New-look Proteas celebrate winning start against Malawi

With their first match out the way, while they admit they still have work to do to reach the heights they feel they can achieve, the new-look Proteas netball team believe they’re on the right track.

Competing for the first time with a new coach (Jenny van Dyk) and captain (Khanyisa Chawane), the SA team coasted to a 68-31 victory over perennial rivals Malawi at Ellis Park on Thursday night.

The hosts took a 1-0 lead in the three-match Spar Challenge series, with two more games to be played on Saturday (5pm) and Sunday (3pm).

“Getting that win was really a great feeling. I’m really proud of the team because it’s our first time stepping out and having to perform like that is really a big thing for us,” Chawane said.

“Obviously we won’t always be happy. There are always things to work on but I’m really happy with the groundwork that we’ve done. The team is looking really good and I’m really proud of every one of them.”

‘A great start’

Van Dyk was equally pleased with the result, as they crushed Malawi in all four quarters. She also felt their first match as a group gave them an indication of what areas they needed to focus on moving forward.

“I think this is a great start for us. There’s a lot we still want to work on and a lot we know we can fix to become even better,” said the new Proteas mentor.

“Obviously, we will always want to push as much as possible but yes, my first cap, I’ll take this one. I think this is a great start to our campaign. They reacted well and really made us proud tonight.”

With her team playing their first series of the year, Malawi coach Joanna Kachilika admitted her squad had been outplayed, struggling to keep up with the tempo set by the Proteas.

“The girls stopped playing according to our strategy. They lost concentration, they lost focus, and that’s why we lost the game,” Kachilika said.