The Proteas had a poor start in the third and final match of the series and they failed to score until the sixth minute, trailing 6-1, and found themselves 11-1 down after just eight minutes. 

Struggles in the shooting circle, with both Ina-Marie Venter and Nichole Breedt misfiring, led Van Dyk to substitute goal defence Kamogelo Maseka. Her impact was immediate, helping reduce the deficit to five goals by the end of the first quarter.

Elmere van den Berg. Photo: Collin Reid

Jamaica dominated the second quarter, stretching their lead to ten goals on multiple occasions. Despite a spirited fightback, the Proteas were 29-19 behind at halftime. The third quarter was closely contested, with Jamaica edging it 14-13 to lead 43-32, but their earlier dominance proved decisive. 

Both teams became increasingly physical as the game progressed. Jamaica rotated their entire bench in the final quarter, allowing the Proteas to hold them to a 15-all draw, though the Jamaicans had led by as much as 16 goals earlier.

Despite the defeat, coach Jenny van Dyk lauded her team’s resilience after trailing 11-1.

“Coming back from that was not easy, but it should never have happened in the first place,” said Van Dyk. “We are building something special, and I believe the Proteas will be a formidable force in the next few years. With the Commonwealth Games in 14 months, we’re aiming for a semi-final spot. To achieve that, we must challenge the Big Four, so these matches are crucial.”

Proteas captain Khanyisa Chawane described the series as a valuable learning experience as they now set their sights on the Nations Cup  which will be  played in England in February.

Sanmarie Visser. Photo: Collin Reid

“We started well, winning the African Championship, but we needed this challenge. This series was a learning curve for the team. We showed character and confirmed our passion for netball,” she said.

Next week, the Proteas head to the United Kingdom for the Nations Cup, facing England, Uganda, and Malawi. Injured goal attack Nicola Smith will be replaced by Western Cape-based Syntiche Kabuya, a former Baby Proteas player.

Meanwhile, the Baby Proteas recorded a series clean-sweep against Jamaica Under-21, a promising sign for the Netball Youth World Cup in Gibraltar in September.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek dg