Sunshine Girls, England launch Test showdown

Robert Bailey, Gleaner Writer

The National Indoor Sports Complex will be buzzing with excitement later, when Jamaica's Sunshine Girls face arch-rivals England in the opening match of their three-Test Supreme Ventures Sunshine Series, starting at 7:30 p.m.

The series is a very important one for the Jamaicans, as it forms a crucial part of their preparation for the World Netball Championships (WNC) and a lot of the players will be hoping to impress the selectors, as they aim to cement a place on the team to Singapore.

The Jamaicans, who are ranked fourth in the world, thrashed Caribbean rivals Trinidad and Tobago 3-0 in the last series in March.

They will be hoping to get off to a winning start, as they aim to secure a 3-0 series victory to overtake the English, who are rated one place above them at number three in the world rankings.

However, they will have to do it without the services of their inspirational leader and former captain, Simone Forbes, who is scheduled to face a hearing today with the Jamaica Anti-Doping Committee (JADCO).

Forbes returned an adverse analytical finding during an out-of-competition drug test last month.

When contacted yesterday for the names of the coaches and players who will be taking in today's opening game, the Jamaica Netball Association (JNA) technical director, Jill McIntosh, refused to divulge any information about the team, but said the names would be released to the media later today.

However, Nadine Bryan, Nicole Aiken-Pinnock, Althea Byfield, Jhaniele Fowler, Ann-Kay Griffiths, Sasher-Gaye Henry, Malysha Kelly, Kameika Sherwood, Kimone Tulloch, Paula Thompson, Naudia Brown, Marion Campbell, Jodi-Ann Ffrench-Kentish and Tracey-Ann Robinson are on the 15-player squad and will be in contention for a place in today's game.

upbeat

Connie Francis, Annette Daley, Minette Reynolds and Oberon Pitterson are the coaches from whom those for match duties will be selected.

England will be without two of their most experienced defenders for the series - Sonia McKloma and Geva Mentor.

Despite this, England's head coach, Sue Hawkins, said her team is very upbeat and raring to go.

"We are very confident because we have been working well together and have a good hit-out before theWorld Championships and so this is the last one," said Hawkins on her team's arrival last Friday.

"Our objectives are to have a great competition against the Jamaica team and, of course, everyone wants to go away with a win, and we will be looking for a win," Hawkins added.

McKloma and Mentor, who played against the Sunshine Girls in the last series here last year, which ended 1-1, are currently plying their trade in the ANZ Netball Championships in Australia and New Zealand.

"We have a young squad coming out here because we have two of our best defenders playing in the ANZ Championships. But we have got youth, and that is what we are doing ... in this series and so it should be an interesting series," said Hawkins.

She added: "Our mid-court is very strong and our shooting area is also very strong and our defence is a bit young and inexperienced for this tournament."

England squad: Karen Atkinson (captain), Pamela Cookey (vice-captain), Layla Guscoth, Louisa Brownfield, Jade Clarke, Rachel Dunn, Tamsin Greenway, Joanne Harten, Eboni Beckford-Chambers, Lindsay Keable, Sasha Corbin, Camilla Buchanan, Stacey Francis, Serena Guthrie, Margaret Palmer.