Netball Jamaica’s Red Stripe Flavours Elite League Manchester Spurs turn tables on Hummingbirds to lift title

After the disappointment of last season, Manchester Spurs set the record straight when they dispatched defending champions Kingston Hummingbirds 72-47 in the final of the Red Stripe Flavours Netball Jamaica Elite League at the National Indoor Sport Centre on Sunday.

Spurs suffered a fourth-quarter meltdown in last season’s decider, after dominating the season and the first three quarters of the final.

However, the Dalton Hinds-coached team made no mistake on Sunday against the said opponents to claim the title.

“I wouldn’t say we were wrong last season. One team had to win and we ended up on the losing side, having not lost in the preliminary round,” said Hinds.

“So it wasn’t about focusing on what happened last year. What happened is done. It was about ensuring that we came out this year and make every effort to win the championship, and we did that and are extremely happy champions,” he said.

“I would say we are deserved winners, well done to Kingston Hummingbirds, but the work ethic of the team members of Manchester Spurs made us champions.

“It was a total team effort. The sacrifice the ladies made to be at training and the intensity with which they played, I am extremely satisfied,” added Hinds.

Spurs led 17-14 after the first quarter, 37-24 at halftime, and 56-35 after the third quarter.

“Tough loss for us,” commented Hummingbirds coach Kerry-Ann Brown. “We lost two of our players going into the final because of personal reasons, two of our most important players.

“We lost Amanda Thompson and Khadija Williams. Khadijah is one of Jamaica’s best wing attacks. She was one of our key players in the mid-court. Losing her hit us hard,” said Brown.

“With her, we would have been in it all the way and possibly won the game. So losing to them hit us hard. But kudos to my team, we came out and really played hard, but somewhere along the line in the third quarter we started losing it.

“We started to rush things. We started forcing the ball to our shooters, and from there we started going down. Manchester Spurs really wanted it, and they came out and got it,” she said.

AWARDS

Meanwhile, in the awards presentations afterward, Spurs’ Kimone Shaw was named MVP, and her teammate Mone Wilmot, the Most Accurate Shooter.

Hummingbirds’ Tracy Ann Francis was the Top Goal Scorer. St Ann Orchids’ Theresa Beckford was the Best Defensive Player, and Crystal Plummer, the Best Centre court player. Zonasha Hinds received the Flavour Spirit Award.

All the awardees received $15,000 and a gift basket.

Champions Spurs walked away with $350,000 and the championship trophy, Hummingbirds received $200,000 for second, and third-place St Ann Orchids took home $100,000.