CAPE TOWN, South Africa, CMC – Dominant Jamaica crushed Caribbean neighbours Trinidad and Tobago while Barbados suffered a setback with their first defeat of the second round, on day six of the Netball World Cup.
Playing at the Cape Town Convention Centre here yesterday, the unbeaten Sunshine Girls stamped their authority over their lesser heralded opponents with a ruthless 89-26 victory in Group G, keeping them on course for the medal phase.
Barbados, battered in the group stages, found themselves on a two-game winning bounce in Pool E but lost a clanger to Sri Lanka 60-56, to be level at the top of the group on four points alongside Zimbabwe.
Entering their contest as firm favourites, Jamaica took a decisive 20-6 lead at the end of the first quarter and were already up by 34 goals at the half-time break, 44-10.
The third quarter was another blow out, Jamaica out-scoring T&T 25-9 to lead 69-19, before coasting in the final stanza.
Australia-based Romelda Aiken-George led the winners with 38 goals from 43 attempts while Shanice Beckford chipped in with 20 from 24 and superstar, Jhaniele Fowler 16 from 18 in her limited role.
For T&T, Afeisha Noel led with 20 from 22.
A competitive affair saw no daylight between Barbados and Sri Lanka in the first quarter which ended 15-15 but the Sri Lankans pulled ahead in the second quarter to lead 30-26 at the half.
However, Barbados pulled out the stops in a critical third quarter, out-scoring the Asian side 22-13, to pull ahead 48-43.
Sri Lanka hit back in a final quarter surge to out-muscle the Caribbean unit, 17-18, and come away with the points.
Barbados were propelled by former England star Kadeen Corbin who netted 27 goals from 31 attempts, while Latonia Blackman made her presence felt with 29 from 35.
The bulk of Sri Lanka’s scoring was done by Thishala Algama who finished with 47 from 50 attempts.
