Paul-Andre Walker, Staff Reporter
DEFENDING BERGER Paints Super League netball champions Jamalco 'A' are a hair's breadth away from making it to their fourth consecutive final if they can get past the might of Waulgrovians 'A' in the semi-finals this evening at the Leila Robinson Courts.
The semis are set to begin at 5:45 p.m. and will also feature two teams from the same club battling it out for a berth in the final.
Unfortunately for Tivoli 'B', one of those teams, their fairytale run could come to an end because they have to swap goals with their 'A' team counterparts.
Tivoli 'A' have been the team that have come closest to thwarting the stranglehold of Jamalco on the Super League over the last three years and that means they are more than favourites to get one over on their 'B' team.
As for that 'B' team, just getting to the semi-final was a major achievement.
They had to work very hard for an overtime victory over Windalco in what was their first quarter-final, which suggests that they are not yet ready to face the heat of the 'big three'.
The clash between Jamalco and Waulgrovians makes for more of a mouth-watering contest to the purists just by virtue of the talent of the two teams and the closeness of the contest that is expected.
EXPERIENCE
Waulgrovians have a few players that boast more experience than their very successful rivals.
They have the benefit of the experienced Oberon Pitterson in the defensive circle and, along with Marvetta Murray, can put immense pressure on young Romelda Aiken at goal shoot for Jamalco.
While Aiken is young, she does have a serious height advantage over her markers. Standing at 6' 4", she is able to let her mid-court off the hook by allowing them to lob long balls into the area when things get tight. Those lobbed passes are very difficult to contend with and should test the skill of Pitterson and Murray.
However, the battle in mid-court with Waulgrovians' Nadine Bryan and the very physical Jamalco's Tamara Hylton might be where the game is won or lost despite the keen battle that takes place in both circles.
For Waulgrovians, Suzette DeSouza is still producing yeoman service in the arc. While she is also very tall and blows away lesser opponents because of her height, she might have to rely on her positioning and her movement a little more, with the fact that Jamalco's Nicole Aiken is also tall.
To the benefit of Waulgrovians though, that movement and energy could come from their goal attack, Simone Forbes, whose intensity and willingness to work for victories are unmatched in the modern game.
