On Saturday, in a grueling match, The Spar Proteas lost 55-47 to Jamaica in a hard-fought first Test in the three-match Margaret Beckford Sunshine Series in Kingston, Jamaica. Coach Jenny van Dyk is not downcast said however, the ambiance had an effect on the results of the game.

THE FIGHT

"The last time we played Jamaica; we lost by 18 points - this time we lost by eight. There is something to work on and next time, we will know what to expect,' Van Dyk said. During the second quarter, SA goalkeeper Nicola Smith had to leave after falling heavily with an arm injury. Her replacement Ane Retief was sent off for two minutes for a foul and playing dangerously. The Sunshine Girls took advantage of the situation and won the quarter by 16 goals to 11 and maintained momentum. The SPAR Proteas fought back hard and reduced the margin to seven goals. (42-35) but in the final quarter lead, the Spar Proteas finished the match just eight goals behind.

NOT DISHEARTENED

Not disheartened, the coach said they had done well to cope despite the atmosphere in the packed National Indoor Stadium. "We theoretically know how they play, but there is nothing like experiencing it. The noise and the vibe are something special, but it can put you off your game,' she said. "I think there is a lot we can take out of this match, and we know what we need to work on. "The second quarter was very expensive for us, with a player injured and another sent off, but we should be able to cope with setbacks like that,' said Van Dyk. Assistant coach Zanele Mdodana said they had a plan and a strategy, but we were thrown a curve ball in the second quarter. "That's where we lost the match because all the other quarters were very close. Losing Nicola changed the momentum of the game,' she said. In the curtain raiser match, the Spar Baby Proteas impressed in beating Jamaica Under-21 by 61 goals to 31. The next match is on Thursday 23 January 2025 and the final test is on Sunday 26 January 2025.