Jamaica, New Zealand renew rivalry
published: Saturday | July 19, 2003

- Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
Jamaica's captain, Oberon Pitterson, intercepts a pass and looks for a way around her Fijian opponent during their Cable & Wireless World Netball Championship quarter-final last night. Jamaica won 74-38.

Charmaine Austin, Staff Reporter

THE ATMOSPHERE will be similar to that of the 1999 World Championship when hosts New Zealand played Jamaica in the semi-finals.

Electrifying, boisterous, intense and no doubt filled with emotion.

The Sunshine Girls and the Silver Ferns clash this evening at 6:45 in the feature semi-final of the Cable & Wireless World Netball Championship inside the National Indoor Sports Centre.

Jamaica will be seeking to reach their first tournament final but the Ferns are not about to make it simple for them.

Said the team's coach Ruth Aitken: "We saw how they played the Aussies and I'm sure they will be coming at us with the same amount of intensity. Jamaica have always given us exciting netball and the side looks to be improved and ready.

"But so are we. We put a lot of preparation into coming here. The players are all fit and free of injury so what's left now is for the game to begin," said Aitken.

A highly competitive affair is what best describes the scene when the two met four years ago.

Under former coach Yvonne Willering, New Zealand won 55-53 after a determined comeback in the last minute.

They had trailed by three goals at the end of the first quarter, rebounded to take the lead at halftime and at the end of the third period.

Jamaica pulled level in the last quarter but the shooter (not a part of this present line-up) converted all her attempts in that period to see the Ferns through.

Sunshine Girls' coach Maureen Hall remembers the game all too well but is hoping that the victory will be in favour of her team this time around.

"Our aim is to reach the final. That's the aim of all four teams in the semi-finals and the importance of the occasion will see us all doing our very best to get there.

"The effort that will be required as well as the commitment of the players will determine the outcome. Strength, determination, concentration are also factors that will count as well. We really hope we can win," she said.

Goal keeper Linda Vagana now plays for and captains Samoa and Bernice Mene, the two players who helped propel New Zealand to victory over Jamaica in 1999, will be noticeably absent from the line-up.

With the addition of Irene Van Dyk from South Africa and the return of Belinda Colling, Anna Rowberry, Adine Harper and Lesley Nicol, the Ferns will field a strong team against Jamaica.

Jamaica meanwhile have their quota of experienced players and will combine that with the new talent to hopefully secure victory.

Jamaica earned their berth in the semis after defeating Fiji 74-38. New Zealand outplayed Samoa 81-28.

The other semi-final will see world champions against England at 4:30 p.m.

Third ranked England advanced after beating South Africa 44-41 while Australia downed Western Samoa 62-35.

YESTERDAY'S RESULTS