The SPAR Proteas put up a great fight against Silver Ferns in the last match of the series, however, it was New Zealand who snatched it at the last second to win 57–56.
SPAR Proteas Head Coach Jenny van Dyk made a few changes to her starting seven going into the third test against the Silver Ferns. Owethu Ngubane started alongside Elmére van der Berg in attack, while Jamie van Wyk joined Nicola Smith in defence.
South African captain Khanyisa Chawane joined an elite list of players to have donned the green and gold, as she took to court for the 100th time to represent her country.
The SPAR Proteas entered the match eager to secure a win and avoid a series whitewash. Nicola Smith kept Grace Nweke at bay in the opening quarter, while Ngubane and Van der Berg worked hard at the other end. South Africa finished the quarter 12–8 ahead – the second time in the series that the SPAR Proteas led the Silver Ferns after the first quarter.
The Proteas started the second quarter strongly, Ngubane scoring from the centre pass to continue their momentum. For the first time in forty meetings between the two nations, the SPAR Proteas led the Silver Ferns in two consecutive quarters. South Africa went into half-time leading 29–23.
The Silver Ferns came out of the changing rooms a different team, quick off the mark to reduce the Proteas’ lead. Coach Van Dyk introduced Kamogelo Maseko and Refilwe Nketsa in place of Chawane and Van der Merwe. South Africa reached another milestone in this match, winning the third quarter for the first time since 1965, and holding a 43–41 lead going into the final break.
Nichole Breedt made her second appearance of the series when she came on in the last quarter. The Proteas were dealt a huge blow when Nicola Smith was sent off three minutes into the period, giving the Silver Ferns the advantage to close the gap and edge ahead.
The Proteas refreshed their line-up with the reintroduction of Ngubane and Van der Merwe. South Africa pushed the Silver Ferns right to the last second, but it was New Zealand who scored the decisive goal with just two seconds left on the clock to clinch the match 57–56.
Speaking after the series, centurion, and captain Khanyisa Chawane “I am immensely proud of the team and what we have been able to achieve, looking at where we started at the start of the series compared to how we finished. This is testament to the growth of the team. Every player showed up and gave their best. It is sad how we lost it at the end.
“Today’s performance was a brilliant one out of the three games played in the series, this is the kind of performance we need to showcase if we want to play against the top three regularly. One of the biggest thing for me as a coach is that we can’t walk into commonwealth games and play New Zealand for the first time there – we would not enough time to prepare for that, said SPAR Proteas Head Coach Jenny van Dyk.
Quarter Score Breakdown:
Q1 – SPAR Proteas 12 – 08 Sliver Ferns
Q2 – SPAR Proteas 29 – 23 Sliver Ferns
Q3 – SPAR Proteas 43 – 41 Sliver Ferns
Q4 – SPAR Proteas 56 – 57 Sliver Ferns
SPAR Proteas Starting VII
GS – Elmere van der Berg; GA – Owethu Ngubane; WA – Khanyisa Chawane ( C ); C- Tarle Mathe; WD – Shadine van der Merwe; GD – Jamie van Wyk; GK – Nicola Smith
Shooting Stats:
Elmere van der Berg 46/51 (90%)
Owethu Ngubane 10/14 (71%)
