‘Biggest challenge we’ve ever had’: Diamonds face moment of truth against fired-up Jamaica
By Roy Ward
Australian netball great Cath Cox has no doubt that the Diamonds face their greatest challenge when they face Jamaica in the Netball World Cup semi-finals early Sunday morning (AEST).
The Diamonds have never missed a final in the World Cup but after losing to England in 56-55 in their last group game on Thursday night, they face a Jamaican team which Cox believes is the form side in the competition.
Diamonds captain Liz Watson in action at the Netball World Cup in South Africa.Credit: Getty Images
“The biggest challenge, I think, we’ve ever had in a World Cup is coming on Saturday against this Jamaican side,” Cox said on Friday.
“Australia have never missed out on a World Cup final and you don’t want to be in the team that is the first to do so.
“I think it’s quite a stressful moment for them right now. But if they play well, and all of them can, they’re all superstars in their own right in this Australian Diamond side, then they can get a win, but they’ve got to turn it around very quickly.”
International netball has been traditionally dominated by Australia and New Zealand but England and Jamaica are now legitimate contenders. England’s Roses won gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, with Jamaica beating the Silver Ferns for bronze in the same event.
England’s win over Australia this week was historic as they had never beaten the Diamonds in a World Cup game while Jamaica’s 69-58 win over the Silver Ferns was more emphatic, with New Zealand still reeling from a knee injury to star shooter Grace Nweke on Monday.
The Roses will play the Silver Ferns in the other semi-final.
Cox, also a Fox Sports netball commentator, said the growth of the international game has been fuelled by Super Netball clubs signing star players as imports.
Adelaide Thunderbirds won this season’s title led by English shooter Eleanor Cardwell and Jamaican defender Shamera Sterling, while Roses great Geva Mentor has been a fixture at the Melbourne Vixens and Collingwood’s now defunct side for much of the past decade.
Jhaniele Fowler of Team Jamaica against Australia at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.Credit: Getty Images
“It’s the best thing for the sport to be able to have more than just a couple of countries that always make the finals – it’s been Australia and New Zealand for years,” Cox said.
“A lot of that is on the back of the superstars coming and playing Super Netball domestically so they touch Australian players more often, their skills are improving and they take all that intel home so it makes it a lot tougher for the Diamonds to get those wins.”
Australian fans know Jamaica for their towering shooters in Jhaniele Fowler and Romelda Aiken-George who have starred in Super Netball but Cox said the Diamonds would have just as much trouble with the Sunshine Girls’ defence.
“I would be very concerned, it’s not ideal,” Cox said. “But to win this World Cup, you have to beat Jamaica and you have to beat New Zealand, at some point. Australia has got them a little earlier but the good thing is that the Diamonds very rarely lose two games in a row.
“The real issue is their defence. They have four superstars from Super Netball in Shamera Sterling, Kadie-Ann Dehaney, Jodi-Ann Ward and Latanya Wilson. The question is how do we get ourselves through the fortress that is the Jamaican defensive end.”
‘Silly mistakes’ cost Diamonds dearly against England
Australia’s hopes of winning the Netball World Cup has taken a blow with the England Roses beating the Diamonds 56-55 in their last group game in Cape Town on Thursday night.
The Diamonds will now face Jamaica in a semi-final early Sunday morning (AEST), after the Jamaicans defeated New Zealand 59-48.
It was England’s first World Cup win over Australia and they remain undefeated going into the semi-finals where they will face the Silver Ferns.
England’s Chelsea Pitman and Australia’s Ash Brazill in Cape Town.Credit: Getty Images
The Diamonds lost to New Zealand in the 2015 World Cup group games but bounced back to win the tournament.
The Diamonds (55 of 61 shooting) had four more shots at goal during the match but missed six shots compared to just one miss from the Roses (56 of 57 shooting).
“We had a really good second quarter but it was just silly mistakes in the third that let them get back into the game and set-up that close last quarter,” Diamonds captain Liz Watson told broadcasters.
“They had more power, were stronger and wanted it more. That was disappointing in the end.
The English players were overjoyed.Credit: Getty Images
“We still have our vision set on where we want to go. We have to stay positive as we still want to go all the way.”
The Diamonds fell behind early after the Roses burst out of the gates and built a three-goal lead.
But the Diamonds made an important move taking starting defender Courtney Bruce off and putting Sarah Klau on, Bruce would eventually return in the goal defender position.
With the Roses’ attacking moves slowed down and Australia’s defence more active, the Diamonds found their defensive structure and that, in turn, created more opportunities for shooters Steph Wood and Cara Koenen who were on fire and missed just two shots for the first half as Australia led 32-26.
But Roses lifted defensively, turning over a Diamonds attack off their own centre pass and forcing several more miscues to cut the lead to 42-41 late in the third quarter, Helen Housby’s goal on the siren made it 45-44 to Australia heading into the last quarter.
Housby soon had the Roses ahead for the first time since the first quarter, this saw the Diamonds make a change in attack with Kiera Austin sent on for Wood at goal-attack.
The Roses sensed their moment and improved their lead to 53-49 with six minutes to play before defensive substitute Jo Weston forced two late turnovers and tie the scores with a minute to play.
England took the lead with 40 seconds to go up 56-55 before a wayward Australian pass saw the Roses force the turnover and win the game.
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