NETBALL AROUND THE WORLD
Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls this week demonstrated that the gap between the top four nations is closing all the time, after some stunning performances against the world’s number one and two ranked sides.
After losing the first test to world champions Australia 53-51, coach Connie Francis galvanised her team to its first win over the Diamonds since 1998 as the Jamaicans held their nerve to run out 56-55 winners after a thrilling game.
New Zealand has also found the resurgent Sunshine Girls too hot to handle this week. After losing the first test between the two nations 61-56, Jamaica regrouped to take the second test between the two 53-50. This was only Jamaica’s second win over New Zealand in 44 attempts. And, as Australian coach Norma Plummer has stated this week, the results over the past month have indicated that there are now four genuine contenders for Commonwealth gold in New Delhi in 2010, with Jamaica and England alongside Australia and New Zealand.
After the two test matches between Australia and Jamaica, it was announced that Australia’s captain Sharelle McMahon will require further knee surgery on her return to Australia. McMahon, who was plagued by knee problems in the 2008 ANZ Championships and missed the entire 2008 season, was benched in the first test between the two countries after swelling in her left knee severely hampered her movement.
In the Caribbean, two local sides, Digital Elite Strikers and Shamrocks, are at the top of the table in the annual Helen of the West Netball Festival in St Lucia, ahead of teams from the island, St Vincent and two visiting British teams representing the Royal Navy. The competition concludes this weekend. Meanwhile, in Grenada, the annual Intersector tournament is also under way, with 18 teams taking part
Four teams are tied at the top of England’s National Clubs Premier 1 league after two rounds of matches, with former champions Academy and Linden level on points with Oaksway and Hucclecote. Meanwhile, several high profile players have moved franchise ahead of the forthcoming Co-operative Netball Superleague season, with former TeamBath stars Rachel Dunn, Tamsin Greenway and Geva Mentor and Loughborough Lightning midcourter Natasha Hampshire this week transferring to the newly named Surrey Storm side in London and the South East and Monique Wood and Vicklyn Joseph switching allegiance to past winners Mavericks from TeamBath and Brunel Hurricanes respectively.