The Telkom Netball League (TNL) is South Africa’s premier Netball tournament. The league showcases the best of South Africa’s netball talent with coaches and scouts frequently in attendance.
The pride of this province, the Limpopo Baobabs, competed in the B-division of the Telkom Netball League. The Baobabs posted two victories out of the ten games they played. The Baobabs netball players fought an uphill battle and were somewhat unlucky to have lost out narrowly on a few possible victories by the smallest of goal margins.
Limpopo Baobab match results:
14 October: Kingdom Queens 42 – 34 Limpopo Baobabs
15 October: Eastern Cape Aloes 41 – 25 Limpopo Baobabs
16 October: Northern Cape Diamonds 36 – 31 Limpopo Baobabs
18 October: Mpumalanga Sunbirds 32 – 29 Limpopo Baobabs
19 October: Tornados 27 – 20 Limpopo Baobabs
20 October: Limpopo Baobabs 28 – 23 Mpumalanga Sunbirds
21 October: Limpopo Baobabs 41 – 35 Northern Cape Diamonds
22 October: Kingdom Queens 39 – 37 Limpopo Baobabs
23 October: Tornados 34 – 30 Limpopo Baobabs
24 October: Eastern Cape Aloes 28 – 0 Limpopo Baobabs.
There were six teams including the Limpopo Baobabs which competed in the B-division of the TNL. Despite the two victories, the Limpopo Baobabs still finished bottom of the log with 4 points. The Northern Cape Diamonds which had one more victory than the Baobabs, finished second last on 6 points.
For the 2020 TNL there were 12 teams from across the nine provinces that played over seven weeks, from the 14th of October until this past Tuesday the 27th of October, to be crowned as the best team in the country.
The Spar u.21 TNL Team is a squad made up of invited u.21 players and will play exhibition matches in preparation for the 2021 Netball World Youth Cup. Proving highly popular amongst supporters, the TNL attracts netball lovers of all ages who attend in small and large groups.
In the B-division final, the Eastern Cape Aloes were crowned champions after beating the Kingdom Queens 35-31. It was a bittersweet day for the Queens who gave away the game in the last quarter but being able to reach a final in their first appearance is something they can be proud of.
The Western Cape Tornados finished third in Division B following their 45-25 victory over the Mpumalanga Sunbirds for the third and fourth place play-off match. The Tornados have had an incredible run in the tournament considering that this was their first appearance, winning seven out of ten matches during the group stage phase and finishing second on the log.
The Gauteng Jaguars were crowned the champions of the Telkom Netball League following their 38-26 victory over the Free State Crinums at the Mangaung Indoor Sports Center in Bloemfontein. There were no decisive breakaways by half-time which ended 16-15 to the Jaguars. The Gauteng side gained momentum in the third quarter and extended the lead by seven goals. The Crinums’ shooting circle was not on par and their poor ball placements in all thirds also lost them the game at the end.
Tournament awards:
Best Shooter – Lefebre Rademan (Free State Crinums)
Best Center – Bongiwe Msomi (Golden Fireballs)
Best Defense – Nicola Smith (Southern Stings) Overall Best Player – Izette Griesel (Gauteng Jaguars).
