NETBALL
5 Nations Netball Cup
Trinidad & Tobago vs Northern Ireland
Sri Lanka vs Canada
Wednesday, 5 September 2007 at the Toa Payoh Sports Hall
Pictures by Leslie Tan. © Red Sports/soulbreath pictures
Story by Lorna Campbell
Singapore took a well-earned rest from competition last night and watched from the stands as their remaining opposition were in action. Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) stayed strong against Northern Ireland winning 37-59, while Sri Lanka got their first win against Canada 55-46.
Now that’s what we call “jumping”. Kemba Duncan of Trinidad & Tobago defends against Lisa Bowman of Northern Ireland. © Leslie Tan/Red Sports
Northern Ireland played another steady match but failed to land their shots on too many occasions, allowing T&T to stretch ahead and take control. T&T shooter Janelle Barker was much more consistent with 100% scoring and dominated her area of the court creating chances for herself and goal attack Joelisa Cooper to go 31-16 ahead at halftime.
Direct movement and passing from each centre pass kept T&T looking fresh and composed as the Irish tired. They kept fighting for every ball with a standout performance from Hannah Irvine in attack, using her quick feet and spatial awareness to set up several of her team's goals.
Lisa Bowman wins this duel with Kemba Duncan to gain possession. © Leslie Tan/Red Sports
Grace Parkinson-Griffith, T&T coach said after the match: "We played our strongest team tonight and it showed. We focused on early penetration into the circle and took every chance.
We are feeling confident about tomorrow's game. Singapore have had two good results and look strong in attack and defence. I think it will be an evenly contested match but we will look to target their goal shooter and give them as few chances as we can."
Singapore coach, Kate Carpenter is also upbeat about the next fixture for her team: "Trinidad and Tobago are a skilled team that move the ball well but we have experience playing teams from the Caribbean and know what to expect. We will continue to focus on our own game and want to build on our previous performances to put together our best match yet."
In the second game, Sri Lanka recorded their first win of the 5 Nations Netball Cup against Canada in another tight match, winning 55-46.
Damayanthi Jayathilake of Sri Lanka struggles against Sasha Lee Allen of Canada. © Leslie Tan/Red Sports
Sri Lankan goal attack and vice-captain Shashika Samarasinghe led by example taking the lead for her side but Canadian defenders Sasha Lee Allen and Shawnette Cockburn produced some great blocks in the circle to deny GA and 206cm goal shooter Tharjini Sivalingam on several occasions and there was only one point separating them at the break.
Staying calm under pressure and passing the ball around the court, Sri Lanka edged ahead and took control in the final quarter to get the victory their vocal supporters felt they deserved.
Shawnette Cockburn of Canada defends against the Tharjini Sivalingam of Sri Lanka. © Leslie Tan/Red Sports
With 5 countries of different playing styles and stature competing in the 5 Nations Netball Cup, the crowds at Toa Payoh are enjoying fantastic action and extremely close games. Trinidad and Tobago have their slot booked in the finals on Saturday with three wins from three, but the other teams still have work to do. Singapore will need to be quick off the mark tomorrow to pressure the tournament leaders in their toughest challenge yet.
Results:
Day 1
Singapore 44 - 33 Canada (HT 22-18)
Trinidad & Tobago 70 - 28 Sri Lanka (HT 34-10)
Day 2
Canada 41 - 49 Trinidad & Tobago (HT 16-33)
Singapore 46 - 39 Northern Ireland (HT 19-22)
Day 3
Northern Ireland 37 - 59 Trinidad & Tobago (HT 16-31)
Sri Lanka 55-46 Canada (HT 29-28)
Remaining fixtures:
6th September
6.00pm - Northern Ireland vs Sri Lanka
8.00pm - Trinidad & Tobago vs Singapore
7th September
6.00pm - Canada vs Northern Ireland
8.00pm - Singapore vs Sri Lanka
8th September
1.00pm - 3rd & 4th placing
3.00pm - 1st & 2nd placing
4.15pm - Closing Ceremony
[…] & Tobago defends against Lisa Bowman of Northern Ireland during the recently concluded 5 Nations Netball Cup. Now, if anyone can jump this high during next week’s IVP netball championship, please let me […]