TORNADOS SHIFT THEIR FOCUS TO SEMIS WHILE DIAMONDS WAIT
The Tornados concluded their Telkom Netball League round-robin stage with a 52-39 victory over Sonoblomo. Both teams were highly competitive in the first quarter, even though the Tornados were able to break away with a narrow two-goal lead. The Tornados’ defense overwhelmed early in the second quarter, making it hard for the Sonoblomo shooters to free themselves. The miscommunication in the shooting circle prompted Sonoblomo’s first change; Ruandi Van Dyk took over the Wing Attack bib from Jerminah Ntsesho. Sonoblomo were now able to create better passages of play in their goal third, and Van Dyk launched some stunning feeds inside the circle, but Bianca Pienaar and Amy Jacobs struggled to convert.
Sonoblomo were less expensive in the third quarter and were able to reduce the half-time seven-goal deficit to just three in the third quarter. The Tornados started creating cracks in Sonoblomo’s attacking line, forcing turnovers to extend their lead by six halfway through the last quarter. Despite strategic time being called by coach Gertriana Schoonraad to urge her players to practice discipline, there was no stopping the Western Cape team, who used the timeout to charge up. The Tornados increased the tempo and were able to find one another in the process with ease, scoring quick goals and making it difficult for Sonoblomo to keep up.
The Tornados will now look to build onto this victory and start preparing for their all-important semi-final against the Mpumalanga Sunbirds on Thursday, having finished second on the Division Two log standings. Meanwhile, pressure is mounting on the Diamonds despite their 45-39 win over the Lilies this morning. The Diamonds have now moved to the fourth position with twelve points, but have a negative forty goal difference. They now hold their breath and cross fingers for the Kingdom Queens to cause an upset this evening and defeat the Comets, to increase their chances of a semi-final berth.
‘’Tomorrow the girls need to be mentally ready to fight from the beginning until the end, because we all know that this is a race. This is a race that we took one foot off from, and now is the time to pick up that foot and use it to accelerate, to finish in the top four. We praying for the Queens to cause a sad day today, so we can be relaxed’’, said Diamonds coach Nthabiseng Hottie after the game.
In Division One, the Stings outclassed the Stars and secured a convincing victory. Twenty-one goals were scored in the first quarter, and both teams were able to deal with the exerted pressure across the court. The Stings took a one-goal lead for the majority of the quarter and Goal Keeper Thulisile Maduna snatched an eye-catching intercept in the Stings’ goal third, to help the Stars equalize. However, the Stings responded well by using the Stars and their own center pass to lead 11-10 in the first fifteen minutes. The Stars’ momentum took a dip in the second quarter and they lacked composure on attack. Stings’ Goal Defense Nicola Smith troubled the Stars in their own shooting circle and grabbed three intercepts, handing her team a nine-goal lead.
Smith continued to pose challenges defensively, taking an early intercept in the third quarter. The Stars’ defensive trio of Nozipho Ntshangase, Jordan Buys and Maduna showed their determination to will their team forward but the shooting department cracked under the defensive pressure exerted by their opponents. The Stings subdued the Stars in the last quarter, shutting down every effort and finished off with a commanding 51-29 win.
Results
Sonoblomo 39-52 Tornados
Lilies 39-45 Diamonds
Stars 29-51 Stings
