England draws 46-46 with hosts South Africa in a thrilling Quad Series match; Roses now need to beat New Zealand on Tuesday and hope other results go their way to have any chance of reaching the final; Australia guarantees a place in the final with a narrow victory over New Zealand, England’s hopes of reaching the Quad Series final were dealt a major blow as hosts South Africa scored in the dying seconds to earn a dramatic 46-46 draw.
Quad Series 2023
After the scores were deadlocked at halftime, South Africa took a three-point advantage into the fourth quarter, but the Roses rallied to take the lead in the waning seconds in Cape Town. Despite being a player down for the final stages after Phumza Maweni was sent off for too-aggressive defense, South Africa leveled as Lenize Potgieter showed amazing poise to bury the game’s last stroke. England is already winless after two games, having lost their opener against Australia on Saturday, and their destiny is out of their control.
To advance to the final of the Quad Series, England must defeat New Zealand on Tuesday and hope that other results go their way. “I believe we had a chance to win that game, and it’s incredibly difficult to take,” England captain Natalie Metcalf said. “I give credit to our ladies for putting us back into that game. I believe we were ahead at times, and we need to figure out how to keep moving forward and developing those leads. “However, credit to South Africa for putting up a very excellent performance today.”
The Roses got off to a fast start in Quad Series, thanks to Funmi Fadoju’s excellent defensive performance, which helped them build a five-goal advantage early on. South Africa, on the other hand, reacted strongly, taking advantage of a couple of England mistakes to maintain a 13-12 lead after the quarter, much to the pleasure of a raucous home crowd. Potgieter led South Africa’s scoring in the second quarter, making all 15 of his tries, but England was able to tie the game at 23-23.
South Africa came out stronger in the second half, and solid defensive play helped them build a three-goal advantage heading into the final 15 minutes. South Africa seemed to be on the verge of triumph when they stretched their advantage to five points with just eight minutes remaining, but the Roses eventually found some fluidity when it was most needed.
As the Roses raced back to level, Imogen Allison started to dominate the midfield, while South Africa was further concerned by a warning to Maweni for over-zealous defending. More points were traded to equalize the scores until Maweni was suspended, which the Roses promptly capitalized on to take the lead. England subsequently blocked South Africa’s first opportunity to equalize but then failed to score against their depleted opponents, giving Potgieter one more chance, which he took.
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57-59 New Zealand Australia, Quad Series
Australia subsequently secured their position in the final with a close victory against New Zealand, making it two wins two. Stephanie Wood’s precision assault allowed the Diamonds to change their starting lineup against South Africa on Tuesday. As a consequence, New Zealand, England, and South Africa will compete for a spot in the final in Tuesday’s final pool-stage games, with goal difference possibly deciding. The competition provides the ideal chance for the teams to prepare for the World Cup, which will be held in Cape Town in July and August. The Netball Quad Series returns, with England taking against South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand on Sky Sports from January 21 to January 25.
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