An electrifying match between the Gauteng Jaguars and the Western Cape Southern Stings wrapped up day two of the Telkom Netball League second leg. Jaguars coach- Rozanne Matthyse raised a few eyebrows after opting to start talisman- Marlize de Bruin on the bench. Meanwhile, Stings coach- Marchelle Maroun made two changes to the team that lost against the Fireballs in their previous game. The Jaguars’ strong start steered them to a nine goal lead at half-time but the Stings’ resurgence in the third quarter trimmed the Jaguars cushion to two goals. Jaguars Goal Shooter- Alice Kennon boasted a ninety goal percentage and her accuracy limited the pressure and helped her side to a 57-53 win.
In the other match, the Mpumalanga Sunbirds repeated their stellar performance against a relentless Eastern Cape Comets side. The Comets’ attack was plagued with a number of unforced errors which injected confidence in the Sunbirds, chalking up forty four turnovers and seventeen intercepts. The Comets failed to make the necessary conversions even with forty five attempts at their disposal and ended up losing 52-33. The Eastern Cape side are yet to register a win and will look to redeem themselves against a wounded Tornados side tomorrow morning at the Heartfelt Arena in Pretoria.
A prepotent showing from the Eastern Cape Aloes started day two of the Telkom Netball League second leg on a high. The Aloes scored the highest number of goals so far in the tournament and beat the Diamonds 80-31 to make it six out of six wins. The division two defending champions made their intentions clear from the onset and posed serious challenges for the Diamonds in every third to register a vehement victory. This was the Diamonds fourth defeat in five matches, and they will have another chance to collect points against the Limpopo Baobabs tomorrow morning.
Meanwhile, the Baobabs survived a nerve-jangling encounter and claimed a narrow 40-39 win against the Kingdom Queens. This Limpopo side led in the first half but a series of rushed passes which worked against them saw the Queens spin things around to lead 32-30 in the third quarter. Both teams fought tirelessly until the last minute, but the Baobabs managed to hold on to their one goal lead to secure a victory following yesterday’s excruciating loss against the Sunbirds.
The third match of the day was a battle between the North West Flames and the Free State Crinums. An inspiring performance from the Flames saw them close a five-goal gap and draw level in the final ninety seconds of the match but still fell short in the end due to a crucial missed opportunity in the shooting circle. The Crinums gladly accepted that turnover and converted it, to get their third victory in the competition after a 52-51 win.
Full-day results:
Diamonds 31-80 Aloes
Queens 39-40 Baobabs
Flames 51-52 Crinums
Comets 33-52 Sunbirds
Stings 53-57 Jaguars
Sunday (22/05/2022) fixtures:
08:00- Baobabs vs Diamonds
10:00- Comets vs Tornados
12:00- Practice match: SPAR Proteas vs SA Men’s Team
