Sunshine Girls Gold medal hopes dashed

Jamaica’s gold-medal hopes at this Netball World Cup have been dashed as the Sunshine Girls were booted from their semi-final, losing 54-57 to world number-one Australia in Cape Town, South Africa.

The game, close through its entirety, hinged on a few turnovers, the Jamaicans suffering everytime they made a mistake.

The scores were tied 14-14 at the end of the first quarter, 29-29 after two, before the Australians began to force the issue, going ahead by two goals in the third.

The Jamaicans would come roaring back in the fourth quarter and even went ahead 51-50 before a plethora of errors forced by suffocating Australian defending, knocked the stuffing out of the world number four in the final two minutes.

Captain Jhaniele Fowler played the entire game, scoring 46 goals from 47 attempts, while goal attack, Shanice Beckford had eight from 10.

The Australians, on the other hand, managed to figure their way around the much-vaunted Jamaican defence by splitting the weight of scoring between goal shooter Cara Koenen (28 goals) and goal attack Steph Wood, (29).

The Jamaicans still have an opportunity to grab a medal at this World Cup, their first since 2007, when they play in the World Cup third-place playoff against New Zealand tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. Jamaica time.

Australia will play against the England Roses for the gold medal, after the latter got the better of New Zealand 46-40 in the other semi-final this morning.

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