, Trinidad & Tobago, on Wednesday.

Trinidad and Tobago suffered a discouraging loss 34-74 to Uganda on Sunday at the Netball World Cup 2023 in Cape Town.

Despite a valiant effort from Afeisha Noel, who scored 29 goals, the Calypso Girls were no match for the She Cranes, who used their trademark physicality to dominate at both ends of the court.

Goalkeeper Muhameed Haniisha proved especially troublesome for the Trinidad & Tobago shooters for Noel and Joelisa Cooper, who only scored three times. After establishing a three goal lead at the end of the first quarter, Ugangda tightened their hold on game as Mary Cholhok and Irene Eyaru seemingly scored at will as their team extended their lead to 33-18 at the half-time break.

If the Trinidadians were hoping for a let-up from their opponents in the third quarter, those hopes were quickly dashed as Uganda upped the pressure even as the Calypso Girls tried to rally. The final quarter was a mere formality and Trinidad were unable to get a foothold in the game as they headed towards their second defeat in three games.

Meanwhile, Barbados suffered their third consecutive loss of the tournament when they went down 48-84 to Malawi.

The Gems were outplayed in every phase of the game but produced a sterling effort led by Kadeen Corbin, who scored 32 goals. Latonia Blackman scored 14.

However, their efforts were never going to be enough against the outstanding Suncorp Super League player Mwai Kumwenda who sunk 42 goals and Joyce Mvula, who scored 37.

Reigning Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) champions Senegal and continental powerhouse Ivory Coast have been drawn together for the 2022 African Nations Championship (CHAN).

The biennial tournament is due to be held in Algeria in January and February 2023, with 18 teams competing across five groups. The participants must consist only of players playing in their domestic national league competitions.

Group B looms as the toughest with Senegal drawn alongside two-time AFCON winners Ivory Coast, as well as DR Congo and Uganda. DR Congo missed out on 2022 World Cup qualification in the playoffs to Morocco.

Hosts Algeria are in Group A with 2014 winners Libya, Ethiopia and Mozambique, while Morocco, who have lifted the past two African Nations Championship titles, are in Group C with Ghana, Sudan and Madagascar.

Mali, Angola and Mauritania are in Group D and Cameroon, Congo and Niger make up Group E.

Egypt, who lost last year's AFCON final to Senegal, along with 2022 World Cup participants Tunisia did not enter, while Nigeria failed to qualify.