NAPIER, New Zealand, CMC – Jamaica ended their tour Down Under with a whimper, when World No.2 New Zealand crushed them 62-40 in the second and final Test on Saturday.
The result condemned the World No.4 Sunshine Girls to a 0-2 sweep at the hands of the Silver Ferns, and their fifth straight defeat on the tour, following a 0-3 sweep by the World No.1 Australia Diamonds on the first leg of the trip.
The Jamaicans have travelled with a depleted squad, following the absence of several leading players for one reason or the other, but they still brought nine players from the team that beat the New Zealanders less than a year ago in Kingston.
Coach Connie Francis would however, be hugely disappointed with the results over the last three weeks.
Jamaican trailed 12-20 after the first quarter, 21-35 at halftime, and 33-48 after three quarters in probably their best display of their five-match tour.
The teams went toe-to-toe early, before the Jamaicans started to make mistake, usually due to pressure from their opponents.
Romelda Aiken under the hoop had her hands full with new Silver Ferns goalkeeper Anna Scarlett, and Anna-Kaye Griffith – at goal attack – failed to overcome the pressure from New Zealand captain Casey Williams at the goal defence position.
Jamaica tried Paula Thompson in the centre bib for the second period to provide more height, and to relieve Nadine Bryan of trying to keep up with the speedy Laura Langman.
