In a league where every team is balanced a dynasty is in the making.
First Caribbean capped off a faultless season with a resounding 33-20 win over frontrunners All Stars.
Both squads play in the Cayman Islands Netball Association Mixed League.
The netball courts at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex were the site of the epic game from 6:30pm.
A sizeable crowd came out to watch the action. The match had previously suffered a number of postponements due to all the inclement weather that recently affected Cayman.
Much of the hype coming into the match was whether First Caribbean could beat the one-loss All Stars to stay unbeaten and win the league outright.
Both teams would come out swinging and showing tremendous hustle. Soon the match took on the vibe of a championship game.
However the league’s most robust offense in First Caribbean would find the shooting touch.
Led in large part by team captain and Goal Assist Nicola Williams the team would jump out to a 10-3 lead by the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter would see much of the same and try as All Stars might to stay close FC’s attacking players were too strong inside.
Basketball player Omari Corbin used his height and leaping ability well. FC’s Goal Shooter on the night soared for scores and had great hands and focus.
At half-time Williams would encourage her squad to stay focused and keep playing well.
Meanwhile All Stars player/coach Lyneth Monteith would urge her side to keep their heads up.
The second half would see little difference from the first. FC would continue to make shots, pass well and stay active on the wing.
Role players like Wing Defense Benecia Mullings and Centre Richard Allen would step up in a big way.
Mullings could be seen causing havoc on the wing, intercepting passes and dictating the game’s pace.
Meanwhile Allen would stay alert and do his best to control passes and keep ball possession solely in FC’s favour.
In spite of their play AS was able to see some positives. Goal Assist and long-time netballer Pauline Bodden would keep her team in it with a decent shooting touch.
Also two-way player Eckerd McField would not stop hustling as he went back and forth from offense to defense.
AS would close the gap somewhat but the FC defense would was air-tight. Leading the charge was athletic big man Kevin Maxwell. Maxwell’s tall frame and positioning would serve him well as Goal Keeper.
He literally threw his weight around as he kept the likes of Bodden and McField out of prime scoring positions.
In the end FC’s staunch defense would seal the deal and secure their unbeaten mark. The final whistle would blow and FC would run onto the court to celebrate their achievement as repeat champions.
FC captain Nicola Williams felt the match was a dominating performance.
‘In the first quarter once we went ahead the game did not change from there. The game was all in favour of First Caribbean.
‘We had some great plays from Benecia [Mullings], Richard [Allen], Kevin [Maxwell] and Omari [Corbin]. We could not be stopped by any of the guys from All Stars.
‘To their credit Pauline’s [Bodden] shooting was on par but it was not enough for them to defeat us.’
With the win the top four teams in league are now finalized. First Caribbean ended first and remained unbeaten. All Stars would come second with two losses.
Roma would come in third by virtue of a head-head tiebreaker with All-Stars as they had two losses as well. Finally the league’s most surprising team in Rising Stars would end up in fourth place.
Next up for the local netball scene is the senior women’s league. The opening ceremony to mark the league’s start will take place tomorrow at 3:30pm.
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