JAMAICA’S Sunshine Girls suffered a setback in their quest to qualify as group winners for the semi-finals of the netball competition at the 19th Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, following another defeat to Australia in their top-of-the-table pool ‘A’ clash yesterday.

The Girls started the game brightly, but fell off mid-way the contest and were beaten, 60-46, by the Diamonds at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex.

Despite the defeat, which was their first in three outings at the Games, Jamaica are still expected to advance from the group with relative ease, as their next assignments will be against minnows Samoa and hosts India, who are yet to win a game.

Jamaica are now level on points with Caribbean neighbours Trinidad and Tobago, who thrashed India, 77-26, in the early game yesterday, for their second win.

Australia lead the group with a perfect three wins and are firm favourites to finish at the top with their two remaining games being against Malawi and T&T.

In front of a fair-sized crowd, the Connie Francis coached-Jamaicans started well to peg back an impressive-looking Australia in the early exchanges, as star shooter Romelda Aiken fired them into 15-13 first-quarter lead.

Assistant coach Annett Daley had said only “total teamwork” would bring the Girls victory, but it would appear that the plan was derailed late in the second quarter as the dangerous Australian regained their footing.

The Aussies, who played with an unchanged team throughout the contest, upped their game with shooters Natalie Medhurst and Sharelle McMahon — firing at 90 per cent — steering the Norma Plummer-coached world champions into a six-point (32-26) advantage at half-time.

Queensland Firebirds shooter Aiken led the way for Jamaica, netting 25 from 26 at the hoop, while captain Simone Forbes assisted with 12 from 17 attempts. Young Jhanielle Fowler hit a perfect six and Anna-Kay Griffiths had three from four.

The Sunshine Girls face Samoa today.

Jamaica — Romelda Aiken (GS) (Jhanielle Fowler), Simone Forbes (GA) (Anna-Kay Griffiths), Nadine Bryan (WA), Paula Thompson (C) (Kimone Tulloch), Sasha-Gaye Henry (WD) (Georgia Gordon), Althea Byfield (GK), Kasey Evering (GD) (Nicole Aiken).