Connie Francis, head coach of the Jamaican senior netball team was eager to praise the young and inexperienced side that convincingly defeated a St Vincent and the Grenadines team 74-35 in an exhibition match at the Netball Qualifier of of America at the National Indoor Sports Center. in Kingston, Jamaica on Sunday night.
Led by Jhanielle Fowler, the best shot in the world, the Sunshine Girls consisted of Goal Attack Amanda Pinkney, Wing Attack Quannia Walker, Center Abigale Sutherland, Wing Defense Tafiya Hunter, Goal Defense Kimone Shaw and Goal Keep Theresa Beckford.
Passing quickly before feeding Fowler and Pinkney in the circle, Jamaica quickly established an 18-8 first quarter lead with Fowler scoring 11 goals. Pinkney added six goals before subbing for Gezelle Allison who played the rest of the half.
Francis then explained that bringing Pinkney out early in the game was at the request of the player who was feeling the frantic pace.
“She showed us that she was a failure and it was only fair that we pulled her because we have players who are eager to go out there and play,” the coach said.
“I thought she was really having a great game, but you could see the intensity from the offense to the defense wasn’t there, so we pulled her and put her back in and she came in and she did a really great job. “
Allison’s entry into the game caused a temporary disruption of the flow resulting in some unforced moves. However, she quickly settled in to support Fowler, who was not at his sharpest in losing five shots by the half-time break as Jamaica extended their lead to 42-15.
Pinkney returned as a replacement for Fowler to start the third quarter and demonstrated her natural shooting skills by going 25 of 30 for the game as Jamaica took a 61-24 lead into the final quarter.
Jamaica outscored their opponents 13-11 in the final stanza to secure an easy victory in front of a roaring crowd.
Frančesku said that the narrow difference between the teams in the last quarter was caused by several factors.
“I think it’s the way we take care of the ball. We had a lot of possession and got some away. It’s about sticking to the tactical game because at times St Vincent’s had this game up front and it was really giving us some form of a headache,” she said, “but we continue to reinforce that we have to recognize and allow the coaching staff to says the people. are making a run because of this particular game, but overall I think this young group, six debutants in a game like this, that’s the kind of exposure we need to give our young players to grow up to make the final cut for Cape Town.”
The Netball World Cup will be played in South Africa next summer.
During the game, St Vincent and the Grenadines coach Godfrey Harry often sent their attacking players off, which created some problems for the inexperienced Jamaican side. Chief among the blockers was Joseann Antoine, whose off-the-ball movements challenged Jamaica’s defenders, who struggled to keep up with him.
She was the top scorer for her team with 17 goals from 20 attempts and received good support from Shellise Davis who kicked three goals from five attempts.
Francis admitted that the frequent substitutions created problems.
“I thought their players were actually making an impact. I thought it was a really good tactical play because the first change he made really inspired their team and they were making a run against us, so it’s up to us to understand when teams come with tactical plays and make changes that we simply adhere to. game plan and keep moving forward in order to put more points on the board,” she said as she praised her girls for rising to the challenge.
“It is a new team. We just have to give them credit for the whole effort because I thought we were contested. The team of Vincent and the Grenadines is not an easy team. Not because the scoreboard didn’t reflect that; I thought it wasn’t a true reflection of what was happening on the field, but overall I love this group of young players who came in and gave 110 percent.”
In other matches on Sunday night, Trinidad and Tobago beat St Lucia 63-25, while Grenada came from behind to beat the Cayman Islands 50-40. Meanwhile, the USA defeated Antigua and Barbuda 34-22.
