Sunbirds and Baobabs can't be separated, Tornados remain unbeaten

The Telkom Netball League Power Week 2 got underway on Friday morning at Ellis Park, with the Limpopo Baobabs locking horns with the Mpumalanga Sunbirds. It marked the first meeting between the two sides in this year’s competition, with only two points separating them on the Division Two standings.

Both teams were riddled with unforced errors in the opening quarter but the Sunbirds shifted gears defensively to establish a five-goal advantage before the first Telkom Super Shot period. Baobabs Goal Shooter Juanike Steinmann and Goal Attack Rochelle Maree responded emphatically, converting two-pointers apiece to reduce the deficit, as Limpopo trailed narrowly 13-11 at the end of the first quarter.

The Baobabs were then plagued by a plethora of missed opportunities in the second quarter, allowing the Mpumalanga outfit to stretch their lead to five goals ahead of the second Telkom Super Shot. However, the Baobabs once again dominated the long-range scoring phase to redeem themselves, heading into half-time still only two goals adrift. The Sunbirds introduced three changes after the break but that did little to deter the resilient Limpopo side, who persisted with their starting seven and managed to level matters midway through the third quarter. The contest soon evolved into a ferocious defensive battle, with the Sunbirds holding onto a slender 38-37 lead at the end of the championship quarter.

Baobabs coach Emily Mathosa remained steadfast in her faith in the starting line-up, opting against any substitutions four quarters in. A combination of fatigue and wayward ball placement ultimately proved costly for the Limpopo side, as Sunbirds capitalized on turnovers to open a four-goal cushion. Mathosa then called for strategic stoppage, yet still resisted making changes, a decision that seemingly paid dividends as the encounter transformed into a gritty spectacle.

With just two minutes remaining, the Baobabs had trimmed the deficit to a single goal, while Maree continued to flourish from long range shots to help her side draw level. In the end, neither side could be separated as the pulsating encounter ended in a thrilling 48-48 stalemate.

The second game of the day saw the Kingdom Queens face another Limpopo outfit, the Lilies. The Queens’ defensive structures were a standout feature in this encounter, as they led at the end of every quarter. The Lilies found themselves seven goals behind at the close of the third quarter and had made changes in an attempt to claw their way back into the game. The Lilies’ shooting accuracy improved in the final quarter, winning it 10-9 but their resurgence came a little too late as they succumbed to a 51-45 defeat against the KZN side.

Meanwhile, the Western Cape Tornados maintained their unbeaten run against Tshukudu after walking away with a 49-42 victory. Despite a sluggish start to the encounter, where they trailed by four goals in the opening quarter, they increased their work rate and were one goal behind at the end of the first stanza. The Cape Town based team then proceeded to dominate the remainder of the match, despite only making one change in the shooting circle, introducing Rehana Noah at Goal Shooter in place of Liandré Kriel. The tactical adjustment proved effective, as Nolusindo Twani’s side protected their cushion to win the match by seven goals.

"The first one is shakey, also we have two new girls in our squad, so a slow start but I'm glad the girls pulled it through in the end. I don’t think today’s game showed what we are working on but we are reminding the girls the things they have to work on from Power Week one to two, so hopefully in the few games to come we can show what we have been working on," Tornados assistant coach Sasha- Lee Petersen commented after the game.