held their nerve to beat Malawi 48-46 in a hard-fought fifth place playoff match at the Netball World Cup in Sydney on Sunday, August 16.
The victory means that the South African team retains their fifth place ranking in world netball and are once again the official top netball team in Africa.
The Proteas came out hard from the start, and five successive unanswered goals gave them a lead of 8-4, but Malawi clawed their way back with their own series of goals spearheaded by star goal-shooter Mwayi Kumwenda. They drew level at eight all and then went into the lead, winning the first quarter 12-11.
In the second quarter, the teams once again exchanged goals and saw the lead change hands at regular intervals. In the middle five minutes, goal-attack Maryka Holtzhausen and goal-shooter Lenize Potgieter scored five quick goals to put South Africa back into the lead again. They kept this slender lead until the end of the second half, with South Africa 23-21 ahead, and Holtzhausen scoring on the stroke of halftime.
Malawi won the third quarter by three goals, to edge ahead with 36-35. Two goals from Potgieter at the start of the final quarter had the Proteas level with the Malawi Queens once again, as the match became a case of which team would be able to hold their nerve. A flurry of goals put South Africa back in the lead 43-40 after eight minutes. The Proteas were able to retain this slender lead for the rest of the match.
Erin Burger and Karla Mostert delivered outstanding performances, while Potgieter looked like a veteran rather than a 21-year-old. Holtzhausen had a good game and scored a number of goals from the edge of the circle.
“I am glad that’s over,” said a smiling coach, Norma Plummer. “I’m delighted for the team and for South Africa as they have come out as African winners.”
She said she had taken over as coach at short notice and had only about three weeks with the team before the start of the World Cup, so she was very pleased with the improvement they had shown over the tournament and appreciated the way they asked for her coaching advise and how they implemented it throughout the tournament.
Holtzhausen said they had started the game well, but had let Malawi back into the match and had to work hard throughout the match to win it.
“I think the difference between this match and the opening match, when we lost, is that we have improved throughout the tournament. In that opening match, it was a first World Cup for several of the girls, and I think the nerves got the better of us,” she said. “But this time we worked according to our game plan, and things worked out for us.” She said Plummer’s influence on the team had been immense. “If she could do so much to improve us in a few weeks, imagine if we had her for four years,” she said. “I think we could go right to the top.”
Deputy Minister of Sport, Gert Oosthuizen, paid tribute to Plummer and the team and made a special trip to the locker room following the game to show his appreciation and support. “Everyone in the SPAR Protea outfit can be proud of not only what they have achieved for themselves but for South Africa as a whole.”
