DHS crowned netball champs

It was a joyous celebration for Dundee High School (DHS) when they were crowned KZN Northern Regional champions at the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Fast 5s Netball Challenge that took place at Ferrum High School on Saturday.
Dundee met Vryheid’s hardworking Pionier Hoërskool in the regional final, which ended with Dundee netting 10 points to Pionier’s seven.
Pionier got the final underway with Cay-Li Birkenstock scoring the game’s first goal just 22 seconds in. 19 seconds later, Thandolwethu Buthelezi equalised at the other end for Dundee. The first quarter of the final ping-ponged between the two poles, with Pionier powering down their favoured left side and scoring; then Dundee sending play right back up and equalising.
Nearing four minutes left in the first half, Dundee missed their chance to equalise, giving Pionier the edge, with the score-line sitting at 4-3. Birkenstock added two more to her tally and Simone van Jaarsveld got her name on the score card as well.
Both teams went into a dry spell, with attempts on either end frustratingly hitting the rim or being intercepted.
Dundee broke the spell with 99 seconds left of the half, as Buthelezi snatched the ball mid-air with her long right arm and calmly popped the ball through the hoop to level the score at 4-4. 90 seconds later, she produced a magical one-handed mid-air retrieval and confidently deposited the ball through the hoop for Dundee’s fifth goal.
Pionier opened up the second half with Van Jaarsveld earning her team’s fifth, 87 seconds in. Pionier dominated the next 90 seconds of play with several bursts up to Dundee’s goals, but were unable to find the centre of the hoop. Dundee’s Buthelezi had another opportunity, taking the lead again, and 50 seconds later, she added another point for her team. With just over three minutes until the final whistle, Mele Erlank managed to net Pionier’s sixth goal to Dundee’s seven.
Two quick-fire goals by Buthelezi saw the Dundee girls get a bounce in their step as their confidence began to soar.
Captain for Dundee, Zinita Oosthuizen, upped her game at the back, with two towering challenges as she leaped into the air, solidly knocking down Pionier’s looping attempts. Erlank managed to find a gap and net her second to take Pionier’s final score to seven, while Dundee wrapped up the game with 10 points, all scored by Buthelezi.
Dundee’s Oosthuizen said after the game, “The final was very challenging. Pionier are a tough team to beat, but we are thankful that we had the ability to play against them and took the win. I am so blessed to have a team like mine.”
In their earlier round robin meeting, an undefeated Pionier took the win in a low-scoring game of 4-1.
Dundee coach Smangaye Nkwanyana commented that, “Today was hard! We came into the tournament being slightly unfit, as our season had wrapped up and the girls have been concentrating on exams. All in all, we are happy though. Taking on Pionier again, having lost to them in the round robin, was tough too. We were nervous going in, but dug deep and did our best with our youngest in the team, 15-year-old Thandolwethu, doing so well.”
The fifth regional heads down to Kokstad College for the KZN Southern Regional on Saturday, September 10. All games will be live streamed on the SuperSport Schools mobile app or their website.
Medal game result:
Dundee High School 1 Pionier Hoërskool 2.
Round robin results: 1. Pionier Hoërskool – 21 points, 2. Dundee High School – 18 points, 3. Ferrum High School – 15 points, 4. Newcastle High School – 10 points, 5. Sarel Cilliers – nine points, 6. Amajuba District School – four points, 7. Amajuba School – three points, 8. St Dominic’s – two points.

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