By Sophie Taylor
A hot start from the Origin Australian Diamonds set the tone for a fiery clash between Australia and Jamaica, with Australia running out victors 72-41.
With close to 40 years between battles in Adelaide, the matchup between the Diamonds and Sunshine Girls was one to watch from the very beginning.
A 6-0 start looked the goods for the Diamonds early, firing on all cylinders before the Sunshine Girls could get on the board.
It was the Diamonds’ non-stop pressure that forced errors from Jamaica, testing connections up and down the court.
Sophie Garbin and Kiera Austin’s smooth movement kept Jamaica’s defence on their toes, though Latanya Wilson’s elevation was an undeniable pressure point.
While the fast started helped the Diamonds take an early lead, it certainly was not all smooth sailing from there.
Speed in transition caused errors as Jamaica managed to work their way back into the contest, trailing by six at the first change despite early challenges to get on the board.
Jamaica proved they would not be an easy beat in the second quarter, refusing to back down and upping the heat to reduce the margin to just three goals midway through the term.
Shanice Beckford and Gezelle Allison put Courtney Bruce and Tilly Garrett to the test, while cleaner movement from Abigale Sutherland and Khadijah Williams allowed Jamaica to slice through Australia’s midcourt pressure.
But with five minutes remaining in the half the Diamonds put the foot down to lead by 12 goals at the main change, with an Austin buzzer beater to seal the deal on the final second.
While the first half set tongues wagging, it was an impressive 20-goal third quarter than really sealed the deal for the home side.
With Jamaica up and about, the Diamonds needed to come out with an extra pep in their step – and that’s just what they did to lead by 24 goals at the final change.
That trend continued in the final quarter, with a seven-goal run from Sophie Dwyer and Cara Koenen coming off the back of outstanding back-end pressure from Jamie-Lee Price, Sarah Klau and Jo Weston.
With all 12 players getting a run, the Diamonds ran home strong winners heading into the second test in at RAC Arena in Perth on Sunday February 8.
