England’s third match in the netball test series against Jamaica’s sunshine girls saw them take home the trophy, as it was all to play for going into the final match. With a sold out stadium, England had the home advantage, securing a whopping 63 goals, while Jamaica missed out with only 59.

 

Last Sunday, (15th January) England’s Roses played their final match of the test series against Jamaica at the Copper Box stadium in Queen Elizabeth’s Olympic Park. The outcome of the previous two games left England ‘disappointed’ as England wiped the floor in the first game, taking a 20-goal lead and achieving a final score of 73-52, but lost their grip on the second game by just four goals. This meant they had something to prove in their final match.

 

Spectators were left on the edge of their seats, as the half-time score saw Jamaica clinging onto the lead with a score of 31-29. And, with the concern of Jhaniele Fowler- Jamaica’s goal shooter- attaining a 100% shooting success rate in the second game, it wasn’t looking good for England.

 

However, it was the third quarter that saw the Roses flourish, re-gaining a 4-point lead. For an entirety of 2 minutes of the match, England was able to take advantage of having one more player on court than Jamaica did; in an obstruction debacle, Jamaican’s wing defence was sent off after multiple warnings that she was too close when marking her player. A defender-free Natalie Metcalf (wing attack, England captain and player of the match) was then enabled to feed the ball into the circle effectively, making it look easy for those at home.

 

When she was interviewed by BBC sport’s presenter, Betty Glover, Metcalf said “To be able to secure the series in home soil…I’m really, really proud to get the win for the country.” With the Netball World Cup in Cape Town looming, it was important for England to emerge victorious, so that they could feel revived and confident when heading to battle against countries such as New Zealand and South Africa.

 

It’s worthy making a note of the fact that the match was televised by the BBC and watched around the globe. This reinforces the ever-increasing roles of women in sport and echoes the Lionesses’ win at the Euros back in July.