Police handcuff D/Force n-ballers

POLICE locked up champions Defence Force 48-35 as action in the Pearl Francis Championship Division of the Port-of-Spain Netball League resumed after a two-week break for the Cable & Wireless 11th World Netball Championships in Jamaica.

The Army-Coast Guard women were ahead 10-9 at the end of the opening stanza in Thursday’s game at the Jean Pierre Sports Complex. But then, the policewomen put the handcuffs on their opponents and went into the half-time interval ahead with a 20-18 score, outscoring their rivals 11-8 in the quarter. The teams battled to a 12-12 stalemate in the third quarter of a very intense match, which ended 32-30. And the policewomen further imprisoned the Defence Force in the final quarter scoring 16 goals to a mere five for the final scoreline. Goal-shoot Beverly Hernandez had an excellent match for Police, scoring 33 goals from 34 attempts, while goal-attack Beverly Rodgers got four of six before being replaced by Euphemia Huggins, scorer of 11 goals from her 12 attempts.

For the match, Police scored 48 goals of their 52 attempts, while the Defence Force scored 35 of 43 attempts. Goal-attack Stacey Sparks, one of  four Calypso Girls netballers returning from the world championships in the Defence Force squad, scored 23 of 32 attempts, Carlette Nurse who replaced Rhonda John (one from one) at goal-shoot had a perfect five from five, and Kern Maloney was also deadeyed with five goals from five attempts. Despite this defeat however, the first this season for the Army-Coast Guard women, they remain on track to retain their title.