After a nail-biting finish saw the opening match of the Vitality Netball Horizon Series end in a 49-49 draw, fans in Manchester and those watching across the country on BBC Sport and worldwide on NetballPass watched the Vitality Roses defeat the Jamaican Sunshine Girls 55-47 on Sunday.
Funmi Fadoju was named Player of the Match after her impressive defensive efforts for the Vitality Roses which saw England turn yesterday’s draw into an eight-goal win against the Sunshine Girls.
With England taking an early lead, the first quarter ended 12-9 in the Vitality Roses favour thanks to a number of defensive wins from Fadoju, Fran Williams, and Beth Cobden. However, Jamaica powered ahead into the second quarter, closing the deficit. A contact call against the Jamaican defence just before the half time whistle allowed Helen Housby the opportunity to take a penalty shot at goal, equalising the score at 24-24 at the half time break.
The third quarter saw changes made to England’s attacking unit, with Housby moving to goal shooter, Lois Pearson to goal attack and Jess Shaw entering the court at wing attack. This new line-up settled quickly on court allowing England to re-build their lead in the scoreline. Housby and Pearson combined seamlessly in attack to the delight of the Manchester crowd and the Vitality Roses bench alike.
A multitude of changes ensued for Jamaica as England's lead grew, reaching a seven goal gap at one point. However, Jamaica remained determined to fight back, closing the deficit to within one goal in the opening five minutes of the final quarter. As the Vitality Roses responded, more changes were made on court for Jamaica, including captain Shamera Sterling heading to the bench in place of Kadie-Ann Dehaney at goal keeper.
Reflecting on the win and this new attacking combination for England Vitality Roses Head Coach Jess Thirlby said: “I’m super excited by some of the little snapshots of where I think this team can go and some of the change ups that we made today, in particular the shooting circle.”
The Vitality Roses now head to Kingston, Jamaica for the second leg of the series. They will play Jamaica at 23:30 GMT on Monday 25 November and then in the final match in the Vitality Netball Horizon Series at 00:00 GMT on Wednesday 27 November. Both games will be broadcast live on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app, and international viewers can watch on NetballPass.
