Win a confidence booster for South Africa’s netballers

THE PROTEAS scored a major victory, beating the England Roses for the first time since 2013 in their final Quad Series match in Invercargill, New Zealand.

The South Africans won the match 54-51 for their maiden victory in the second year of the series.

The win was the culmination of a promising run in which they came painstakingly close to beating Australia (No 1 in the world) and New Zealand (No 2).

On Thursday they came within six points of beating world champions Australia, their best performance against them since 1967.

Earlier in the week they came within seven goals of the New Zealand Silver Ferns, going down 63-56.

It was the Proteas’ biggest win over England since 1997 and their first victory on New Zealand soil since the 2007 World Cup.

“It feels fabulous to have beaten one of the world’s top three,” said captain Bongi Msomi. “We have been working very hard and we knew we were going to perform well here. Having Norma Plummer (the former Australian mentor) as our coach has given us confidence and we are going from strength to strength.”

The Proteas held a slender two-point after the first quarter in a tit-for-tat battle.

England won the second quarter to level the scores 26-26 going into half-time.

Lenize Potgieter was at the top of her game sinking 43 of her 45 shots with goal attack Maryka Holtzhausen finishing with a 73 percent success rate.

Potgieter landed three successive goals shortly after the break with South Africa taking a five-point lead just five minutes into the quarter.

England clawed their way back to reduce the deficit to two points but the Proteas returned the advantage to five.

South Africa frustrated England in their fight back effort with Potgieter planting the decisive blow with a goal seconds from time.

Gritty South African centre Erin Burger, who was named player of the match, said the victory would hold them in good stead as they prepare for next year’s Commonwealth Games in Australia.

“We can go back and start preparing for the next stage of the Quad Series and for the Commonwealth Games next year with renewed confidence,” Burger said.

“I think we have shown that we can compete with the very best.”