FOURTEEN PLAYERS have been named to Jamaica's senior netball squad to square off with England in a Tri-Test series beginning tomorrow.
The Sunshine Girls, who are being led by Oberon Pitterson as the new head coach, under the stewardship of former national coach Maureen Hall, will be captained by long-time veteran Elaine Davis, while Simone Forbes will do duties as vice-captain.
The series will mark the return of Kasey Evering to active duty alongside Nichala Gibson. Nadine Bryan rounds off the list of the more experienced players, who will form the core among a group of fairly inexperienced campaigners.
The team will be completed by Under-21 players Romelda Aiken, who is expected to make an impact in the shooting circle, Jodi-Ann Ffrench, who has been playing well at goal attack, Latoya Thomas, who plays that position too but offers more of a height advantage than does the diminutive Ffrench.
THE OTHERS
Others are Marion Campbell, Peter-Gaye Thomas, the centre who is presently understudying Bryan, Sasher-Gaye Henry, Nicole Aiken, who was the lynchpin of the Under-21's defence, Tameka Stewart, and Neekeesha Connolly, who captained the Under-21 team to a fourth placed finish in the World Youth Netball Championships in Fort Lauderdale last year.
The venue for the competition, which until this month was in the air, will be National Indoor Sports Centre (NISC).
The questions surrounding the venue for England's tour of Jamaica came up because the Jamaica Netball Association (JNA) was strapped for cash to pay the heavy rental charges that are incurred when they play there.
However, newly-elected JNA president, Marva Bernard, confirmed that the venue was made secure after her organisation was given a payment schedule that would span four or five months.
Jamaica's opponents arrived in the island on Monday and have already had their first training session in the NISC, followed by last night's welcoming ceremony at the British High Commission.
- P-A.W.
