Giants in easy Rainbow Paints Netball victories
Leaders Complex Tigresses, defending champions Diamonds and Thunders underlined their credentials as Rainbow Paints Southern Region Netball League (SRNL) giants last weekend when they earned resounding victories to keep their title hopes alive.
The three outfits, who returned to action three weeks after being exempted from league matches for contributing key players to the national team’s Netball World Cup engagements in Australia, trampled upon Chilomoni Sisters 93-9, Alliance Capital Sisters 60-20 and Prison Sisters 54-20, respectively.
Thunders also squeezed life out of their hosts Zomba Airwing Sisters with an 83-12 thumping before leaving the stage for Prison Sisters to find solace in 54-23 triumph over Shizaella Sisters.
At Blantyre Youth Centre (BYC), Tigresses endured a long wait for Chilomoni Sisters who arrived at least 30 minutes after thumping throw-off time and the thumping victory seemed a deserved punishment for the Chilomoni Township-based side that got into the court in shambolic dressing, including tight jeans, as their kit mistress had not arrived yet.
The in-form Tigresses, who were without their injured star shooter Sindi Simtowe, got off to a flying start with a 33-1 lead in the first quarter before increasing the tally to 59-2 and 76-5 in the subsequent segments.
Despite being jittery at times under the loop, towering shooter Laureen Ngwira had an easy task of scoring a myriad of baskets as stocky Chilomoni Sisters’ defenders struggled to intercept the ball.
In the other match, Alliance Capital Sisters seemed to have matched Diamonds’ strength after trailing by only three baskets in the first quarter, but this proved to be just a flash in a frying pan as Diamonds found their rhythm in the second and third quarter to extend the difference by 16 and 25 baskets in the following segments.
