AUCKLAND, New Zealand (CMC):

Former champions Trinidad & Tobago started the World Netball Championships on a victorious note, but Barbados lost to England in their opening game yesterday.

T&T handed Scotland a 47-39 defeat, but Barbados came up way short when England rolled them over 87-34.

In a match that generated a standing-room only crowd, Trinidad & Tobago rose to the occasion to outlast the Scots in a very competitive affair.

It was goal-for-goal in the first quarter, but T&T emerged with a 12-11 advantage which they increased to hold a 27-22 advantage at half-time.

In a slow-scoring third quarter, the Calypso Girls moved ahead 37-28 before Scotland came back in a mad scramble in the final 15 minutes to outscore the Caribbean side 12-10, but their efforts were to no avail in a gallant loss.

"We were able to minimise our mistakes," T&T captain Rhonda John-Davis said. "We said no more mistakes and it worked. Our defence worked wonderfully. Our shooters also worked well too, but it was our defence which was best."

DEFENSIVE SCREEN

Barbados failed to penetrate England's mid-court defensive screen with their plays often breaking down in this area and wilted under the pressure.

England left some of their best players on the bench for the first half, but were still 38-22 up at the break and then rode roughshod over the opponents in the second half.

In other games, Wales looked less convincing in their 54-35 victory against Botswana, who made 14 shots out of 14 in the final period; former world champions Australia hammered Samoa 82-26, Fiji defeated Singapore 61-32 and South Africa spurred Malaysia 67-28.

Only three nations have won the World Championships since its inception in 1963 - Australia (eight times), the Kiwis (four) and T&T shared the title in 1979 with hosts and reigning world champions New Zealand.