The Proteas endured a frustrating end to a gruelling overseas campaign on Sunday, with the 61-55 loss to England’s Roses in the Netball Nations Cup final in London.
The four-nation tournament that included Uganda and Malawi had followed hot on the heels of a tough three-Test series in Jamaica. Here, we look at five players who have stood out for the Proteas on their travels:
Kamogelo Maseko (goal attack)
Maseko has shown her versatility as she has been used in a few different positions, on attack and in defence. She was found wanting in none of them. She gave the Jamaicans a torrid time with her smart movement and lethal shooting accuracy when other players were misfiring. Her budding partnership with attacker Elmere van der Berg would also account for a huge part of the Proteas’ goal haul. The Roses also struggled to deal with the rangy player as the Proteas beat the hosts 61-59 in a pool match. It is no coincidence that coach Jenny van Dyk turned to her in the final when things weren’t going SA’s way.
Sanmarie Visser (goal defence)
The youngster had stepped up to fill the big shoes of Karla van Dyk, the star goal defence who was rested for the tour. She showed her tenacity and fighting spirit from the get-go, despite often facing a mismatch in the circle. The tigerish defender was not scared to get stuck in, no matter the opponent. Her lightning reflexes often led to intercepts and great leaping ability saw her contest balls that she had no right to. Visser was picked as one for the future but proved that she can mix with the best right now. Her partnership with another live-wire defender, Jamie van Wyk, will have Van Dyk salivating.
"𝐓![CDATA[]]>𝐡![CDATA[]]>𝐚![CDATA[]]>𝐭'𝐬 𝐰![CDATA[]]>𝐡![CDATA[]]>𝐚![CDATA[]]>𝐭 𝐒![CDATA[]]>𝐨![CDATA[]]>𝐮![CDATA[]]>𝐭![CDATA[]]>𝐡 𝐀![CDATA[]]>𝐟![CDATA[]]>𝐫![CDATA[]]>𝐢![CDATA[]]>𝐜![CDATA[]]>𝐚![CDATA[]]>𝐧![CDATA[]]>𝐬 𝐜![CDATA[]]>𝐚![CDATA[]]>𝐧 𝐝![CDATA[]]>𝐨" 🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦
Coach Jenny van Dyk's team talk at the #NationsCup captured our hearts 🥹❤️#HereForHer pic.twitter.com/ivEgqAeGw7
Refiloe Nketsa (centre)
While the star centre had the misfortune of being ejected from the Nations Cup final, it should not detract from what has been a fruitful campaign. That the Proteas were able to mix it with the Sunshine Girls for large parts of their series was often down to Nketsa and skipper KC Chawane at wing attack. They controlled the mid-court, dictating play. Nketsa showed great control, hustle and passing range. Her skills allowed SA to counter quickly with lightning transitions that set up countless scoring opportunities. She often led the team for feeds into the attacking circle.
Khanyisa Chawane (wing attack)
The tireless skipper can be regarded as the heartbeat of the team. She never stopped driving the Proteas forward, even when the game seemed well out of reach. She was also solid on the defensive end, with her handling secure. Like Nketsa, she was responsible for a number of feeds into the attacking circle and acted as a conduit for the speedy counters that are a hallmark of the Proteas’ play. Her ability to find players in the circle was arguably the difference in the narrow win over the Roses. Chawane also never let her standards drop and was visibly upset when others did. She has shown real leadership quality when needed the most.
Elmere van der Berg (goal shooter)
The tall sharp-shooter set the tempo in the shooting circle for South Africa, especially early on against Jamaica. She was able to keep the Proteas in touch in a number of tight encounters. Her almost telepathic link with Maseko is one of the exciting fruits of a challenging campaign. Van der Berg scored 39 goals in the 70-45 win over Uganda. This was despite the failed experiment to start her at goal attack. Rolene Streutker is another strong option at goal shooter for SA. However, it was telling that when the Nations Cup trophy was on the line, Van der Berg was entrusted with keeping the Proteas in the contest.