SVG Netball place in jeopardy

A place for St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Netball team to the 2010 Commonwealth Games to be held in India is in the balance.

This following SVG’s under par performance thus far in the Americas Federation of Netball Associations (AFNA) tournament, which concludes today, July 25, at the Arnos Vale Netball Complex.{{more}}

Following an expected triumph over No.18 ranked Canada on Sunday, in their opening fixture, the Vincentians were at sea to their newly acquired nemesis Barbados, and once equal Trinidad and Tobago.

Against the Canadians, the hosts ran away, 10-7, 27-11, and 42-19 and went on to register a comfortable 21 point win, 51 to 30.

Captain Skiddy Francis-Crick had 29 from 32; Nicole Sandy had 1 from 3, Leanna Lewis, 13 from 15, and Joanna Christopher, 8 from 9. For Canada, Goal Shooter Sabrina Versteeg had 6 from 14 and Goal Attack Marilyn Hope scored 24 from 38.

But it all went downhill afterwards. Facing Barbados on Monday, the Vincentians were blown away by a gale force of relentless attack.

After a competitive first quarter which saw the Bajans establishing a two point lead 14-12, it careened for the hosts.

The second quarter finished, 28-21, in favour of Barbados.

Worse came in the third quarter as the Vincentians scored five goals to Barbados’ 16, to end the quarter 44 -26. The game finally ended 52-36.

For Barbados, Laurel Browne scored 27 from 28, Nakita Piggott, 20 from 23, and Lydia Bishop, 5 from 5.

For the hosts, Christopher sank 7 from 12, Francis Crick, 15 from 16, Sandy, 7 from 9, and Lewis, 7 from 7.

On Tuesday Trinidad and Tobago flattened the home team 51-33. After the Vincies led 11-8, at the end of the first quarter, the Trinis took charge and ran away with the encounter, as the Vincentians wilted, with obvious fatigue setting in. It was 21-17 at the half, and the Trinidad team went on a rampage in the third quarter, to end it at 36-25.

They established as much as a 21-point lead in the fourth quarter, before cruising home.

For Trinidad and Tobago, Anastacia Wilson scored 40 from 47, and Joelisa Cooper, 11 from 18.

Sandy sank 6 from 8, Christopher, 13 from 15, and Lewis, 14 from 20, for the local girls. Notably, Captain Francis-Crick did not feature in this match.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines were set to face defending AFNA champion and world No.4 Jamaica last Wednesday night, and crowns off their run against St. Lucia tonight.

The Vincentians’ next life line to embellish their standing is the Caribbean Games July next year in Trinidad and Tobago, but will have to put to right the evident disunity in the team.

In other matches played, Jamaica thrashed Canada 69-17, St. Lucia 54-21, and Barbados 55-35. Trinidad and Tobago beat St. Lucia 49-29, and Barbados 49-36, and St. Lucia beat Canada 47-41.

This AFNA tournament is the first in the region since the introduction of the new ranking and rating system, with points going towards a country’s world ranking.

In the past, the tournament was used as a qualifier for the Commonwealth Games, but that is no longer the case since the top 12 countries in the world automatically qualify.

Hence, any number of teams from this side of the globe can make the trip. The opponent against whom the result was achieved and the higher an opponent’s rating and the more points are earned for beating them are put in the mix to determine the ranking.

As soon as a team has played eight International test matches over the rating period then they would have earned an official world ranking.

In 2005, St. Vincent and the Grenadines beat Canada and Trinidad and Tobago in a qualifying match up here to advance to the 2006 Commonwealth Games which were held in Australia.

However, the Australian trip was another below average returns, further weighing the wisdom if they qualify to send a team to India.