Seal whitewash
Ferns found their groove, and it was there that the game was put to bed, as pressure on defence and patience on attack helped them win the period 22-7, with a run of nine goals in a row at one point.
With the Sunshine Girls trailing by 15 as the two teams went into the halftime break, the back half of the game was only going to be about two things for the Silver Ferns – how much they could run up the margin, and how much time they could give to some of their reserve players.
The first to come on was Ameliaranne Ekenasio, for SelbyRickit at goal attack, and she acquitted herself well, finishing the game with 13 goals from 15 attempts.
The Ferns weren’t quite as dominant in the third quarter, but they still extended their lead, reaching a half century just before the buzzer went, which allowed Southby to ring more changes for the final spell, introducing Phoenix Karaka and Maia Wilson as it started, and Storm Purvis towards the end.
While Jamaica ultimately couldn’t get the job done in Rotorua, their valiant first-quarter effort hinted at what might have been had they come with a fullstrength side, including their two star shooters, Jhaniele FowlerReid and Romelda Aiken, both familiar faces from their work in the ANZ Championship.
The Ferns now have three weeks before the Constellation Cup against Australia starts on October 9 in Sydney.