Great start, big test

Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls will be seeking their second consecutive victory at the Commonwealth Games Championships when they take on former world champions New Zealand in what is expected to be one of the most exciting matches of the tournament in Glasgow, Scotland.

The contest is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. (Jamaica time), with both teams entering the clash on the back of convincing opening-day victories.

The Sasher-Gaye Henry-Wright-coached Sunshine Girls opened their campaign in emphatic fashion yesterday, crushing Caribbean rivals Trinidad and Tobago 81-22. However, Henry-Wright expects a much sterner challenge against the New Zealanders today.

“We are always excited to play against New Zealand because we know that we are ready to match up against the top teams in the world,” said Henry-Wright.

“We are looking forward to this game, today (Saturday) was just a test to see how we will manage the ladies in terms of the rotations and combinations, and so we are looking forward to game two against New Zealand,” she said.

“However, it is going to be a real tough game for us because they started very well in their opening game but it is also going to be a tough test for them as well, but I think that the team that makes the least turnovers and converts their centre passes will come out on top,” Henry-Wright added.

New Zealand also made an impressive start to the championships, defeating hosts Scotland 74-44 in their opening fixture.

Jamaica dominated Trinidad and Tobago from the opening whistle, racing to a commanding 24-5 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Veteran goal shooter Romelda Aiken-George led the way in the opening half with 27 goals, while goal attack Shanice Beckford added 16 as the Sunshine Girls carried a comfortable 42-12 advantage into the half-time break.

Henry-Wright made several changes at the start of the third quarter, introducing debutant Azara Wilmot at goal shooter in place of Aiken-George, while Rhea Dixon replaced Beckford at goal attack.

The changes had little effect on Jamaica’s dominance as the Sunshine Girls outscored Trinidad and Tobago 18-8 in the third quarter to extend their lead to 60-20 heading into the final period.

Jamaica then produced an even stronger finish, overwhelming their Caribbean rivals 21-2 in the fourth quarter to complete a comprehensive 81-22 victory.

Wilmot enjoyed an outstanding second-half performance, finishing with a game-high 33 goals from 41 attempts, while Dixon made an immediate impact by converting all 11 of her attempts.