Jaguars tamed by Crinums while Fireballs blaze past Flames

The Crinums delivered a statement performance against the Jaguars with the Ellis Park arena filled up with passionate netball supporters on the second day of Telkom Netball League Power Week 2. The Jaguars are renowned for staging comebacks, therefore only getting onto the scoreboard five minutes into the first quarter was not an immediate concern. Both shooting circles showed strong synergy but the Jaguars’ missed opportunities during the Telkom Super Shot proved costly as they trailed by seven goals at the end of the quarter, while the Crinums opted for one-pointers.

The Jaguars only managed seven goals in each quarter up until the third stanza, prompting changes in the shooting circle. In the second quarter, Luane Smith replaced Jamie Williamson at Goal Shooter before Anje Visser took over the bib while Smith moved to Goal Attack in the third quarter as the teams' shooting percentage sat at 64%. The changes sparked a shift in momentum and coach Rozanne Matthyse demanded more during a strategic stoppage, challenging her team to gain three turnovers and keep their center passes to reduce the gap.

Despite the inspiring finish from the Jaguars, who claimed the final quarter 15-12, the team will need to right their wrongs ahead of their next fixture after suffering a bruising 56-41 defeat against the Free State side. Matthyse, however, lauded her opponents' performance after the match.

‘’Bad start again, I thought it went better than our last encounter with them but we still came off with a loss and we still have a lot of things that we need to look at and fix. On my side, I made the changes a bit too late and I felt the changes made were good changes but the Crinums were very good.’’

The Golden Fireballs arrived determined to redeem themselves against the North West Flames and were ready to avenge last month’s one goal defeat. The Flames' errors rate was costly in the opening quarter, particularly in the center third where turnovers disrupted their attacking momentum and found themselves six goals behind at the end of the quarter. Fireballs’ defensive trio of Wing Defense Jeante Strydom, Goal Defense Cornelia Mupenda and Goalkeeper Ametisse Agbai tightened their grip in the second quarter as they continued to neutralize the Flames’ attack, forcing repeated unforced errors. The defensive pressure translated into dominance across court, allowing the defending champions to stretch their lead to 32-16 at half-time.

Mupenda was sitting on five deflections, one intercept and one turnover while Fireballs Goal Shooter Tinita van Dyk boasted a 92% success rate half-way through the match. Entering the final quarter comfortably ahead, the Fireballs experienced a brief dip in momentum after managing just one goal in the opening five minutes. Coach Dr Elsje Jordaan responded with a strategic stoppage intervention that immediately shifted momentum back. The response was clinical, as the Fireballs outscored the Flames 7-1 in the next five-minute spell.

The Flames’ struggles in defense were further highlighted by four GoalKeeper changes throughout the match in an attempt to contain the influential Player of the match, Van Dyk. It was no surprise to see the Fireballs close off the game with a 58-28 triumph after setting the tone from the outset. Jordaan once again used all 12 players on court, showcasing the teams’ depth.

In Division 2 the Lilies were unable to derail the Tornados train in Saturday’s encounter as the Cape Town side extended their unbeaten run to nine matches with an emphatic 62-32 win. The Lilies now find themselves rooted to the bottom of the log standings. Meanwhile, the Comets emerged victorious against the Baobabs to climb off the foot of the table. Their victory was anchored by a resolute defensive performance, with Goal Defense Luyanda Tsotesti pulling out all the stops to contribute significantly to her side’s success.

In the other match, the Mpumalanga Sunbirds were stunned by Sonoblomo in a tightly contested battle that went right down to the wire, with the Free State outfit securing a 58-56 victory. It was an evenly balanced first half, with both teams enjoying periods of dominance before heading into half-time with only a two-goal difference. Neither side was willing to give an inch in the third quarter, as the teams remained deadlocked at 49 goals apiece.

Sunbirds coach Faith Mobeng then called for a strategic stoppage ahead of the final 15 minutes to motivate her team to overturn a two-goal deficit. Sonoblomo Goalkeeper Keely-Ann Fourie left no stones unturned on defense, winning crucial turnovers to give her team a three-goal cushion. The match was ultimately decided during the final Telkom Super Shot, when there was just 20 seconds remaining on the clock. The Sunbirds had an opportunity to level matters with a two-pointer but were denied by Fourie’s defensive brilliance to lose the match 58-56.

To wrap up the day’s Division 2 fixtures, Tshukudu survived a late scare after opening up a 10-goal lead in the second quarter, only for the Diamonds to claw their way back and draw level in the closing six minutes. However, Tshukudu held their nerve in the dying stages to restore their lead by a narrow four goals, securing a 45-41 victory.

RESULTS

Comets 55-50 Baobabs

Sonoblomo 58-56 Sunbirds

Lilies 32-62 Tornados

Aloes 42-45 Stars

Diamonds 41-45 Tshukudu

Flames 28-58 Fireballs

Jaguars 41-56 Crinums