The SPAR Proteas launched their title defence of the Africa Netball Cup in Lilongwe, Malawi, on Monday with a commanding 104-25 victory over Tanzania.
Head Coach Jenny van Dyk’s charges exploded from the starting blocks as they secured the first centre pass.
Elmere van der Berg, who earned her 50th cap for the SPAR Proteas, proved ruthless under the post and punished the Tanzanian defenders at every opportunity. The SPAR Proteas seized control early and enjoyed a commanding 32-goal lead at the end of the first quarter.
South Africa implemented a tactical change at the start of the second quarter, introducing Rolene Streukter in place of van der Berg. The defensive combination of Jamie van Wyk and Nicola Smith at the back proved formidable as they contained Tanzania’s attack and restricted them to just 11 goals by half-time.
The SPAR Proteas continued their dominance throughout the match. In the third quarter, Tanzania managed only six goals whilst conceding 23, extending South Africa’s lead to 79-17.
Kyla Dames earned her maiden cap for the SPAR Proteas following her successful campaign at the Under-21 World Youth Cup in Gibraltar. She could not have asked for a better start to her senior career, as officials also named her Player of the Match.
“It was an excellent first match for us, definitely the kind of performance and result we expected. I am delighted we could trial different combinations and feel proud of Kyla Dames on her debut and for winning Player of the Match. This demonstrates that we are heading in the right direction. I feel we struggled somewhat in the third quarter, it proved our most costly period. We put this match behind us and now focus on our next encounter against Malawi. As a team, we are proud of Elmere on reaching her 50th cap for the SPAR Proteas,” said van Dyk.
Aslo read: SPAR Baby Proteas gears up to take on world’s best in Netball World Youth Cup
Earlier in the day, the South African men’s team defeated neighbours Botswana 59-38 in their tournament opener.
On Tuesday, the South African men’s team will face Zimbabwe at 14:00, whilst the SPAR Proteas will clash with hosts Malawi at 18:00.
You must be logged in to post a comment.