England 49-49 Jamaica: Hosts draw series opener after late drama

England and Jamaica played out an exhilarating draw in the opening match of their three-match Vitality Netball International Series at the Copper Box Arena in London.

In a match that ebbed and flowed throughout, Jamaica looked set to snatch a dramatic victory after taking a three-goal lead with just two minutes remaining. However, England rallied to score the final three goals of the match and salvage a draw.

The match was played at a frenetic pace from the outset, with both teams trading blows in the opening quarter. Jamaica took a narrow 13-12 lead into the second quarter, but England hit back to level the scores at 24-24 at half-time.

The third quarter was equally close, with neither team able to establish a clear advantage. Jamaica led by two goals with just five minutes remaining, but England fought back to level the scores once again.

The final quarter was a tense affair, with both teams knowing that a win would give them a vital advantage in the series. Jamaica took the lead with just two minutes remaining, but England refused to give up. They scored the final three goals of the match to secure a dramatic draw.

England captain Serena Guthrie said: "It was a great match to be involved in. Jamaica are a world-class team and they really pushed us hard. We showed great character to come back from three goals down with just two minutes remaining. We're disappointed not to have won, but we're also proud of the way we fought back."

Jamaica captain Jhaniele Fowler said: "We're disappointed not to have won, but we can take a lot of positives from this performance. We showed that we can compete with the best teams in the world. We're looking forward to the next two matches in the series and we're confident that we can win them both."

The second match of the series will be played at the Copper Box Arena on Tuesday, January 17th. The third and final match will be played at the AO Arena in Manchester on Thursday, January 19th.