Elton Tucker, Assistant Sport Editor
MELBOURNE, Australia:
JAMAICA'S NETBALLERS suffered a heart-breaking 53-52 loss in the bronze medal match as the curtain came down on the XVIII Commonwealth Games here last night with a colourful closing ceremony.
A game which seemed to be comfortably going to Jamaica's Sunshine Girlz at half-time gradually turned England's way.
An obviously disappointed captain Elaine Davis said she constantly watched the clock in the final quarter.
" ... I remember telling the team that there were only two minutes left," Davis said at a post match interview.
Davis also announced that Oberon Pitterson had played her last match in a Jamaica uniform.
A REAL FIGHTER
"I want to really 'big up' Oberon. She has been a real fighter for the team," Davis said.
Jamaica led 18-10 after the first quarter as Davis got into good positions and shot well while defenders Pitterson and Kasey Evering kept out the English shooters.
At half-time Jamaica led 29-22 and seemed poised to repeat the bronze they won in Manchester four years ago.
England had other ideas, however. Abby Teare who came in at goal shoot for Rachel Dunn at the end of the first quarter, was shifted to goal attack and the starting goal attack, Pamela Cookey, inserted at goal shoot.
The moves gradually paid dividends. Teare opened up the attacking circle and created more scoring opportunites for England.
The bronze medallists who were behind by two, 40-38 after three quarters, kept clawing away at Jamaica's lead until they tied the scores for the first time at 42-42 with 11 minutes, 43 seconds remaining in the final quarter.
A ding-dong tussle then ensued as both teams sought to gain the ascendency. England led by three (48-45) with seven minutes remaining and the scores were level again at 49-49 with four minutes and 22 seconds left in the match.
England then went ahead, 50-49 with three minutes 32 seconds left on the clock and increased that lead to three (52-49), with just under two minutes to go.
To their credit, Jamaica, with centre Nadine Bryan working overtime in getting passes to the shooters, never stopped fighting and levelled the scores at 52-52 with time almost up.
NAIL-BITING 50 SECONDS
In a real nail-biting last 50 seconds Cookey got the winning goal to seal victory for England moments before the final whistle.
England outscored Jamaica 16-11 and 15-12 in the last two quarters.
A gallant Davis, despite twice receiving ice treatment for her knee during the match, scored 46 goals from 52 attempts. Goal attack Simone Forbes had six from nine.
England's leading scorer was Teare with 30 from 36 attempts.
As expected, favourites New Zealand won gold, beating hosts Australia 60-55 in the finals match.
In a very physical match which saw players hitting the floor as often as the ball, New Zealand took control early and for the first time since the sport was introduced in 1998 at the Games, Australia had to settle for the silver medal.
FEMALE CYCLIST
Jamaica's lone female cyclist at the Games, Iona Wynter, placed 24th of 29 in the women's road race through the streets of Melbourne yesterday afternoon.
Wynter was seven minutes behind the winner as she completed the course in three hours 03 minutes and 17 seconds.
The gold medallist was Australia's Natalie Bates, who won in 2:56.08 from her teammate Oenone Wood 2:59:13.
All three male cyclists, Horace McFarlane, Tinga Stewart and Oniel Samuels, failed to finish the men's race.
Australia completed a double in the road race event with Mathew Hayman winning gold in 4:05:09. South Africa's Davis George was second four seconds behind and another Australian, Allan Davis, third in 4:05.21.
