Free State Crinums laid down an early marker in the defence of their Telkom Netball League (TNL) title with back-to-back wins as the 2025 season tipped off at Sun City Super Bowl in the North West Province at the weekend.
They powered past the Limpopo Baobabs with a 68-34 win on Sunday, after seeing off the Spar Baby Proteas 58-46 in Saturday’s opening match. Crinums skipper and Proteas star Refiloe Nketsa has led the charge for the defending champions.
Home team the North West Flames also got their campaign off to the perfect start. They stunned the Jaguars, last year’s beaten finalists, 60-57 in a nail-biting opening match for the Gauteng giants on Sunday.
Goal attack Sunel Smit was named Player of the Match for her fine shooting display as the teams matched each other shot for shot.
The Crinums showed their intent to defend their title from the first tipoff and were clinical in execution on attack and in defence against the junior national team on Saturday. They pulled away after a competitive first half to secure a comfortable victory.
Crinums coach Martha Mosoahle-Samm said: “I think it was a good game considering that this game was against the Spar Baby Proteas. They were busy working hard, having lots of camps and we can’t go there undermining them.”
Meanwhile, the Baby Proteas made a promising start to a tournament they are using as preparation for the Netball World Youth Cup later this year.
The Flames had opened their account against the Zambezi Eagles from Zimbabwe, securing a hard-fought 51-46 win on Saturday. Despite the Eagles’ relentless efforts, the Flames held their nerve in the dying minutes to clinch the victory.
Elsunet du Plessis, Flames coach, said: “It was a very hard game, very physical game. I think the team really did well because I threw in a lot of different combinations, and I made a lot of different changes.”
The Zambezi Eagles learnt valuable lessons from a tough match against the Flames.
Assistant coach Sithembole Banda said: “Wow! It was a very close game … we are here to learn. There are good things we have learned, new playing styles, we need to quickly adjust and change if need be.”
Meanwhile, the Golden Fireballs produced a dominant display against the Limpopo Baobabs, claiming a commanding 71-35 opening victory. Their fluid attacking combinations and solid defensive pressure underlined their championship credentials this season.
