Daraine Luton, Freelance WriterTHE SUNSHINE Girls' hopes of winning the World Youth Netball Championship went up in smoke last night after defeat at the hands of England ensured that they failed to make it through to today's final.
Finalist four years ago when the Championship was held in Wales, Jamaica failed to spark against England who downed them by four goals to win 52-48.
Jamaica trailed at the end of each interval - 13-11 in the first quarter, 30-21 at halftime. and despite scoring evenly with the English in the third quarter, they were unable to overcome a 43-34 gap going into the final stanza.
Defeat means that the Joan Cargill-coached girls have slipped in the rankings, down from No. 2, but a win against dethroned champions Australia will leave them at No. 3.
THRILLING SEMI
The Silver Ferns, who Jamaica beat at the semi-final stage in Wales, booked a place in the final with a one-goal win in a thrilling first semi-final, 52-51.
It was the first blemish for the Jamaicans since their arrival in Florida on July 20. Prior to last night's painful defeat, they were nothing short of stupendous in the tournament at the Broward County Convention Centre, Fort Lauderdale.
Cargill's girls recorded seven comprehensive victories in their bid for supremacy before the semis.
In their first game they notched the biggest victory at the tournament, a 98-6 beating of Bermuda. The Girls later wrapped up a 48-37 win over South Africa, a 76-16 victory over Canada and a 61-21 triumph over the United States en route to topping Group B.
In round two, Jamaica also made light work of their opponents, stopping Botswana 61-21, Malaysia 79-20 and Trinidad and Tobago 64-34.
