Calypso Girls netballers humiliated 89-30

KINGSTON: Trinidad and Tobago Calypso Girls netballers were handed a humiliating  59-goal beating by arch-rivals and hosts Jamaica, the Sunshine Girls, as they opened their quest for honours at the 11th Cable & Wireless World Netball Tournament at the new National Sports Centre here on Friday night. Watched by Jamaica Governor General Sir Charles Cooke, Prime Minister PJ Patterson, Opposition Leader Edward Seaga and IFNA President Sherryl Davidson, and following a spectacular opening ceremony, the Sunshine Girls proceeded to give their Trinidad and Tobago rivals a thorough licking. At the end of the first quarter the Sunshine Girls held a comfortable 18-9 lead, and by the halftime interval the game was over as a contest as they stretched their lead to 41-16. The Calypso Girls were given a thorough netball education in passing and positional play, and were made to look very inept, with many passes going astray and intercepted by the very agile and alert Jamaican players. Declaring the series open, Prime Minister Patterson urged all to “Catch de riddim,” official slogan of the championships, but the Calypso Girls netballers seemed to miss it completely.

Judging from the manner of their warm-up routine, the Trinidad and Tobago team looked sluggish. Call it opening game nerves or the fact that we were up against the hosts in an air conditioned arena packed with a sea of yellow, black and green and almost deafening chant- ing, the Calypso Girls netballers never looked the part of co-champions with Australia and New Zealand they were in 1979. The Calypso Girls netball shoots Janelle Barker and Simone Morgan were quite accurate, but the centre court players wing-attack Tricia Liverpool, centre Carlette Nurse and wing-defence Rhonda John found difficulty in getting passes in to them. From the start of the third quarter, coach Veronica McDonald rang in the changes introducing Stacy Sparks at wing-attack, Denesha Moses (wing- defence) and Sojourner “Suzie” Hyles (goal-defence) but to no avail, despite Jamaica too using several substitutes it was more of the same as the Sunshine Girls left their opponents looking bewildered, and the quarter ending 68-22. Barker ended with 21 goals from 24 attempts and Simone Morgan  nine from 11 attempts. Young substitute goal-shoot Carla Williams had 40 goals from 43 attempts for the Sunshine Girls, Elaine Davis 28 from 32, Tiffanie Wolfe 11 from 15, Connie Francis 10.

Teams: JAMAICA: Elaine Davis (GS) Simone Forbes (GA), Nadine Bryan (WA), Althea Byfield (GD), Sharon Wiles (C), Nacahla Gibson (WD), Oberon Pitterson (GD), Kasey Evering (GK).
Substitutes: Carla Williams (GS), Tiffanie Wolfe, Connie Francis (GA).
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO: Janelle Barker (GS), Simone Morgan (GA), Tricia Liverpool (WA), Carlette Nurse (c), Rhonda John (WD), Anika La Roche (GD), Anastascia Wilson (GK).
Substitutes: Stacy Sparks (WA), Denesha Moses (WD), Sojourner Hyles (GD).