Results From Weekend I
Day one: February 1, 2025
South Africa 70-45 Uganda
England 62-36 Malawi
Day two: February 2, 2025
Malawi 60-45 Uganda
South Africa 61-59 England
The SPAR Proteas kicked off their 2025 Vitality Nations Cup Campaign with a bang, securing two back-to-back wins on Saturday and Sunday. The team won against Uganda in its opening game with a whooping 30-point difference (70-45). The SPAR Proteas dominated throughout the game and gave no room to the Uganda SheCranes to make it a close chase. Quarter one ended with the SheCranes trailing by six points (19-13) and the lead was maintained throughout the second quarter. In the third quarter, South Africa tore away by 20 points and only built on this momentum to finish the game with a win.
Its second game against England Vitality Roses was a heated match-up, with the hosts having a home advantage and ranking higher than the Spar Proteas. This didn’t break their spirit as they tirelessly gave a tough time to the Vitality Roses and went ahead to win with a two-point difference (61-59). South Africa had an early lead with five points in the first quarter, but at the end of the quarter, both teams equalized at 10-10. The following quarters were an exchange of baskets for the two teams, but South Africa soon retook the lead with a 3-point lead. It defended this lead and added shot by shot to win the game.
Vitality Roses
The host team, the Vitality Roses of England, opened the tournament with a great showcase against Malawi, tying the team to just 36 points compared to its 62 points. This win was a big boost for the young team, filling up the gaps most of its former players left. England led from the first quarter and maintained its lead throughout the game. In the fourth quarter, the Vitality Roses tied the Queens to scoring only four points in the final quarter, where they outscored them five times (20-4). It was a well-deserved win for the young team and the coach, with several of its players making a debut for the team, such as Vicki Oyesola, Emma Thacker, and Paige Reed.
The Uganda SheCranes
The team struggled in both games over the weekend and barely secured any win. This was a blow to the squad, which had recently played in the Fast5 Netball games in New Zealand in December last year. The team established its mark at Fast5 and completed in third place after competing against some of the best-ranked teams like Australia and New Zealand. The team played against South Africa in third place and won. But in less than a month, the SPAR Proteas returned thirsty and retained their glory in the opening game.
Outstanding Performance
Vitality Player of the Game England vs. Malawi: Paige Reed (England)
Vitality Player of the Game South Africa vs. England: Sanmarie Visser
Upcoming Games Next Weekend
Saturday, February 8
Malawi vs. South Africa
England vs. Uganda
Sunday, February 9
Third place playoff
Final
The games will be played at Copper Box Arena, London and broadcast live on Sky Sports.
