Jamaica block clean sweep but Roses still ‘on track’ for Birmingham Games
Perhaps England’s only regret of this victorious series is that they could not deliver on “Project Clean Sweep”. They were second best to a revved-up Jamaican side in the third and final instalment, which served as a reminder that there are still a few things to work on for Jess Thirlby’s side as they head into a Commonwealth year.
Having wrapped up the series with a game to spare after a 19-point victory on Saturday night, the pressure was off England. Thirlby had challenged her side to see out their first series win over Jamaica since 2013 with a bang, but it was the Sunshine
Girls who set off the fireworks. Against the same starting seven who had pushed them all the way in the first Test, England went down 14-11 in the opening quarter and never regained a foothold.
Despite not sealing the whitewash, Thirlby admitted her side were “absolutely on track” for next year’s home Games in Birmingham, suggesting that the litmus test will be in January’s Quad Series, when big-hitters Australia, New Zealand and South Africa come to town.
England have won only two of the opening quarters in their past 12 matches – a statistic that a rotated squad was powerless to alter. Laura Malcolm was the most notable change at centre, with captain Serena Guthrie dropping to wingdefence, but they struggled to penetrate the final third with the same intensity they had showcased the night before.
Jamaica have so often been rattled in this series, but in the pressure moments they stood up. Even when Adean Thomas, their centre, was forced off the court in a wheelchair after falling awkwardly on her ankle during the first quarter, it was England who looked the more vulnerable, unable to deal with Shanice Beckford and Khadijah Williams’s attacking partnership.
Thirlby, however, was satisfied with the bigger picture. “There were a few things we were able to explore in this series,” she said. “They’re pretty restless in the pursuit of being successful. Winning after winning is something we’ll keep trying to do.”