Defending?champions C.O. Williams Rangers and repeat knockout queens Pine Hill St Barnabas will clash at the Netball Stadium at 7 p.m. today in the final game of the regular league season with many possibilities at stake for the winners.
A repeat of their first round victory will earn St Barnabas double crown honours while a loss will force them into a play-off with Rangers and UWI Blackbirds.
However, Rangers have to win to set up the play-off and retain any hope of keeping their title. Similarly, the Blackbirds need Rangers to win to give them a shot at their first Division One crown.
The Blackbirds have ended 4-2 with 24 points. St Barnabas are 4-1 with 22 and Rangers are 3-2 with 19. A Rangers win would carry them and St Barnabas to 4-2 with 24 points each which would uncannily match the first round status where the trio ended 2-1 with 12 points each.
Both Rangers and St Barnabas have matching centre courts with the speed and class of Sabreena Smith, Tyneisha Rowe, Janelle Sealy, Kathy-Ann Agard and Adrianne Bynoe of Rangers equal to St Barnabas’ Samantha Browne, Cherise Seale, Jenieice Clarke and Markayla Yearwood.Â
Similarly, coaches Sandra Bruce of Rangers and Julie Phillips of St Barnabas have excelled at the school, club and national level and they will both have their customary battery of supporting staff to make telling contributions tonight.
The game will be won or lost in the circles with six-footer Laurel Browne and Sheniqua Thomas holding the slight edge with height and accuracy for St Barnabas.
Nikita Piggott will match that accuracy for Rangers. However, if Vanessa Reid-Cox is fully fit she will increase Rangers’ height and perhaps accuracy over the pint-sized Shakeena Rock, who has been inconsistent all season.
The height, leaping ability and aggression of Rangers’ Rhe-Ann Niles will match opposing goal keeper Shonette Bruce at the other end. However, it will be the supporting play of whoever gets the goal defence bib and who can reduce their turn-overs in midcourt that will determine the winner.
The officiating will also be key as in the first round the Rangers were undone by the officials’ failure to hear that time was up and St Barnabas were able to get off their last shot to take that match by one point.
