Paul-Andre Walker, Staff Reporter
JAMAICA, BUOYED by the return of defender Kasey Evering, will get a good opportunity to analyse the state of their rebuilding process when they take on England in the first game of a Tri-Test Series at the National Indoor Sports Centre this evening.
The 6:30 p.m. start will be preceded by an opening ceremony, which will symbolically feature Rising Star winner Christopher Martin.
Just like Martin, the limelight of being on the big stage is new for many of the Sunshine Girls.
Hopefully, the mixture of the nine Under-21 players with five seniors will bear fruit because England will be playing with eight players from the 2003 World Netball Championships who are expected to give them loads of experience.
English coach Margaret Caldow will not pay much attention to the youth within the Jamaica team though, because she doesn't think they will make the Sunshine Girls any less dangerous.
REBUILDING
"They are only rebuilding in a few areas. I don't think that the Jamaicans have lost anything because the young players that have come in are very talented. So it's going to be just as tough," she said.
The English have a jump on the Jamaicans in terms of preparation.
According to Caldow, England have been in preparation for the Commonwealth Games later this year for the last 15 months.
Jamaica, on the other hand, have only just gotten a new coach in Oberon Pitterson, who hasn't been in the job long enough to lay any real plans.
NEW CAPTAIN
However, the Jamaicans should put in a better performance than the demolition they received at the hands of Australia with the return of Simone Forbes and Evering.
The Sunshine Girls will be led by a new captain in Elaine Davis and it is yet to be seen if the switch from the leadership of the just-retired Pitterson will have any effect on the team.
Davis herself is very aware of the challenge that she faces, especially with a young team on her hands.
"There is pressure. You have to be a leader and you have to perform, you can't take it for granted any more that sometimes you won't be at your best, you have to play well," she said.
"It will be a little more challenging to bring out what is required from the Under-21s but they are good players. However, the test is on the court on the day. After the first game and after I speak to the different players, afterwards I will be able to say what the players are made of," she added.
Caldow already knows what her girls are made of and Jamaica need to be wary.
"We'd like to win three-zip and we are quietly confident, not over-confident because you never know on the day, but I think we'll do well," she said.
