{"id":1142,"date":"2023-07-29T06:48:49","date_gmt":"2023-07-29T04:48:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.runridedive.com\/?p=1142"},"modified":"2024-01-22T09:04:49","modified_gmt":"2024-01-22T07:04:49","slug":"jamaica-fire-in-100-goals-while-hosts-south-africa-england-and-malawi-also-record-wins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.runridedive.com\/index.php\/2023\/07\/29\/jamaica-fire-in-100-goals-while-hosts-south-africa-england-and-malawi-also-record-wins\/","title":{"rendered":"Jamaica fire in 100 goals while hosts South Africa, England and Malawi also record wins"},"content":{"rendered":"

SOUTH AFRICA 61 – 50 WALES<\/strong><\/p>\n

South Africa cleared the first hurdle in their Netball World Cup 2023 campaign when they beat Wales 61-50 at a packed CTICC in Cape Town.<\/p>\n

The Welsh team didn\u2019t only have to contend with the superiority of the Proteas on the court but also the deafening roar of the home crowd in the stands. There was cheering, dancing and singing throughout the 60-minute encounter that undoubtedly fuelled the home side\u2019s determination to make their country proud.<\/p>\n

Player of the tournament at the 2019 Netball World Cup in Liverpool Karla Pretorius made her 99th<\/sup> appearance for the Proteas and was in great form, putting her impressive defensive abilities on full display.<\/p>\n

In the first two quarters, South Africa showed why they are fifth on the latest world rankings compared to Wales\u2019 ninth position. They had the height advantage over their opponents as well as the speed and agility across court. The Proteas went into the lead 32-24, with Ine-Marie Venter having a stellar performance as goal shooter, finding the net time after time.<\/p>\n

While most of the players settled well into their positions, Elmer\u00e9 van der Berg seemed to struggle to find her feet. Welsh defenders Ella Powell-Davies and Christina Shaw pounced on Van der Berg\u2019s nervousness, keeping her from making her mark on the big stage. Her shooting average of 50 per cent was clear evidence of that and she moved to the bench for the final two quarters of the match, being replaced by Nichole Taljaard. Coach Norma Plummer also brought on Jeant\u00e9 Strydom (for Shadine van der Merwe) who made her international debut for South Africa.<\/p>\n

Wales didn\u2019t make any substitutions until the third quarter with Nansi Kuti replacing Georgia Rowe at goal shooter. It was also Kuti\u2019s debut for Wales.<\/p>\n

In the final stretch of the match, South Africa started pulling away. They used their status as one of the most experienced teams at the World Cup in terms of international caps and upped the tempo to completely shut out the Welsh and clinch an important victory on the first day of action.<\/p>\n

Plummer was beaming with pride about Venter\u2019s performance that saw her named the Most Valuable Player.<\/p>\n

\u201cHer growth has been phenomenal. She had outstanding shooting for us,\u201d said Plummer.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a win, not what I necessarily would call a convincing win. I thought our first quarter was sensational but then the Welsh notched it up in the second and third quarters. We started spraying balls and that was disappointing. There\u2019s a lot of information that we now have and that we can use and work on.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Sunday, the Proteas face Jamaica who stacked 105 goals against Sri Lanka. Captain Bongi Msomi said they are not looking that far ahead.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are taking it day by day. Tomorrow it\u2019s Sri Lanka. In 2019 we were in the same situation, anything can happen on any day. But first things first, and that\u2019s tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

SCORES:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Q1: 18-9<\/p>\n

Q2: 32-24 (14-15)<\/p>\n

Q3: 47-37 (15-13)<\/p>\n

Q4: 61-50 (14-13)<\/p>\n

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER:<\/strong> Ine-Marie Venter (South Africa)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

JAMAICA 105-25 SRI LANKA<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jamaica\u2019s Sunshine Girls got their tournament off to a storming start, notching up a formidable 100-point total in their opening Group C match against Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n

That was only the second time the Jamaicans have scored 100 goals on the World Cup stage and the 14th<\/sup> time that the century mark has been surpassed by any team in the tournament\u2019s 60-year history.<\/p>\n

The last time the milestone was achieved was in 2015 when Sri Lanka was also on the receiving end of a 101-18 drubbing at the hands of Malawi.<\/p>\n

On Friday, the Jamaicans slotted in 11 goals before the Sri Lankans got themselves on the scoreboard.<\/p>\n

Goal shooter Romelda Aiken-George notched up a 100 per cent shooting average in the opening quarter, scoring 19 of her side\u2019s 26 goals. This is the 34-year-old\u2019s fifth Netball World Cup, so equalling the Jamaican record jointly held by her coach, Connie Francis, and Janet Johnson.<\/p>\n

Sri Lanka won the Asian qualifying tournament to book their place at the Netball World Cup but found it tough going against the slick Jamaican outfit, reaching halftime facing a 41-goal deficit.<\/p>\n

Jhaniele Fowler came on for the first time in the third quarter and notched up a near-perfect 24 out of 25 goals as the Jamaicans continued to dominate. She added 18 more in the fourth quarter to finish with a 97.7 shooting average \u2013 both she and Aiken-George (97.1 per cent) making the most of their significant height advantage in the circle.<\/p>\n

It was Rebekah Robinson who slotted in the Jamaicans\u2019 100th<\/sup> goal of the match in the final quarter as they romped to a 105-25 victory.<\/p>\n

Speaking after the match, coach Francis said: \u201cI loved the way the girls went out there and put on a fantastic show\u2026 I am so proud that they were able to execute well throughout the court.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was good to get all the girls out there and you know what I was happy about, was the different types of combinations that we could run and we were able to see that the girls were executing it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Commenting on her side surpassing the 100-goal mark, Francis simply added: \u201cThe girls set specific targets and to see them attain them was really good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sri Lankan captain Gayanjali Amarawansa admitted afterwards: \u201cFor Asians this was a very tough game. This is the first time we have played against Jamaica so we had a good experience. I think we have to experience games like this so it was a good one.<\/p>\n

\u201cToughness and physicality are the good lessons for us so we hope to go ahead with that.\u201d<\/p>\n

SCORES:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Q1: 26-5<\/p>\n

Q2: 52-11 (26-6)<\/p>\n

Q3: 75-18 (23-7)<\/p>\n

Q4: 105-25 (30-7)<\/p>\n

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Latanya Wilson (Jamaica)<\/strong><\/p>\n

ENGLAND 90 – 29 BARBADOS<\/strong><\/p>\n

England also got their bid for a first ever Netball World Cup crown off to a positive start, producing a commanding performance against Barbados in their opening Group B encounter.<\/p>\n

The match was unique in that it saw England\u2019s Geva Mentor and Jade Clark as well as Barbados\u2019s Latonia Blackman all stepping out on the Netball World Cup stage for an incredible record-equalling sixth time.<\/p>\n

The two sides have met a total of six times in Netball World Cup history, with the island nation never having gotten the better of the Roses.<\/p>\n

While the Bajan Gems had a positive start to the match, staying in touch for the first five minutes, seven unanswered goals from England towards the end of the quarter saw them surging further ahead than they already were to reach the first break 20-8 up.<\/p>\n

The English didn\u2019t look back from there, dominating on all fronts, winning the next quarter by the same 12-goal margin and continuing that ascendency.<\/p>\n

Barbados could manage just four goals in the third period and things didn\u2019t go much better in the fourth, the Roses rolling out comfortable 90-29 winners.<\/p>\n

England coach Jess Thirlby was understandably pleased with her team\u2019s performance, in which World Cup debutante Funmi Fadoju was named the Most Valuable Player.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really pleased. It\u2019s a solid start. I think while we\u2019re not getting carried away with the scoreboard, one of the learnings for us is to make sure we\u2019re more consistent quarter on quarter, irrelevant of changes\u2026 and I actually thought quarter on quarter we got stronger, we found more ball through the game which was great, we adjusted.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a confidence boost but we\u2019re not getting carried away, we have bigger challenges to come in the next couple of days.\u201d<\/p>\n

Barbados coach Denise Alleyne said: \u201cI think we had a really good first half, we stuck to the gameplan for the most part. We didn\u2019t convert as many as we would have liked but we were able to move the ball around and we had some good spots. We had a bit of a mental lapse in the third quarter that spilled over to the fourth but for the most part, I saw some good things happening and we have some stuff we can improve upon for our next game.<\/p>\n

Speaking about Blackman playing in her sixth Netball World Cup, she added: \u201cIt’s just great, Latonia is a patriot at heart. It\u2019s interesting because my very last tournament as a player was her first so we actually played together for one tournament. I hope it\u2019s not her last. She still has a lot to offer \u2013 her spirit, her personality, everything she stands for is what Barbados netball is all about.\u201d<\/p>\n

SCORES:
\n<\/strong>Q1: 20-8<\/p>\n

Q2: 42-18 (22-10)<\/p>\n

Q3: 65-22 (23-4)<\/p>\n

Q4: 90-29 (25-7)<\/p>\n

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: <\/strong>Funmi Fadoju (England)<\/p>\n

MALAWI 55 – 49 SCOTLAND<\/strong><\/p>\n

In a pulsating match at the Netball World Cup 2023, the Malawi Queens scored a 55-49 come-from-behind victory over Scotland. It was the first time these two sides have met in the history of the sport\u2019s showpiece tournament.<\/p>\n

Before the tournament started, Scotland captain Claire Maxwell said her team wanted to shake the tag of underachievers. This result certainly didn\u2019t do anything to achieve what she set out to do.<\/p>\n

The match started with a bang as Malawi’s shooting duo, Joyce Mvula and Jane Chimaliro, displayed remarkable accuracy, converting all their chances at goal in the first quarter. But despite their impeccable shooting, Malawi struggled to retain possession, with only 37 per cent of the ball in their hands. Scotland held a comfortable 17-9 lead at the end of the first quarter and it looked like an upset was on the cards.<\/p>\n

In the second 15 minutes, the African team kicked into high gear, proving their mettle and resilience. With fresh legs stepping in from the bench, the team started gradually chipping away at the seemingly insurmountable lead Scotland had established earlier on.<\/p>\n

Scotland, on the other hand, started the first three quarters with an unchanged lineup, sticking to their initial strategy of staying with the tried and tested. They introduced replacements in the final 15 minutes in an attempt to salvage the match but it was not to be.<\/p>\n

Malawi will undoubtedly want to build on the exceptional performance against Scotland with their eyes set on the playoffs. For their opponents it is time to regroup and refine their match strategies, hoping to bounce back stronger.<\/p>\n

SCORES:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Q1: 17-9<\/p>\n

Q2: 29-22 (12-13)<\/p>\n

Q3: 41-35 (12-13)<\/p>\n

Q4: 55-49 (20-8)<\/p>\n

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER:<\/strong> Joyce Mvula (Malawi)<\/p>\n

NEW ZEALAND 76 – 27 TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO<\/strong><\/p>\n

New Zealand\u2019s Silver Ferns began their Netball World Cup title defence with a dominant display over Trinidad and Tobago at the Cape Town International Convention Centre in South Africa on Friday, claiming a 76-27 victory.
\nThe 2019 Netball World Cup champions raced into a nine-goal lead before Joelisa Cooper could slot in Trinidad and Tobago\u2019s first goal of the tournament. With Grace Nweke notching up a flawless 100 per cent shooting record at the other end of the court in the first quarter, the Silver Ferns were 23-2 up by the first break.
\nThey continued that momentum into the second quarter, Maia Wilson coming on for Nweke and continuing the 100 per cent scoring record. But Trinidad and Tobago managed to find their shooters in the circle with more regularity \u2013 wing attack Shantel Seemungal and later centre Alena Brooks working hard in midcourt \u2013 scoring nine goals of their own to take the score to 43-11 at half time.
\nIt was an even better third quarter from the Caribbean nation as they began by matching New Zealand goal for goal for the first 10 minutes and enjoyed 57 per cent of the possession. They once again scored nine goals but restricted the Silver Ferns to just 15 as New Zealand coach Noeline Taurua gave each of her players some court time. Trinidad and Tobago continued their positive performance in the final period, but ultimately the defending champions wrapped up a resounding victory.
\nNew Zealand\u2019s South African-born defender Karin Burger was named Most Valuable Player
\n\u201cI was happy with the start. I thought we were quite dominant,\u201d said Taurua afterwards. \u201cThere are some elements we\u2019ve been working on and I could see that out on court. I thought that as the game progressed we sort of pulled ourselves apart or the opposition did and we became reactive but it\u2019s a good start for us and we know the areas we can improve on.\u201d
\nNew Zealand captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio added: \u201cI think we did start well but we have to make sure that we continue to rise above the physicality when it comes so it was a good challenge for us\u2026
\n\u201cObviously we had multiple combos out there but we\u2019ve always talked around the fact that no matter who is on we have to be able to do our job so it\u2019s just getting that consistency across the quarters but good for us to know now where we can grow.\u201d
\nTrinidad and Tobago coach Joel “Twiggy” Young-Strong was pleased with her side\u2019s performance, particularly in the second half.
\n\u201cNew Zealand is New Zealand \u2013 they were the World Cup winners so it was tough. We took a little too long to settle in but when we settled in we did some good things, we did some great things and I am very pleased with the goal that we set \u2013 to lift our goals against New Zealand and we did that so we celebrate some small wins today.<\/p>\n

SCORES:
\nQ1: 23-2
\nQ2: 43-11 (20-9)
\nQ3: 58-20 (15-9)
\nQ4: 76-27 (18-7)
\nMOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Karin Burger (New Zealand)<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nTONGA 56 \u2013 51 FIJI<\/strong>
\nA spirited Tonga, in only their second outing at the sport\u2019s showpiece, beat Fiji 56-51 in a Group A encounter on day 1 of the Netball World Cup 2023 in Cape Town. It was the first time these two island nations have met at the World Cup with Fiji participating for the 10th time.
\nTonga took to the court wearing black armbands after the recent death of Mo\u2019onia Gerrard\u2019s mother. The 42-year-old defender came out of retirement to represent her second country at a World Cup, previously winning the gold medal with Australia at the 2007 and 2011 tournaments. She made her international debut against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2004.
\nIt was a tentative start by both teams. Fiji decided on an aerial game to counter the more physical play of Tonga. It mattered on the scoreboard, and they ended the first 15 minutes with a five-goal lead.
\nAt the start of the second quarter, Tonga managed to grab a few goals and scored the equaliser after five minutes. Despite outscoring Fiji, their opponents went into the halftime break with a two-point lead.
\nWhen shooter Cathrine Tuivaiti came on court for Tonga in the third quarter, it was for the representation of her third country, having previously played for Samoa and New Zealand. The 2023 World Cup is her second one, after playing for Samoa at the 2007 tournament in Auckland.
\nWith the third quarter winding down, Tonga\u2019s superior position on the world rankings, seventh compared to Fiji\u2019s 17th, enabled them to get a hold of the game. Although Fiji\u2019s goal circle was operating well, silly mistakes were starting to creep in, costing them dearly.
\nThe last 15 minutes of the match saw strong attacking play from Tonga, putting their opponents under constant pressure across the court. Accurate shooting by Tuivaiti and Uneeq Palavi ensured the win.
\nTonga vice-captain Kelea Iongi was delighted with her team\u2019s first victory at the 2023 World Cup.
\n\u201cIt was just important to stay one on one and grind it out on defence and attack. It was just a case of staying calm, getting the tips and the intercepts. It was a great team effort,\u201d she said.
\nTonga centre Hulita Veve was named Most Valuable Player. She put in a great all-round performance, moving the ball through mid-court and getting several intercepts at crucial moments during the match.<\/p>\n

SCORES:
\nQ1: 16-11
\nQ2: 28-26 (15-12)
\nQ3: 40-36 (14-8)
\nQ4: 56-51 (16-15)
\nMOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Hulita Veve (Tonga)<\/p>\n

AUSTRALIA 86-30 ZIMBABWE<\/strong>
\nWorld number one Australia completely outplayed Zimbabwe in their first match at the Netball World Cup 2023 in Cape Town, beating their African counterparts 86-30. This was just the second World Cup meeting between the two countries. Australia won the only other encounter 73-37 four years ago in Liverpool.
\nBoth teams remained the same for the first half of the match, with coaches Stacey Marinkovich and Ropafadzo Mutsauki appearing to take a \u201cwait and see\u201d approach. In the third quarter though, Marinkovich rung the changes, bringing on the remaining reserves and making several positional switches, including Ash Brazzil moving from wing defence to centre and Jo Weston moving from centre to goal defence for Australia.
\nFor Zimbabwe, captain Felisitus Kwangwa switched from goal defence to wing defence, Joice Takaidza from centre to goal defence and Sharleen Tanaka Makusha from wing defence to centre.
\nWith Zimbabwe claiming 51 per cent of the possession during the first two quarters, the latter stages of the match saw the 2022 Commonwealth Games champions completely stamping their authority on proceedings. The Aussies claimed 15 intercepts, considerably cutting down the passing options of Zimbabwe.
\nAustralian captain Liz Watson brushed off having to step from the court to be re-strapped for a light scratch, saying it was good to get the pressure of the first game out of the way despite being the top-ranked team in the world.
\n\u201cThere are some really strong countries here and international netball is getting tighter all the time. We\u2019ve had some nice success over the past 18 months, this was a great start and now we can build from here and go all the way. We just have to embrace being number one and be proud of that.\u201d
\nIt was a less-than-impressed Zim coach Mutsauki who addressed the media after the match.
\n\u201cWe lacked character today, especially in the second half. We gave Australia too much respect. It is now back to the drawing board before tomorrow.\u201d
\nCourtney Bruce was named Most Valuable Player. Even though she only came on in the third quarter for Australia, coach Marinkovich used her versatility to great advantage. Bruce started at goalkeeper and then moved to wing defence, centre and goal defence.<\/p>\n

SCORES:
\nQ1: 20-11
\nQ2: 41-18 (21-7)
\nQ3: 62-24 (21-6)
\nQ4: 86-30 (24-6)
\nMOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Courtney Bruce (Australia)<\/p>\n

UGANDA 79-37 SINGAPORE<\/strong><\/p>\n

A first Netball World Cup clash between Uganda and Singapore saw the African nation dominating from start to finish and walking away with a 79-37 victory.
\nThe She Cranes pulled away in the first quarter, enjoying 60 per cent of the possession in the period and surging ahead to a 22-9 lead.
\nIt was more of the same in the second quarter as the Ugandans proved quicker and slicker on all fronts with Haniisha Muhameed and Shadiah Nassanga doing the business in the shooting circle.
\nThe Ugandans stuck with their starting seven throughout the first half, coach Fred Mugerwa only making changes at half time. He brought 6 foot 6 Mary Cholhok on as goal shooter, with captain Irene Eyaru in as goal attack among several other changes.
\nCholhok is one of just two players in the Ugandan squad with Netball World Cup experience, having played at the previous tournament in 2019. She played just one quarter on Friday, however, as Mugerwa continued to roll in the changes and give all his players valuable court time.
\nUltimately it was a comfortable victory for the east Africans, much to the delight of their vocal supporters in the crowd, although coach Mugerwa was convinced his side should have scored more goals.
\n\u201cI was happy but not a hundred per cent,\u201d he said. \u201cWe should have scored more than the goals we scored but I think there are some errors that we are making as a team, but we will work on that.
\n\u201cSome passes were not good so we need to work on that, some of the movements as well, but the moment we work those ones out I think everything will be fine.\u201d
\nSingapore captain Kai Wei Toh said the match provided a valuable learning experience for her side.
\n\u201cIt was a very big first game. We are a very young team so this game allowed them to experience different body builds and physicality \u2013 something that we can use to prepare for the next few games,\u201d she said.
\n\u201cWe are fit enough to go for it \u2013 we just have to go for it. We didn\u2019t expect it to be so tough but I think it\u2019s a good thing that the team experienced it once and we know what to expect for the next one.\u201d
\n\u201cI think we can utilise our speed a bit more. Today we were a bit hesitant with our passes and runs because of their long arms and hands so if we are able to do that, we\u2019ll be able to play a better game next time.\u201d<\/p>\n

SCORES:
\nQ1: 22-9
\nQ2: 42-18 (20-9)
\nQ3: 62-29 (20-11)
\nQ4: 79-37 (17-8)
\nPLAYER OF THE MATCH: Margret Baagala (Uganda)<\/p>\n

Imogen Allison:<\/b> Imogen Allison of England and Teresa Howell of Barbados during the Netball World Cup 2023, Pool A match between England and Barbados at Cape Town International Convention Centre Court 1 on July 28, 2023 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Ashley Vlotman\/Gallo Images\/Netball World Cup 2023)<\/em><\/p>\n

Kai Wei Toh:<\/b> Kai Wei Toh of Singapore in action during the Netball World Cup 2023 Pool D match between Uganda and Singapore at Cape Town International Convention Centre Court 2 on July 28, 2023 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Shaun Roy\/Gallo Images\/Netball World Cup 2023)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SOUTH AFRICA 61 – 50 WALES South Africa cleared the first hurdle in their Netball World Cup 2023 campaign when they beat Wales 61-50 at Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1144,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,118],"tags":[90],"class_list":["post-1142","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cricket","category-netball","tag-netball-world-cup"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.runridedive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1142","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.runridedive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.runridedive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.runridedive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.runridedive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1142"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.runridedive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1142\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1148,"href":"https:\/\/www.runridedive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1142\/revisions\/1148"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.runridedive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1144"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.runridedive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1142"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.runridedive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1142"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.runridedive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1142"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}