Wesley Botton

By Wesley Botton

Chief sports journalist


Proteas crushed by New Zealand

South Africa's netball team is once again paying the price for a slow start to the Sanzea Quad Series.


Again struggling to produce a strong challenge in the early stages of the 2018/19 Sanzea Quad Series, the national netball team were handed a convincing 61-37 defeat by New Zealand on Tuesday morning.

Having fallen in a 61-44 loss to world champions Australia at the weekend, the Proteas were left flailing at the bottom of the four-nation campaign after their second loss in Tauranga.

Within the first 10 minutes of the match, the Silver Ferns charged into a big lead, with the scoreline stretched to 11-1 before the Proteas began to fight back.

At the end of the first quarter, the New Zealanders were 17-7 ahead, and while the Proteas were able to contain their opponents in the second period, they trailed 30-19 at the half-time break.

Though they displayed some resilience on defence, particularly in the second half, the South Africans were let down up front, with their strike force netting just 76% of their attempts at goal.

South Africa were set to face England in their final match of the Australasian leg of the Quad Series in Melbourne on Sunday.

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