Netball: Ferns hoping to end mixed season on triumphant note

Katrina Grant tangles with Susan Pratley of the Diamonds. Grant says she's excited about taking on Jamaica. Photo / Getty Images

The Silver Ferns' hopes of enjoying a restful summer break hinge on their performances against Jamaica in their last couple of hit-outs of the year.

The Ferns take on the Sunshine Girls today in the first of two tests in Kingston to round out a gruelling 10-week international season.

The arduous journey back to New Zealand will feel even longer if they can't finish off what has been a mixed season on a positive note this week.

Silver Ferns' defender Katrina Grant said her side were keen to produce the goods over the next two tests as they don't want to spend all summer dwelling on poor results.

"We know our trip home will be horrible and daunting if we don't win these next two games. We want to show all the hard work we've put in so we're really determined to go out there and nail it," said Grant.

Bagging a win against Jamaica at home has never been an easy task, but with the home side's confidence sky high after two impressive performances against Australia earlier this week, the challenge facing the Silver Ferns cannot be underestimated.

Over the past month Jamaica have emerged as a genuine threat to netball's established world order after toppling Australia 56-55 in Monday's second test. It followed a narrow two-goal defeat to the Diamonds the previous day.

Today's match will be the first time Grant has played Jamaica in a proper test, and she will likely face one of the toughest challenges in world netball - trying to contain 1.96m goal shoot Romelda Aiken.

"I'm a little bit nervous about it, Romelda is such a great player and she's awfully tall."

But Grant said the New Zealand defenders can't afford to focus too heavily on Aiken as Jamaica goal attack Simone Forbes can also do the damage.

"The goal attack [Forbes] is pretty much Jamaica's key player, so it's going to be a big challenge but I'm looking forward to it," said Grant.

"She seems to run the show out there, her skills are amazing. You think you've got her covered and then she does something unexpected and all of a sudden Romelda [Aiken] has a shot right under the post."

The Silver Ferns beat Jamaica 32-27 in the final of the World Netball Series earlier this month, but the Sunshine Girls have been bolstered by the return of former Central Pulse defender Althea Byfield, who looks set to join the Northern Mystics next season. The Mystics yesterday confirmed they have put in an application to Netball New Zealand for permission to sign the Jamaican defender.

Silver Ferns coach Ruth Aitken believes Byfield and Aiken's experience in the ANZ Championship are in some way behind the improvement of the Jamaican side.

That experience combined with the netball nous of Jamaican stalwart and coach Connie Francis ensured the side would be a contender at next year's Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

"I certainly think that Romelda, while she had the height before, she did not have the skills, and that's the certain irony with the ANZ Championship, it has contributed to Romelda and Althea's firepower," she said.

"The other thing is that Simone Forbes is really developing as an incredible playmaker in that forward court, and probably that's under the tutelage of Connie Francis."

THE MATCH
* Silver Ferns v Jamaica.
* National Indoor Arena, Kingston.
* 1pm today (live on TV One).