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Kingston Hummingbirds kept their title defence alive with a 61–54 win over St Catherine Racers in the Red Stripe Flavours Netball Jamaica Elite League semi-finals on Friday at the National Indoor Sport Centre.

They will now face Manchester Spurs in next Sunday’s championship match after the Spurs delivered a commanding 67-39 victory over St Ann Orchids in the opening semi-final.

The Hummingbirds were made to work for their place in the final in a tightly contested encounter. Racers edged the opening quarter 14-13 before the defending champions responded to level the scores at 31-31 by half-time.

Neither side managed to break away in the third quarter, with the teams remaining deadlocked at 43-43 heading into the final period. However, the Hummingbirds found another gear in the closing stages, capitalising on turnovers and converting key opportunities to secure the seven-goal victory.

Head coach for Kingston Humming Birds, Kerry-Ann Brown, credited her team’s composure, particularly after a difficult third quarter.

“We stayed composed, focused on converting our centre passes, and finished the game strongly when it mattered most.”

Earlier in the evening, Manchester Spurs produced a dominant display from start to finish to comfortably defeat the Orchids and secure a return to Elite League final after finishing runners-up last season.

Manchester Spurs established control early, opening a 15-10 first-quarter lead before extending their advantage to 38-18 at the interval. Although the Orchids showed improvement after the break, the deficit proved too great to overcome as Spurs cruised to victory.

Netball Jamaica President Karen Baugh said the semi-final performances reflected the continued growth of the competition.

“The league continues to showcase quality netball and remains a strong player pathway for advancement. We will continue to work on expanding the league to create even more development opportunities at the Elite level.”

Looking ahead to the final, Baugh is expecting another tight, contested championship showdown between the two finalists.

“I expect a close final. This is a repeat of last year’s finalists, with Hummingbirds once again coming from behind in the playoffs to secure their spot. Spurs have been unbeaten so far this season, as they were last year, but Hummingbirds pulled it out then, so let’s see.”

She also encouraged strong fan engagement for the championship clash.

“I expect a close match with a great vibe. We’re encouraging spectators to come out, support the athletes, and enjoy all the activations planned by Netball Jamaica and our sponsors.”