Charmaine Austin, Staff ReporterTHE BERGER PAINTS Senior League netball semi-finals will be played this afternoon at the Leila Robinson Courts.
Defending champions Waulgrovians A open against Omega A at 4:30 p.m. before the second game between high-riding Jamalco and Jetsetters A at 6:00 p.m.
All have done well up to this point but only two can advance to next Saturday's final.
"We think we will win again this year," is the word from the Waulgrovians camp.
"We have a great chance of winning," Jamalco says.
Jetsetters unabashedly say they have nothing to lose if they do not advance, while Omega took a tight-lipped approach.
Waulgrovians, despite the absence of former captain Connie Francis and injury to key players, expect to better Omega A as they go in search of their 11th title.
The Jamalco-Jetsetters A contest will prove more combative.
"We have nothing to lose if we don't win but that doesn't mean we're not going to fight," said Jetsetters' coach, C. Lloyd Walker.
They are no reported injuries to the side but the recent inclement weather has affected their performance somewhat.
Despite this however, Walker maintains a glimmer of hope.
"We've been improving in our games. In fact, we get better with each game. A good performance is what we are looking for tomorrow (today) but we're hoping to get some more training in later (yesterday) providing that the rain doesn't fall.
"We'll be playing Jamalco who are on a high and we know they have a strong team but I need to tell them not to start their celebrations too early as they haven't passed the semis yet. They are a strong team but we are going out there to play good netball," he said yesterday.
Jetsetters is the only club to have entered three teams in the various leagues this year and all got past the quarter-final round.
Nicola Brown (wing attack), Tomika Hall (goal shoot), Suzette Campbell (centre), Antoinette Gray (goal attack), Alethia Jarrett and schoolgirls Lamore Johnson (goal defence) and Taisha Bennett (wing defence) are expected to start for Jetsetters.
Utility player Shediekey Hamilton, who has started in a number of games this season maybe, depending on certain factors, included among the starting seven.
Meanwhile, Jamalco may have to struggle to find replacement players but their starting team is ready for the challenge.
"The players have been doing well but we have made a couple of changes since we played Waulgrovians," explained coach Winston Nevers.
Shooter Margaret Byfield is out and has been replaced by recalled national representative Tasha Morgan, while Annette Jackson has been shifted from wing defence to wing attack.
Already Jamalco are looking towards the final.
"We're trying to put in extra training days as we are confident of passing the semi-final round. We have a great chance of winning. We don't really want to think about meeting Waulgrovians without getting by Jetsetters first but we have to prepare nonetheless," Nevers said.
Among the injury-free Jamalco players today are under-16 goal shooter Tanisha Campbell, national senior shooter Elaine Davis, Nadine Bryan, Nadine Ffrench and captain Andrea Markland.
"It's going to be a good semi-final because Jetsetters surprised me last week with the Windalco win. We hope to counter with the Jamalco team," he said.
