Calypso Girls fire early as Trinidad and Tobago sweep past Grenada
Key Points(5)
- Trinidad and Tobago began their bid for a place at the 2027 Netball World Cup with an emphatic 61-45 victory over Grenada in the opening round of the Americas qualifiers on Monday.
- The Calypso Girls seized control from the outset at the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex, building a commanding halftime advantage before comfortably containing a spirited Grenada response in the second half.
- Goal shooter Maikea Bramble and goal attack Kira Rothwell spearheaded the victory, delivering highly efficient performances as Trinidad and Tobago, the reigning Central American and Caribbean (CAC) champions, established themselves as early contenders in the eight-team competition.
- Wallace-Joseph sets the tone Trinidad and Tobago's fast start was driven by starting goal shooter Samantha Wallace-Joseph, who converted 13 of her 14 attempts in the opening quarter.
- Her accuracy helped the Calypso Girls race to a 20-7 lead, immediately putting Grenada's Spice Girls under pressure.
Trinidad and Tobago began their bid for a place at the 2027 Netball World Cup with an emphatic 61-45 victory over Grenada in the opening round of the Americas qualifiers on Monday.
The Calypso Girls seized control from the outset at the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex, building a commanding halftime advantage before comfortably containing a spirited Grenada response in the second half.
Goal shooter Maikea Bramble and goal attack Kira Rothwell spearheaded the victory, delivering highly efficient performances as Trinidad and Tobago, the reigning Central American and Caribbean (CAC) champions, established themselves as early contenders in the eight-team competition.
Wallace-Joseph sets the tone
Trinidad and Tobago's fast start was driven by starting goal shooter Samantha Wallace-Joseph, who converted 13 of her 14 attempts in the opening quarter.
Her accuracy helped the Calypso Girls race to a 20-7 lead, immediately putting Grenada's Spice Girls under pressure.
Bramble took over at goal shooter in the second quarter and maintained the scoring momentum, sinking all 15 of her attempts. Rothwell also continued her impressive shooting, following a perfect seven-from-seven opening period by converting one of her two attempts in the second quarter.
The combined effort carried Trinidad and Tobago to a commanding 36-15 halftime lead, leaving Grenada with a substantial deficit to overcome.
Grenada fights back, but deficit proves too much
The Spice Girls showed greater resistance after the break, producing their strongest period of the match in the third quarter.
Grenada outscored Trinidad and Tobago 14-12 in the session, applying more pressure on the Calypso Girls and their defensive unit. However, the response made only a modest dent in the deficit, with Trinidad and Tobago still firmly in control at 48-29 heading into the final quarter.
Grenada continued to battle in the closing period, again outscoring its opponents, this time 16-13. The late surge, however, could not erase the damage inflicted during Trinidad and Tobago's dominant opening half.
Bramble and Rothwell deliver clinical performances
Bramble led Trinidad and Tobago's scoring with 30 goals from 32 attempts, while Rothwell added 18 from 19 attempts.
Grenada also produced strong individual shooting performances despite the defeat. Goal shooter Lottysha Cato converted 35 of her 39 attempts, while goal attack Celina Brown finished with 10 goals from 15 attempts.
The result gives Trinidad and Tobago an encouraging start as the eight participating nations compete in a round-robin format for two coveted places at the 2027 Netball World Cup.
The tournament will be held in Sydney, Australia, from August 25 to September 5, 2027, with the top two teams from the Americas qualifying competition advancing to the global championship.
