Australia sweep Jamaica 3-0 in netball series

BROADBEACH, Australia – Jamaica were swept, when Australia crushed them 71-40 to win the third and final Test on Sunday at the Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre.The Sunshine Girls failed to temper the unrelenting Diamonds, and crashed to a deflating third straight loss in the series, following 59-38 and 69-42 defeats in the first two Tests.The World No. 4 Jamaicans were trailing by five from early, following a flurry of goals for the World No. 1 Aussies in the first half of the opening quarter. At the other end, the visitors were not getting any easy balls into their shooters, with Laura Geitz and Mo’onia Gerrard providing strong defence for Australia and the avenues for Jamaica into beanpole goal shooter Romelda Aiken and goal defence Anna-Kaye Griffith continued to dry up in the second period.Jamaican centre Nadine Bryan lifted her work rate, helping the Sunshine Girls flow down the court, but Australia maintained control, and were ahead 40-15 at half-time.Both sides shuffled the pack in the third period, and Aiken began to get slightly better service inside the arc, with several off-the-ball contacts, but the Aussies still led 52-27 after three terms.The Jamaicans have little time to lick their wounds. They jet across the Trans-Tasman channel to New Zealand, where they face the World No. 2 Silver Ferns in a two-Test series, with matches tomorrow in Christchurch and Saturday in Napier. (CMC/SAT)Summarised scoresAustralia 71 (Natalie Medhurst 24 goals from 24 attempts, Sharelle McMahon 21/25, Susan Pratley 14/14, Kate Beveridge 12/20). Jamaica 40 (Romelda Aiken 22/30, Anna-Kaye Griffith 17/20, Vanessa Walker 1/2).