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Great start for SA netball coach

DOMINANT: South Africa's Zanele Mdodane and Liezel Wium on the attack against Barbados at the Good Hope Centre in Cape Town on Saturday. Pic. Wessel Oostuizen. 24/10/2008. © Gallo Images
DOMINANT: South Africa's Zanele Mdodane and Liezel Wium on the attack against Barbados at the Good Hope Centre in Cape Town on Saturday. Pic. Wessel Oostuizen. 24/10/2008. © Gallo Images

Linda Moreotsene

Linda Moreotsene

In her first stint in the hot seat, South African netball coach Carin Venter could not have wished for a better start.

Venter's team won all three matches of the series against Barbados, taking the last match with a comprehensive 72-35 victory on Saturday.

"Coming into the match, we were hoping to get a 20-goal victory, but the players dug deep and we did even better than that," Venter said.

Barbados coach Harriet Waithe praised the hosts, and gave her vote of confidence for their tour of Trinidad and Tobago next month.

"I think our team lacked mental fitness," said Waithe. "They held their own in the first three quarters of the first and second Test, and after that they just couldn't compete. Today, they were outclassed. After the first two Tests, I would have said that South Africa would lose to Trinidad and Tobago in the tri-nations series in Jamaica next month, but based on their performance today, they should give Trinidad and Tobago a good run for their money," she said on Saturday.

South Africa won the first two Tests 43-34 and 52-44.

Player of the match Mary Ngwenya and player of the tournament Tsakane Mbewe were both superb, achieving almost 100 per cent accuracy in their goal shooting.

Other players who impressed were goal defence Simone van Heerden, who appears to have played herself into the team to travel to Jamaica next month.

The team's captain and centre Liezel Wium and wing attack Erin Burger also excelled. The team to travel to Jamaica for the tri-nations series is expected to be announced this week.

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