Queens lose to South Africa
Malawi missed out on the 2013 Fast5 Netball World Series semi-final list after losing 41-35 to rivals South Africa who continued their dominance over the Queens to three straight games after yesterday morning’s win at Vector Arena, Auckland, New Zealand.
Malawi will battle against England today for the fifth-place play-off while New Zealand face South Africa as Australia take on Jamaica in the quarter-finals.
The fifth loss in six matches since Friday means the Queens as of yesterday finished at the tail end of the six-member fast-paced tournament which has a specific quarter for powerplay where a team earns double points from where a basket has been scored.
Nation on Sunday monitored the games on SuperSport Channel 5.
It was the powerplay that killed off Malawi’s resistance as South Africa, in their third-quarter turn, converted all their three-pointers through goalshooter Christian Botha. Malawi had their powerplay turn in the third quarter and led 26-18 over the Spar Proteas (South Africa).
Queens’ third-quarter lead could have been wider had goal attacker Jessie Mazengera not missed one of her two attempts. In this quarter, Malawi should have utilised three-point long range scoring opportunities, but ended up scoring regularly one and two pointers through goal shooter Mwawi Kumwenda who shied away from taking three-pointers, leaving that task to Mazengera.
Malawi had stepped on the court in confident mode having earlier beaten England 35-32 with Mazengera leading the show. But height disadvantage and terrible missing from range by Mazengera and Kumwenda restricted Queens’ scoring to one and two-pointers, which proved not enough to turn the tide of the game.
The Griffin Saenda side trailed 10-11 in the first-quarter, led 26-18 in their powerplay quarter before South Africa regained the lead 36-31 and finish off the number one-ranked Malawi in the final quarter.
Queens, who earlier lost in test series played in Australia and New Zealand leading to the Fast5 tournament, were as of yesterday on two points from a single win.
Hard luck to Queens whose dominance in Africa and fifth place in the world hangs in balance.
