Jamaica’s Under-21 netballers will tomorrow face the Cook Islands for a place in the fifth-place playoff at the ongoing Netball World Youth Cup in Gibraltar.

The Junior Sunshine Girls were earlier today outclassed 85-33 by Pool ‘B’ winners Australia in their quarter-final clash. The Aussies stamped their authority from the opening whistle, racing to a 21-9 first-quarter lead before extending the margin to 40-15 at halftime.

Jamaica struggled to match their opponents’ relentless pace, managing just six goals in the second quarter and eight in the third, while Australia piled on 24 goals in that same period to close the third quarter 64-23 ahead. A dominant 21-goal final quarter sealed the convincing win for the Australians, who advanced to the semi-finals where they will face South Africa.

Victory over the Cook Islands, who themselves went down 79-45 to South Africa, would give the Junior Sunshine Girls the opportunity to play for fifth place against the winner of the Malawi versus Scotland match-up. A defeat, however, would relegate them to the battle for seventh spot.

Elsewhere, defending champions New Zealand booked their place in the semi-finals with a 67-34 win over Malawi and will next face England, who swept aside Scotland 64-33.

In classification play, Malaysia defeated Trinidad and Tobago 52-40, Wales overcame Singapore 57-39, Fiji outclassed hosts Gibraltar 61-31, and Samoa recorded a 62-46 victory over Tonga.