Jersey girl Jones joins Guthrie’s Team Bath Superleague crew

Netball at Fort Regent. Team Jets (red/blue) V Sussex Thunder (yellow). L>R Shiv Nicoll and Lily Jones Picture: ROB CURRIE

The 18-year-old is one of the West Country franchise’s new signings for next season, meaning she will join Serena Guthrie and a host of other senior internationals on court as they battle for championship honours in the UK’s top league.

Jones, who captained Bath’s under-19s while training with England Roses’ academy last season, is in line to become just the second Caesarean, behind Guthrie, to play senior franchise netball. Fellow Islander Anya Le Monnier will remain a training partner for Bath’s Superleague squad.

‘I’m so chuffed,’ said former Team Jets shooter Jones. ‘I wasn’t really expecting it this year.

‘Because I’m quite young it’s good to have the chance to be in that environment with experienced players like Serena and Kim Borger [Superleague’s top-ranked shooter, 2021]. I can learn from players who have played in the Superleague for years and I want to improve myself as a player through that experience. I want to push on for next season and hopefully for other seasons ahead.’

Jones, who left Jersey aged 16 to pursue a career in netball, added: ‘It will be good to be a role model for young players in Jersey. When I was younger I was just looking up to the senior Jets, at that point never thinking I would get this far. Now I can show them that they can push on and do good things.’

England captain Guthrie, who claimed four Superleague titles between 2008-13 and appeared in the 2021 Grand Final with the Blue and Golds, said: ‘It’s so nice to have the next cohort of Jersey girls coming into the Superleague because I’ve felt like I’ve been flying the flag on my own for a while. It’s nice to have them in the mix at the top of the British game and we have a couple of other youngsters in the academies as well.’

Full story in Thursday’s JEP.

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