TRINIDAD AND Tobago women’s netball team lost 66-22 against the Jamaica men’s squad in their opening Margaret Beckford Sunshine Series invitational match on Thursday.

At the National Indoor Sports Arena in Kingston, Jamaica, the Calypso Girls had a tough time keeping pace with the physically faster men’s team.

TT trailed 19-7 after the first quarter, and the hosts extended their gap to lead 35-12 at the half. After the third quarter, the visitors were reeling at 53-17. In the final period, TT could only score five more while the males responded with 13 more goals.

After the match, national coach Althea Mc Collin said the team is still acclimatising after such a lengthy period away from competition owing to the pandemic.

“It’s the first run out for most of the players of the team. This is their first bout and I think they did their best in relations to contesting the game.

“Yes we didn’t win but we saw a lot of our sets and plays we had implemented executed here. So I say they did well. They didn’t win but we saw that there were a lot of combinations,” she said.

At the halfway point, Mc Collin said she encouraged the team to play “man to man” and try to move the ball around as much as possible.

Heading into Saturday’s first official contest of the three-match series against the Jamaica women’s team (Sunshine Girls), Mc Collin said the Calypso Girls would be better prepared for the competition. Saturday’s match begins at 6.45 pm (TT time).

“We have learnt a lot from this game and we will go home and work on our thoughts so that we will come stronger,” she added.

Saturday’s meeting between the two nations will be the first in over two years. Their last competitive duel saw Jamaica triumph 68-43 over TT at the 2019 Netball World Cup in Liverpool, England.

Currently, TT are tenth on the netball world rankings while Jamaica are ahead in fourth position.

Teams

TT: Kalifa McCollin (captain), Jameela McCarthy, Crystal-Ann George, Afeisha Noel, Tia Bruno, Oprah Dougles, Janeisha Cassimy, Destiny Williams, Shaquanda Greene-Noel, Aneicia Baptiste, Jeresia McEachrane.

Jamaica: Jhaniele Fowler, Shanice Beckford, Rebecca Robinson, Gezelle Allison, Amanda Pinkney, Adean Thomas, Khadijah Williams, Nicole Dixon, Shadian Hemmings, Shannika Johnson, Shamera Hemmings, Malysha Kelly, Kadie-Ann Duhaney, Latanya Wilson, Jodi-Ann Ward.