The Spar Netball Proteas went down 55-47 to Jamaica in a hard fought first test in the three-match Margaret Beckford Sunshine Series in Kingston, Jamaica, on Saturday but national coach Jenny van Dyk is not downcast.
“The last time we played Jamaica; we lost by 18 points – this time we lost by eight. There is something to work on and next time, we will know what to expect,” said Van Dyk after the match.
The two teams traded goal for goal in the closely contested first quarter, which ended 12-all.
During the second quarter, the South African goalkeeper Nicola Smith fell heavily and had to leave the court with an arm injury and her replacement Ane Retief was sent off for two minutes for a foul (dangerous play).
The Sunshine Girls took advantage of the situation and won the quarter by 16 goals to 11.
Jamaica maintained momentum and made the most of the situation in the third quarter, and on two occasions stretched their lead to 10 points.
But the Proteas fought back hard and reduced the margin to seven goals.(42-35)
In the final quarter, the Sunshine Girls surged ahead to take a 12-point lead, but Captain Khanyisa Chawane’s team fought to the end and some superb shooting by Elmere van den Bergh supported by inform goal attack Kamogelo Maseko, helped the Proteas to finish the match just eight goals behind.
𝗙𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦 until the end! 💚✨ The SPAR Proteas showed heart and resilience. We'll regroup, refocus, and push again this Thursday at 02:00 (SAST). 🇿🇦#SPARProteas #WeAreAllIn
— Netball South Africa (@Netball_SA) January 19, 2025
📸 Collin Reid pic.twitter.com/HUe34vudal
THEORY VS PRACTICE
South Africa last toured Jamaica in 2012 and Van Dyk said she thought they had done well to cope with the atmosphere in the packed National Indoor Stadium.
“We theoretically know how they play, but there is nothing like experiencing it,” she said.
“The noise and the vibe are something special, but it can put you off your game.
“I think there is a lot we can take out of this match, and we know what we need to work on. “The second quarter was very expensive for us, with a player injured and another sent off, but we should be able to cope with setbacks like that,” said Van Dyk.
“We had a plan and a strategy, but we were thrown a curve ball in the second quarter,” said assistant coach Zanele Mdodana.
“That’s where we lost the match, because all the other quarters were very close. Losing Nicola changed the momentum of the game,” she said.
In the curtain raiser, the Spar Baby Proteas impressed in beating Jamaica Under-21 by 61 goals to 31.
The next match is on Thursday 23 January at 2am CAT (GMT+2) and the final test on Sunday 26 January (1am) .
All matches are live in SuperSport Variety 4 DStv Channel 209.