Parkinson Memorial predictably met and defeated Springer Memorial to capture the inaugural Bragging Rights Netball crown on Sunday night at the Netball Stadium.
The Parkinson team, which featured past and present Barbados netballers, played unbeaten throughout the tournament but needed overtime to win 12-11 in a match containing all of the drama of missed shots on the buzzer and drizzling rain spicing up the tension in front of a packed stadium.
MVP and Barbados’ most capped player Latonia Blackman should have won the game in regular time, but with the last minute being counted down, she missed an easy shot for Parkinson at 10-all.
Rodgers panicked
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Springer should have taken the contest after speeding the ball up court but the normally sure Michelle Rodgers panicked and fired an air ball.
Springer led 11-10 after the first three minutes of extra time but then veteran Heather Belle compensated for three successive misses from Blackman to lock the scores at 11 before Blackman sealed the win at 12-11.
Earlier, Springer had to overcome extra time and a shooting scare from Wanda Agard-Belgrave to edge Coleridge & Parry 14-13 in the semi-finals. Ironically, Springer were cruising 6-1 in the first half before they began to stutter.
Parkinson had advanced by holding off Lydia Bishop and St Leonard’s/Lester Vaughan 15-13 in their semi-final.
A total of 12 teams took part in the tournament featuring old scholars. An age restriction of 35 and up is being suggested for the 2019 competition.(KB)
