Proteas push world champions before second-quarter surge hands Australia victory

The battle-hardened SPAR Proteas went toe-to-toe with reigning world champions Australia in the opening quarter of Saturday’s Test match in Bendigo before the hosts found their rhythm in the second and eventually ran out 64–53 victors.

The Proteas came into the first clash of the three-Test series with at least 10 internationals under their belt for 2025, while the Australian Diamonds were playing their first match of the year.

The South Africans started where they had left off in their recent series against the Silver Ferns in New Zealand but struggled to sustain their intensity for the full 60 minutes.

The Diamonds were first on the scoreboard, moving three points clear in the opening exchanges, yet the Proteas remained patient in executing their game plan and soon drew level.

The visitors showed real character, contesting every pass and displaying their trademark grit and resilience as they pushed the pace and matched the world champions blow for blow. The scores were locked at 14-all at the end of the first quarter.

However, the Australians ramped up their attack early in the second quarter, and their smothering defence forced a series of errors from the Proteas. The Diamonds scored four unanswered goals at the start of the quarter to seize control and steadily built on that advantage to lead 34–26 at half-time.

Proteas head coach Jenny van Dyk made a few tactical changes going into the third quarter, introducing Owethu Ngubane and Sanmarie Visser in place of goal attack Khanyisa Chawane and wing defence Shadine van der Merwe.

The fresh legs made an immediate impact as the South Africans clawed their way back into contention. The Proteas scored 15 goals to the Diamonds’ 16 in the third quarter and trailed 50–41 heading into the final 15 minutes.

With Tarle Mathe beginning to tire, Van Dyk brought on Refiloe Nketsa at centre to bolster the midcourt. Despite their effort, Australia managed the game superbly in the closing stages and secured victory in the opening match of the series.

Among the standout performers for South Africa was goal shooter Elmere van der Berg, who netted 37 of her 42 attempts (88%). Goalkeeper Nicola Smith also impressed in defence, registering four intercepts and seven deflections.

“To be honest, it wasn’t a bad game for us as South Africa. Taking on the best in the world is never an easy task, but we did it,” said Van Dyk in her post-match analysis.

“Our first quarter was good, but everything that went wrong for us happened in the second. We lost the third quarter by a single point, which showed good game performance from our side. “We know we can be competitive as a team, and there’s been a lot of improvement. Our aim for the next match is to win — we don’t just want to compete.”

The Proteas will continue their quest for a first-ever victory over the world No. 1 side at the Wollongong Entertainment Centre on Wednesday. The two teams have met 47 times, with Australia yet to taste defeat.