Watch: Jamaica defeat South Africa to open Sunshine Series

Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls secured a 55-47 victory over South Africa in a closely contested opening match of the three-game Margaret Beckford Sunshine Series at the National Sports Indoor Centre in Kingston on Saturday night.

Shimona Jok, named Player of the Match, delivered a commanding performance with 38 goals from 39 attempts. She received strong support from Shanice Beckford, who netted 11 from 12, while Simone Gordon and Rhea Dixon chipped in with three goals each.

For South Africa, making their first tour to Jamaica since 2012, Elemere Van Der Berg impressed with 18 goals from 20 attempts, Rolene Streutker contributed 17 from 18, and Kamogelo Maseko added eight.

The opening quarter was a tightly contested affair, ending 12-12. However, the second quarter brought drama, as South Africa’s goalkeeper Nicola Smith left the court with an arm injury after a heavy fall. Her replacement, Ane Retief, was temporarily sent off for dangerous play, allowing Jamaica to seize the initiative and outscore the visitors 16-11.

Building on their advantage, the Sunshine Girls extended their lead to 10 points during the third quarter. The SPAR Proteas responded with determination, narrowing the deficit to 42-35, heading into the final period.

In the closing stages, Jamaica surged to a 12-point advantage, but a spirited South African fightback reduced the gap to eight by the final whistle.

Sunshine Girls head coach Sasher-Gaye Henry celebrated the win but acknowledged areas for improvement.

“I’m elated and grateful for the win; God has been good to us. As a team, we collectively did a great job tonight, but there are still areas we need to work on,” Henry said. “Shimona hasn’t been with us for a while, so there’s still work to do.”

South Africa’s assistant coach, Zanele Mdodana, highlighted the impact of Smith’s injury on the team’s performance.

“We had a plan and a strategy, but we were thrown a curveball in the second quarter. That’s where we lost the match, as all the other quarters were very close,” Mdodana explained.

The series resumes on Wednesday and concludes on Saturday.

In the Under-21 series earlier in the day, South Africa dominated Jamaica with a 61-31 win in the opening match.

Video courtesy of SportsMax TV.