AUCKLAND, New Zealand - It was their best performance of these Championships and they led for half the game - but it wasn't enough.

After a hard-fought battle, Jamaica's world number three-ranked team were beaten 49-59 by world champions New Zealand in their New World Netball World Championships semi-final yesterday at The Trusts Stadium here.

The Sunshine Girls drew first blood, starting with a sense of urgency in a game that was physical from the outset.

Goal-shooter Romelda Aiken, the highest scorer of this tournament so far, was on fire, landing shot after shot as the Sunshine Girls took a first quarter lead, 16-13.

The Silver Ferns settled down a notch in the second quarter, putting on more of a challenge for the Jamaicans and, at one stage, after the Sunshine Girls had extended their lead to six points, whittled it down to three after a few unforced errors by the world number three-ranked team.

The Jamaicans, however, managed to maintain the advantage and were leading 30-26 at the half-time break.
Aiken scored 20 of 21 attempts in the first half and 10 of 11 in the second. Goal-attack Simone Forbes landed 19 goals of 22.

At the start of the second quarter a few missed shots by Aiken saw the Silver Ferns levelling the score at 31-31 and then taking a one-point lead, which they held onto at the end of the third quarter, 40-39.

Some excellent defending and interceptions by the New Zealand players in the final quarter saw them extend the advantage to 10 points and victory.

"It was just some simple errors that we made," said Forbes, who captained the game.

New Zealand captain Maree Bowen commended the Jamaicans for a tough challenge, but said the Silver Ferns' comeback in the final quarter was a testament of their determination.

"We just wanted to pla. we love this game. and we know how to play," she said.

An emotional Jamaican coach Connie Francis told Sporting World she was proud of the hard work the national team put into the game and was honest in saying that the Jamaicans went flat in the last 15 minutes.

"We have done our homework; we have done it down to the last whistle, but we just didn't play to the last whistle.
"The talk is that we're inconsistent, and it's true, because it showed our indiscipline in that last quarter when we really needed to close the game and hang in there and we didn't," Francis added.

In a final four play-offs that resemble that of the last World Championships, Jamaica will play England for third place, while New Zealand will meet Australia in tonight's final.
Earlier, in the first semi-final officiated by Jamaican umpire Dalton Hinds, Australia beat England, 51-33.

The Australians scored first, playing with intensity and scoring three goals before England landed their first.
The English closed the gap with some quick work and soon levelled the score, but it wasn't long before the Aussies were in charge once more, extending their lead to five points.

By the end of a nail-biting first quarter, England had come within one point of the Australians, who ended the first 15 minutes with an 11-10 lead.

England lost their momentum and several unforced errors saw Australia extending their lead to 25-16 at half-time, 36-25 at the end of the third quarter, and then on to a 51-33 victory.

Afterwards, a tearful-sounding England coach Margaret Caldow told reporters the trouble for her team started in the second quarter.

"Just disappointing. the second quarter got us in trouble, we just couldn't quite penetrate the attack. unfortunately, we couldn't quite get it through and it all broke down there," she said.

Australian coach Norma Plummer admitted that the Australians had to work for yesterday's victory.
". But we were prepared to stick to it and keep up the pressure," she added.

The third place play-off begins at 12:10 am Sunday (Jamaica time), while the final will be played two hours later.

Meanwhile, positions 9-16 were decided on yesterday's penultimate day of competition here.

Caribbean side Trinidad & Tobago fell a place lower to 11th in the world following their 48-45 victory over Wales in their play-off. Wales moved up two places in the ranking to 12th.

The third Caribbean team in the tournament, Barbados, fell several places from the eighth position they took at the 2003 World Championships, beating another UK team, Scotland 51-45, for 13th place. Scotland, in 12th, improved their ranking by one from the last Championships.

Miracle team Botswana finished in 10th place after a 20-65 thrashing by Fiji, who finished one place worse than in Kingston four years ago. Singapore grabbed 15th position after a 59-44 victory over Malaysia.

Netball World Rankings decided so far:
9) Fiji
10) Botswana
11) Trinidad & Tobago
12) Wales
13) Barbados
14) Scotland
15) Singapore
16) Malaysia

Jamaica starting line up - Simone Forbes (GA), Nadine Bryan (WA), Sharon Wiles (C), Kasey Evering(GD), Althea Byfield (GK), Sasher-Gaye Henry (WD), Romelda Aiken (GS).
Substitutions: Nichala Gibson (C)
Reserves: Elaine Davis, Christina Solmon, Paula Thompson, Nicole Aiken

New Zealand starting line up - Laura Langman (C), Sheryl Scanlan (GD), Julie Seymour (WD), Jodi Te Huna (GA), Irene Van Dyk (GS), Casey Williams (GK), Adine Wilson (WA)
Reserves: Maree Bowden, Leana de Bruin, Paula Griffin, Joline Henry, Maria Tutaia.