Crinums remain unbeatable while Stings keep playoff hopes alive

The Southern Stings secured second position on the Division One log standings after beating the Kingdom Stars 55-41 as Telkom Netball League action continued at the Ellis Park Arena in Johannesburg. 

The Stings showed composure and clinical finishing, particularly on turnovers, while the Stars struggled to make the most of their defensive efforts. The Stars forced errors and were contesting possession but often missed crucial intercept opportunities by tipping the ball instead of securing clean takes with both hands and were trailing by nine goals at the end of the first quarter.

The Stars showed improvement in their ability to create turnovers, matching the Stings more closely in that department. However, the KZN side continued to battle with conversion, often failing to turn promising passages of play into goals. Both teams recorded a 70 per cent pass completion rate by halftime, but the difference lay in execution inside the shooting circle, which the Stings did better to create a 30-19 lead at the break.

The Stars made two defensive changes in the third quarter, Nozipho Ntshangase moved from goalkeeper to goal defence and Thulisile Maduna took over the goalkeeper bib. The changes were effective as the Stars remained competitive, showing greater urgency to cut into the deficit. Despite the renewed energy, the Stings were not willing to back down and still edged the Stars 14-10, extending their overall lead to 41-27 at the end of the championship quarter.

The final quarter delivered a balanced tactical affair with both teams trading goals and the score stood at 6-6 midway through the period. Both teams opted to stick to basics and avoided unnecessary risks when it came to ball possession. Despite the battle, the Stings had quicker ball movement, which included bullet circle feeds that the Stars' defenders couldn’t counter. Although the Stars had an 84 per cent shooting rate compared to the Stings’ 85, they generated fewer attempts and that impacted the overall scoreline and contributed to the defeat.

CRINUMS MARCH ON

Meanwhile, the Crinums continued their unbeaten run against the Flames, beating the North West side 59-37.

From the first whistle, the Crinums stamped their authority and raced to a dominant 19-8 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Flames struggled to contain the Crinums' fast-paced attacking combinations and were further troubled by turnovers and miscommunications inside the shooting circle, which the Crinums punished consistently.

The Flames even made a change on the centre position, bringing in Adivhaho Tshivhiahuvhi to try and match the Crinums' energy. Although the Flames found success in the super shots, with goal attack Kwezi Lubisi scoring a two-pointer, later followed by Sunel Smits' double two-pointers, the Crinums still took a comfortable 32-18 lead at halftime.

The Crinums were just too strong, getting in front of the ball on defence and applying relentless pressure, which resulted in the Flames being restricted to just 10 goals in the quarter, while the Free State team took a 44-28 lead ahead of the last quarter. The unbeaten side controlled the tempo with ease, combining disciplined defence with fluent attacking play to keep the Flames on the back foot. Goal attack Xandri Fourie once again proved instrumental in the Crinums’ success, orchestrating play into the shooting circle and claiming her fourth Player of the Match accolade while her side registered a 59-37 victory.

DIAMONDS EDGE QUEENS

In Division two, the Kingdom Queens were looking to redeem themselves following their defeat earlier on in the day against Tshukudu.

The KZN team faced the Diamonds, who were already high in confidence after securing a victory against the Comets. The opening quarter saw both teams settle safely into the match, going goal for goal in an energetic start to the encounter. Halfway through the quarter, Queens wing defence Caitlyn Watt picked up a loose ball, but that was quickly cancelled out by Diamonds wing defence Debora Kitenge with an outside arm intercept, which then gave the Diamonds a two-goal lead after converting their own centre pass as the quarter ended 12-10 to the Diamonds.

The intensity carried on with the score level at 17-17 midway through the second quarter. The Queens managed to edge ahead briefly after converting three consecutive goals. This prompted a shooting change for the Diamonds, which saw Jana Swart being introduced on goal attack in an attempt to revive the shooting circle. The fresh legs added new momentum as the Diamonds did well to stay in the game, trailing by a narrow 26-24 at halftime.

The third quarter continued at a relentless pace, neither side willing to give an inch and as both teams matched each other in hustling hard for turnovers, this reflected in the third quarter score, with the Diamonds only leading 39-38 heading into the final quarter.

The final quarter had spectators on the edge of their seats as the teams continued to go head-to-head in a dramatic finish. Diamonds wing defence Caitlin Cloete swept away a bounce pass, helping her side remain in contention. The Queens also had an opportunity to take a two-goal lead after goal attack Thobekile Mjaja committed two unforced errors, but centre Asanda Ndaba came through with a vital intercept as the Queens also converted their own centre pass to take a two-goal lead.

Only one goal separated the sides just before the final super shot when Diamonds goal shooter Colene Dercksen scored a single shot to extend the lead to two goals. Mjaja missed a two-pointer attempt in the final 15 seconds, which resulted in the Queens missing out on an opportunity to equalise as they lost the game 50-52.

FULL RESULTS:

Comets 39-65 Diamonds

Tshukudu 42-42 Queens

Baobabs 53-51 Lilies

Tornados 52-56 Sunbirds

Stings 55-41 Stars 

Crinums 59-37 Flames 

Queens 50-52 Diamonds

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