The Trinidad and Tobago national netball team suffered an opening-night defeat to England in their first of three games of their test series yesterday at the University of Bath court.
The series is serving as a warm-up, as both teams are preparing for the Netball World Cup to be hosted in Sydney, Australia this August.
T&T were given a stern welcome as they lost 65-42, despite making a match of it in the final quarter.
The hosts hit the ground running as they took the initiative, making early interceptions, which helped them to an eight-point cushion at the end of the first quarter. The second session offered no respite, as England stretched their lead even further to 12 points. When both sets of players trudged off the court, T&T were staring at defeat with the score at 36-24.
T&T rallied in the second period, scoring several long-range shots which kept them competitive. The final 15 minutes saw them attack the English fiercely, but they were unable to make up the deficit.
The next game in the series tomorrow is a must-win for the "Calypso Girls" if they are to get back in the series. The series is the first of two T&T will play in Europe, as they next travel to Northern Ireland to face some of the world's top teams after their matches with England.
The World Cup is scheduled for August 7-16, and T&T will face ten-time champions Australia and four-time winners New Zealand, as well as regional rivals Barbados, who they defeated in the AFNA final last year in Canada.
Lineups
England starting 7: GS - Housby, GA - Cookey, WA - Haythornthwaite, C - Bayman, WD - Malcolm, GD - Mkoloma, GK - Cook
Trinidad & Tobago starting 7: GS - Wallace, GA - Cooper, WA - Jack, C - John-Davis, WD - Guerero, GD - Duncan, GK – Swift
Remaining fixtures
Tomorrow - The Copper Box Arena, London 12.30 p.m. TT Time
May 11 - Echo Arena, Liverpool 2.15 p.m. TT Time