Proteas crush Sri Lanka to reach second round of Netball World Cup

The Proteas booked their place in the second round of the Netball World Cup by crushing minnows Sri Lanka in Cape Town on Saturday, securing their second victory of the tournament.

After being pushed hard in their 61-50 victory over Wales in their opening Group C match the night before, head coach Norma Plummer made a string of changes to the home side for their second fixture.

Plummer introduced four players to the starting team and made two positional switches, as a new-look Proteas side took to the court.

Spearheaded by goal shooter Elmere van der Berg and goal attack Nichole Taljaard, South Africa raced to an early lead in a high-scoring match.

Solid defence

Anchored by goalkeeper Nichola Smith, the Proteas were equally effective at the back, and they were 45-18 up at half-time.

And while Plummer made some changes in the latter stages of the game, taking the opportunity to try out different combinations, the hosts lost no momentum as they wrapped up a convincing 87-32 win.

The victory ensured the host nation would progress to the super 12 stage, with teams being split into two groups of six.

Their last Pool C clash against Jamaica (at 6pm on Sunday) will not be a dead rubber fixture, however, with sides carrying points into the next round, and the SA team will have to be at their best in what is likely to be one of their most important matches at the 10-day showpiece.

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