SPAR Proteas dominate Malawi with commanding victory in opening netball Test
Jenny van Dyk and Khanyisa Chawane launched their tenures as new head coach and captain of the SPAR Proteas in the best possible manner with a 68-31 victory over Malawi as the SPAR Challenge kicked off in Johannesburg on Thursday.
That saw the home team taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series currently being hosted by the City of Johannesburg and played at the Ellis Park Arena.
Van Dyk started Nicholé Breedt (formerly Taljaard) on wing attack rather than her usual position of goal attack, with the up-and-coming Kamogelo Maseko selected in that position.
Maseko was outstanding in her 23rd Test for the SPAR Proteas, displaying remarkable athleticism while combining exceptionally well with eventual MVP Elmeré van der Berg in the shooting circle.
The opening exchanges went goal-for-goal before Karla Pretorious effected the first turnover of the match for the SPAR Proteas to begin to open up a gap on their opponents.
The first quarter proved to be the best for the Malawians who scored 11 goals to South Africa’s 16. The visitors, who have not played an international match since last year’s Netball World Cup in Cape Town, managed to maintain some of their momentum through to half time, but the SPAR Proteas continued to dominate with Nicole Smith in particular making her presence felt at goalkeeper.
The South Africans had opened the gap to 48-27 by the end of the second quarter. Having kept the team unchanged through the first half, Van Dyk moved captain Chawane from centre to wing attack in place of Breedt who had struggled somewhat, with Tarle Mathe coming on at centre. Jeanté Strydom was the only other change, on at wing defence in place of Boitumelo Mahloko.
The midcourt combination proved to be a far better one with the SPAR Proteas stamping their authority on the second half. They reached the end of the third quarter 48-27 up and then ran away with it in the fourth.
The Malawians simply ran out of steam in the final period as the South African defence put them under intense pressure, making it tough for the visitors to find their way into the circle and forcing them into mistakes.
Ané Retief was handed her first SPAR Proteas cap when she was brought on at goalkeeper with just under 10 minutes remaining in the match, while Owethu Ngubane came on as goal shooter five minutes later.
As the clocked ticked down, the home side slotted in an incredible 14 unanswered goals before Malawi finally found the net for their final score of the match, which ended 68-31.
“Getting that win was really a great feeling, said an ecstatic Chawane afterwards. “I’m really proud of the team because it’s our first time stepping out and having to perform like that is really a big thing for us.
“Obviously we won’t always be happy. There are always things to work on but I’m really happy with the groundwork that we’ve done. The team is looking really good and I’m really proud of every one of them.”
Coach Van Dyk added: “I think this is a great start for us. There’s a lot we still want to work on and a lot we know we can fix to become even better. Obviously, we will always want to push as much as possible but yes, my first cap, I’ll take this one.
“I think this is a great start to our campaign. They reacted well and really made us proud tonight.”
Van der Berg expressed her surprise at being named the Most Valuable Player but credited her progress to playing in England’s Netball Super League.
“Coming back from the UK, I actually fell in love with netball again,” she admitted “Being able to play for six months on that high-performance stage really helps you develop your game and teaches you to have big-match temperament because weekend after weekend you play against very strong defenders and that helps you to stand strong.
Malawi coach Joanna Kachilika said all was not lost with two matches left to play, but that her side had lost their way because of the tempo of the game.
“The girls stopped playing according to our strategy. They lost concentration, they lost focus, that’s why we lost the game,” she said.
SPAR, sponsor of the series, confirmed that 3 400 packs of SPAR Petals sanitary pads were donated to the #EndPeriodPoverty campaign spearheaded by the SPAR Proteas who scored 68 goals in the opening test. SPAR have pledged 50 packs of SPAR Petals for every goal scored by South Africa throughout the series
Meanwhile, in the match played as a curtain-raiser to the women’s game, South Africa’s national men’s team beat Zimbabwe 51-36. They will play two more matches two hours ahead of the women’s Tests.
SPAR Challenge action continues with the second Test between the SPAR Proteas and Malawi on Saturday, 2 November (17h000 with the third and final Test on Sunday, 3 November (15h00)
SCORES:
SPAR Proteas v Malawi
Q1: 16-11
Q2: 32-19 (16-8)
Q3: 48-27 (16-8)
Q4: 68-31 (20-4)
Most valuable player: Elmeré van der Berg (RSA)
South Africa men v Zimbabwe men
Q1: 12-5
Q2: 29-14 (17-9)
Q3: 40-26 (11-12)
Q4: 51-36 (11-10)
Photo Credit: Reg Caldecott