POLOKWANE – Limpopo Baobabs netball team lost the second match of the Brutal Fruit Netball Premier League which was played at the Pretoria University Sports Centre on Sunday.
The Baobabs played their first match on Saturday and lost the game 50-40 against Mpumalanga Sunbirds. The Kingdom Stars also proved to be better than the Baobabs on Sunday after claiming the game 49-36.
The match was closer than the score suggests, and the Limpopo team fought every step of the way, but the Stars were just too strong and too organised for them. Both teams were quite physical, and there were plenty of falls as each side tried to gain dominance over the other.
The Stars, who were second division runners-up last year, held the lead throughout, and won every quarter. At halftime, they were 29-19 ahead of the Baobabs. Kingdom Stars goalkeeper, Jessica Khomo, was named player of the match for her good work against the very tall Limpopo goal shooter, Rehaba Ngobeni.
Baobabs head coach, Cecilia Molekwane, said she was pleased with the way her team had responded to the challenge of playing the Kingdom Stars. “Kingdom Stars is the team we wanted to beat most but pity we failed.
My players are better than they were last year. We have had support from the Limpopo Sports Academy, and they have helped us with biokineticists, who gave each player a fitness programme to follow.
My players are more committed this year, and I do not have problems getting them to come to training camps. They are excited about the Brutal Fruit Netball Premier League and want to be part of it,” she said.
Limpopo Baobabs netball team is number four on the Division 2 log with zero points.
On May 17 the Baobabs netball team will face Eastern Cape Aloes and the game will be broadcast live on DSTV channel SLSA.
