Proteas netball team keep medal hopes alive in World Cup thriller

Delivering a gutsy performance in a desperate attempt to punch above their weight, the Proteas kept their medal hopes alive on Wednesday night after clawing their way to a nail-biting 48-48 draw against defending champions New Zealand at the Netball World Cup in Cape Town.

Needing at least a draw to stay on course for a place in the semi-finals, South Africa stepped on court as underdogs in front if their home crowd, as they targeted only their second ever victory over the Silver Ferns and their first since 1995.

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And though they faced a war from the start, as expected, they rose to the occasion in the early stages of the crunch fixture, hanging on to trail by just one point (11-10) at the end of the first quarter.

The pressure started to tell in the second stanza, and though they worked hard to stay in touch, the SA team lost some ground before the half-time break, with New Zealand holding a 26-21 lead.

Fighting back

Gritting their teeth, the Proteas refused to give up and scraped their way back to within two points in the third quarter of the fast-paced clash, as they looked to cause an upset.

Turning the tables, the hosts outscored their fancied opponents 13-12 in the third quarter, driving forward on attack in a thrilling encounter which had the packed crowd at Cape Town International Convention Centre on their feet.

Five-time World Cup champions the Silver Ferns seemed to be holding off the challenge, but their efforts were not enough to keep a fighting Proteas team at bay and the home team took the final quarter 14-10 to take a share of the points from the match.

Lying third in Group G with five points, South Africa have a slim chance of reaching the semi-finals, in search of their first World Cup medal in 28 years.

They will have to beat Uganda in their last match of the second round at 4pm today, however, and they will also have to hope Jamaica beat New Zealand.

Should the Proteas or Jamaica lose, the hosts will be relegated to a spot in the lower position playoffs.

Titles favourites Australia and England have already qualified for the semi-finals from Group F.

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