Shayamoya Area Secondary School won the KZN South Regional of the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Fast 5’s Netball Challenge. Pic:Val Adamson

In blustery conditions, the defending champs Shayamoya Area Secondary School blew away their opponents in the KZN South Regional of the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Fast 5’s Netball Challenge hosted by Kokstad College on Saturday 26 August.

Shayamoya met King Edward High School in an action-packed regional final. The 2022 champs made their intentions clear from the onset, netting the first goal shortly after play got underway. Continuing with their superb game plan, the local team whisked the ball up to the circle with only a handful of passes and comfortably opened their account. 

Seconds later, a determined travelling team quickly equalised at the other end. In the following minutes, Shayamoya dominated possession, their no-nonsense centre Asiphe Manyaba commanding her troops. The agile midfielder, backed by hardworking teammates created some magnificent intercepts, together with constant pressure on King Edward, forcing several turn overs. Pouncing on these golden opportunities, six minutes into the final, Shayamoya went into half time looking good.

After a motivating half time chat, the visitors chipped away at the deficit, keeping possession for longer and working the ball around more. The result at the final whistle had Shayamoya only five points clear, 13 – 8. A more determined King Edward performance from their first meeting earlier, where Shayamoya had dominated with an 18 – 4 victory.

Shayamoya’s snippers Mbali Diphoko as goal shooter and Esethu Mbele as goal attack had a sterling day camped under the goals, shooting an incredible 124 goals in their seven round robin games, 76 points more than their nearest rivals Kokstad College who scored a total of 48 goals in their seven runs. Shayamoya’s day began with an impressive 28 goals scored in their opening fixture. The all-rounder team also had a solid backline, only allowing 18 goals through in total in their build up to the semi-finals.

In the first semi-final, Shayamoya took on host school, Kokstad College, who they met previously in the 2022 regional final. In similar fashion, Shayamoya led from the whistle, not allowing Kokstad any room to get into their stride in the sixteen minute game, with the result ending 16 to 1 to the guests. 

In the second semi, King Edward High School met St Monica’s Diocesan School in an evenly matched game, with both teams levelling on 7 all. The outcome was decided by both teams’ goal percentages, King Edward’s was more economical than St Monica’s in the round robin stages. Both teams scored 43 goals for their teams, but St Monica’s let in 56 goals compared to King Edward’s 40 goals, so they earned the golden ticket to advance through to the regional final.

After 31 games, eight fantastic teams played 496 minutes of netball on two courts, netting a total of 362 goals. The icy wind did not deter the spirits of all the players participating. 

The next regional moves to Westville Girls’ High School, who will host local teams for the Durban Central Regional on Saturday 2 September.

For more info on the Netball challenge, like the Facebook page or follow on Instagram.

Results

Regional Final Result
King Edward High School 8 vs Shayamoya Area Secondary School 13
Semi Final Results
King Edward High School 7 vs St Monica’s 7; Shayamoya Area Secondary School 16 vs Kokstad College 1
Round Robin Results
1 Shayamoya Area Secondary School 21pts; 2 King Edward High School 18pts; 3 Kokstad College 15pts; 4 St Monica’s Diocesan School 12pts; 5 Bergview College 7pts; 6 St Patrick’s College 5pts; 7 St Thomas Residential 4pts; 8 Mt Currie Senior Secondary School 0pts