Jamaica's goal defence, Malysha Kelly (left), and South Africa's goal shooter, Chrisna Bootha, battle for possession during last night's final match in the Jamaica Netball Association/Supreme Ventures Sunshine series at the National Indoor Sports Centre. South Africa won 56-49. At left is South Africa's wing attack Zanele Mdodana while at right is Jamaica's wing defence Sasha-Gay Lynch. - Winston Sill

The touring South Africans pulled off a stunning 56-49 victory over Jamaica at the National Indoor Sports Centre last night to prevent a Sunshine Girls sweep of their Jamaica Netball Association/Supreme Ventures three-Test series.

World number four ranked Jamaica registered impressive victories, 63-48 and 61-46, in Friday and Sunday's games, respectively, over the South Africans but were upstaged by the visitors last night.

Goal shooter Jhaniele Fowler, who had an impressive series for the local girls again led the way for Jamaica with 40 goals from 44 attempts. She received support from Anna-Kay Griffiths who added nine from 10 tries. Chrisna Bootha was South Africa top shooter with 49 goals from 54 attempts. She received good support from Maryka Holtzhaunzen seven goals from eight tries.

The South Africans came out firing on all cylinders in the opening quarter, as they quickly established a five-point lead at 10-5 with Chrisna Bootha scoring nine of her team's 10 goals. This led Pitterson-Nattie to call a timeout with six minutes remaining in the period as the defensive pair of Malysha Kelly and Shameera Sterling were outplayed by the Africans shooters.

However, the determined Africans held their composure against a tired looking Sunshine Girls unit to take a 17-13 lead at the end of the period.

fought hard

The Jamaicans showed a lots of guts and determination in the second stanza and fought hard against the swift moving South Africans to cut the deficit by one to trail 30-27 at half-time.

Pitterson-Nattie replaced Sterling with Sabrina Spence after the interval, and the move paid off for Jamaica as they quickly erased the four-goal deficit and in the process outscored their opponents 17-8 to take a 44-38 lead at the end of the period. Fowler was also brilliant for the Jamaicans as she netted 15 of Sunshine Girls' 18 goals.

Jamaica suffered a severe setback at the start of the final quarter when the 6ft 5inch Fowler was injured and had to be replaced by the much shorter Vanessa Walker. The South Africans took advantage of this as they scored nine unanswered goals to take a 47-44 lead midway the period. The Sunshine Girls made a late rally but the South Africans fought gallantly in the final minutes and kept their composure to emerge victors.