England and Jamaica Set to Begin Horizon Series, Live on BBC

The new Horizon Series is scheduled to commence with England and Jamaica competing in two matches in Manchester on November 16 and 17, both of which will be broadcast live on the BBC. England’s in-form goal-defence, Funmi Fadoju, is anticipated to be a pivotal player for the team. This Horizon Series is planned to unfold over four years between the two national sides, featuring two matches annually in England and two in Jamaica. The return matches for this year are slated to occur in Kingston, the capital of Jamaica, on November 25 and 26. England, holding the second position in world rankings, enters the competition after securing fifth place in the Fast5 Netball World Series earlier this month and winning the Taini Jamison Trophy in New Zealand in October. Jamaica, ranked fourth globally, finished sixth in the Fast5 Netball World Series without achieving a victory. Prior to that tournament, they had not played since November 2023. The BBC will provide comprehensive coverage of all the action across BBC iPlayer, Red Button, the BBC Sport Website and app, and BBC Two. England and Jamaica last met earlier this month in the 2024 Fast5 World Series, where England triumphed 38-36 in the fifth versus sixth-place match. England also won their preceding encounter in the same competition with a score of 35-15. Since 2022, these two nations have faced each other 10 times, with England securing eight of those victories. Jamaica’s most recent win against England took place in January 2023 during the International Series; since then, England has won the subsequent four match-ups. England’s goal defence, Funmi Fadoju, performed exceptionally when the Roses claimed the Taini Jamison Trophy. She also achieved the highest number of interceptions, gains, and deflections in the Netball Super League for London Pulse and is expected to be a crucial element in coach Jess Thirlby’s strategies to counteract Jamaica’s attack. Roses goal attack Lois Pearson experienced an outstanding season with Manchester Thunder, earning her the Player’s Player of the Season award in the Netball Super League. She has also participated in all six of England’s matches during her debut season with the Roses. Jamaica’s goal shooter, Romelda Aiken-George, has been called up to replace the injured captain, Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard. Aiken-George will aim to continue her successful 2024, a year in which she helped the Adelaide Thunderbirds retain the Suncorp Super Netball title in Australia and recorded the most offensive rebounds in the league. Defender and vice-captain Shamera Sterling-Humphrey will be focused on restricting the Roses’ attack. She also plays for the Adelaide Thunderbirds and concluded the season at the top of the rankings for defensive rebounds, deflections, and interceptions. The broadcast schedule for the matches is as follows: * Saturday, November 16: 15:45-18:00 GMT – live coverage available on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app. * Sunday, November 17: 14:00-16:00 GMT – live coverage on BBC Two. * Monday, November 25: 23:20-01:15 GMT – live coverage available on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app. * Tuesday, November 26: 23:50-01:45 GMT – live coverage available on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.