Proteas captain Bongi Msomi and New Zealand's Gina Crampton in action at the Netball World Cup. Picture: Shaun Roy/Gallo Images/Netball World Cup 2023
Delivering a gutsy performance in a desperate attempt to punch above their weight, the Proteas kept their medal hopes alive on Wednesday night after clawing their way to a nail-biting 48-48 draw against defending champions New Zealand at theNeeding at least a draw to stay on course for a place in the semi-finals, South Africa stepped on court as underdogs in front if their home crowd, as they targeted only their second ever victory over the Silver Ferns and their first since 1995.
The pressure started to tell in the second stanza, and though they worked hard to stay in touch, the SA team lost some ground before the half-time break, with New Zealand holding a 26-21 lead.Gritting their teeth, the Proteas refused to give up and scraped their way back to within two points in the third quarter of the fast-paced clash, as they looked to cause an upset.
Five-time World Cup champions the Silver Ferns seemed to be holding off the challenge, but their efforts were not enough to keep a fighting Proteas team at bay and the home team took the final quarter 14-10 to take a share of the points from the match.
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