Other Sport
SA netball team dominate
2010-09-07 17:52
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Sindisiwe Gumede in action (File)
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Johannesburg - The SPAR South African netball team continued to dominate on the second day of the Africa qualifying games in Mamelodi on Tuesday, beating Tanzania by 69 goals to 25.
Seven countries are participating in the four-day tournament to determine which two will join Malawi as the African representatives at the World Championships in Singapore in 2011.
The match between South Africa and Tanzania started at a frenetic pace as both teams concentrated on attack.
Although the Tanzanians fought hard, it was the Proteas who led 17-9 after the first quarter and increased their lead steadily as the match progressed.
Tanzania focused on short passes, and were particularly good at interception, but the South Africans, buoyed by vuvuzelas blown on the stands, were just too good for them.
Coach Carin Strauss, who had identified Tanzania as a team capable of causing upsets, was delighted by the way the Proteas exerted their dominance. "It was a fantastic team effort, and the team is improving day-by-day," she said. "It was a hard and fast game, which is good, because that is the way teams like Australia play. You can see that the time we spent in New Zealand and Samoa has boosted their confidence. They have also increased their speed, largely because what of what they learnt there."
Leigh-Ann Zackey earned her 50th cap, and Strauss singled her out for particular praise.
"At an international level, it is a wonderful achievement," said Strauss.
"Zackey is a really good role player - she gives direction, has a good eye and vision on court, and I believe she has what it takes to be an excellent coach in the future."
South Africa are top of the leaderboard after Tuesday's matches, with Botswana following closely behind.