JAMAICA’S senior netball team Head Coach Sasher-Gaye Henry-Wright is optimistic that the Sunshine Girls can bounce back stronger despite the team’s 80-37 loss to England in the first game of the Vitality Horizon Netball Series on Saturday.

The second and final game in the series will take place at London’s Copper Box Arena today at 9:00 am (Jamaica time).

Henry-Wright attributed the team’s struggles to careless ball handling, citing simple turnovers, missed and bad passes as major contributors to their downfall.

“I think we really didn’t play to our true potential,” she said. “We were off with our timing, and I don’t think we gave our shooters enough opportunity on goal.

“I think the defence line, I really want them to put some more pressure on the England Roses but, all in all, a lot of things went wrong from it. We just have to be more careful with the ball and trust each other, work on the timing and patience and just the accuracy with the passes. I think we will do a much better job come tomorrow, and we will put in a much better performance.”

The Sunshine Girls got off to a slow start, trailing 8-1 within the first five minutes of the game. They struggled to break down England’s defence, failing to pose a significant threat to the goal. Meanwhile, Jamaica’s defence was equally porous, allowing England’s attackers to move freely and extend their lead. By the end of the first quarter the defending champions were down 22-9, a deficit that highlighted their struggles on both ends of the court.

England’s dominance continued into the second quarter as they quickly extended their lead to 26-9 with four unanswered goals. Jamaica’s defence remained vulnerable, allowing England to rack up points with ease as the deficit ballooned to 30-11. Unforced errors from the Sunshine Girls only added to their woes, and England’s lead grew to 22 points at 35-13. As the teams headed into half-time Jamaica trailed 41-18, a stark reminder of their difficulties in containing England’s attack.

England’s momentum remained unstoppable in the third quarter as they stretched their lead to 52-23 with just seven minutes left in the quarter. Despite some fleeting moments of brilliance from the Sunshine Girls, England’s dominance was overwhelming, and they continued to pile on the pressure. Unforced errors from Jamaica only aided England’s assault, and the lead ballooned to over 30 points. By the end of the third quarter England’s lead stood at 32 goals, 60-28, leaving Jamaica with an uphill battle to turn the game around.

England showed no mercy in the final quarter, continuing to outclass Jamaica and stretching their lead to 71-32 with just seven minutes to go. The defending champions were unable to cope with the pressure, and England’s dominance was crushing. As the game entered its final stages England’s tempo only increased and they cruised to a resounding 80-37 victory — a staggering 43-goal margin that highlighted the one-sided nature of the contest.