Proteas dream still alive after historic draw against champions Silver Ferns at Netball World Cup

The Proteas are hanging on in the Netball World Cup by the barest of margins after a thrilling 48-48 draw with New Zealand at the Cape Town Convention Centre on Wednesday evening.

In almost similar fashion to Banyana Banyana’s heroics at the Fifa Women’s World Cup earlier in the day when they snatched a dramatic late winner, the Proteas jumped off the canvas to steal a late draw.

𝐈𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐯𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐬! 🥶

This is a big-time play from Nichole Taljaard 🙌#NWC2023 | #HereForHer pic.twitter.com/YTpwAdrYZ2

— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) August 2, 2023

The home side were trailing the defending champions by two goals with less than 30 seconds remaining on the clock. Young Elmeré van der Berg netted the first basket before veteran defender Phumza Maweni completed a marvellous intercept on the halfway line to set up Nichole Taljaard’s dramatic late equaliser.

The Proteas now face Uganda on Thursday with the hope that they can still qualify for the Netball World Cup semi-finals through a mathematical miracle.

However, coach Norma Plummer will be left wondering what might have been as her team’s profligacy in front of goal forced her team to play catch up throughout the night.

A frenetic first quarter saw both teams turn over possession with Proteas captain Bongi Msomi the biggest culprit through two wayward passes, but the home team kept snapping at the heels of the Silver Ferns heading into the first break trailing by just one goal at 11-10.

But as they have done all tournament the Kiwis played the big moments well in the second quarter. They consistently led by two goals or more with sharp shooter Maia Wilson showing that New Zealand had lost nothing in terms of accuracy in front of the net after super star Grace Nweke was ruled out through injury earlier in the week. Wilson scored 37 points with an accuracy rate of over 91 percent.

It was the Proteas instead that desperately missed their record goal shooter Lenize Potgieter. Ina-Marie Venter was tasked with the responsibility of replacing the injured veteran, but just like in the previous match against Trinidad and Tobago she floundered under the expectant pressure.

The Proteas were hustling in the centre of the court, and managing to win back possession, but Venter’s opening miss in the very first minute of the match set in motion a disappointing night for the Australian-based forward.

A 64.7 percentage even against the lesser teams at this Netball World Cup would be unacceptable, but simply unforgivable against a high-quality team like the defending champions when every point on offer is worth its weight in gold dust.

The Australia-based Venter was eventually hauled off towards the end of the second quarter with Elmeré van der Berg joining the consistent Nichole Taljaard upfront.

Van der Berg netted a couple of shots before the halftime whistle went with New Zealand stretching their lead to 26-21.

🇿🇦🆚🇳🇿
𝗦𝗜𝗠𝗣𝗟𝗬 𝗪𝗢𝗪! 🥳#SPARProteas | #NWC2023 pic.twitter.com/tv9nXaJYYJ

— Netball South Africa (@Netball_SA) August 2, 2023

But with the partisan home crowd raising the roof of the Cape Town International Convention Centre creating a frenzied atmosphere, the Proteas raised themselves in the third quarter.

Maweni refused to buckle and through her tenacious defending allowed the Proteas to claw their way back on the scoreboard with the Silver Ferns conceding their first quarter of the Netball World Cup 13-12.

They raised the intensity even further in the final quarter, and with the decibels in the crowd growing louder with every Proteas basket and intercept, the home team pulled off a near miracle to win the final quarter 14-10 to keep the nation’s dream alive.

@ZaahierAdams