The Kingdom Stars were crowned the champions in a rivetingly competitive Telkom Netball League Division 2 final at Ellis Park Arena in Johannesburg, on Tuesday, 18 June, 2024.
Stars had an incredible campaign after being relegated to the TNL Division 2 last year by the Limpopo Baobabs, they were exceptional in the round-robin stages, winning fourteen out of the sixteen games they played, and securing a semi-final spot against the Tornados.
It wasn’t an easy semi-final against the Eastern Cape side, who showed progress in every match, and booked their spot in Tuesday’s final after narrowly beating the Sunbirds in extra time.
The Comets brought intensity to the Ellis Park Arena, experiencing defeat only once during the round-robin stages, courtesy of the very Kingdom Stars, in the first power week of May.
Playing in their first-ever final, the Eastern Cape outfit gave everything they had. It took them many years to get to this point, and reached this final after finishing in sixth place, last year.
This marks an incredible improvement for them and for Zandile Njeza, who coached the Comets for the first time this year.
The final was neck-to-neck from the first centre pass to the final whistle. The only big goal gap was three points between the two sides, that is how tightly contested the match was.
An incredible performance by the Stars’ defensive unit of Dikeledi Mpanza, Nozipho Ntshangase and Grace Daley turned things around, allowing the KZN team to capitalise on mistakes by the Comets.
In the end, the regular Division 2 log leaders were outclassed by Precious Mthembu and her charges, with Mthembu now having won the title as both player and coach!
With their win, the Stars have earned an opportunity on Wednesday afternoon to reclaim their spot in the national champions’s A Division in a relegation/promotion rematch, against their 2023 nemesis, the Limpopo Baobabs.
In Tuesday’s Division 2 bronze medal final, the Tornados emerged victorious to scoop the medal after a hard-earned 44-39 victory against a resilient Sunbirds team. Both teams were determined to finish well, but the likely result was indicated in the third quarter, when the Tornados capitalised on Sunbirds mistakes to take the lead.
Both teams lacked discipline in their attack, giving away too many balls, but it was the Tornados who appeared more threatening in the final quarter, consistently scoring goals.
Andri Kannemeyer played a crucial role in her team’s five-goal victory and secured her second Player of the Match award in the tournament.
The promotion / relegation match between the Baobabs and the Stars plays out at 4pm on Wednesday at Ellis Park Arena in Johannesburg, and tournament’s concluding final will follow at 6pm.
Telkom Netball League Results on Day 22 at Ellis Park Arena in the City of Johannesburg on Tuesday, 18 June, 2024
Division 2 5th/6th Position Playoffs: Freestate Sonoblomo 60 – 61 North West Tshukudu (In Extra Time)
Division 1 5th/6th Position Playoffs: Eastern Cape Aloes 51 – 52 North West Flames
Division 2 3rd/4th Position Playoffs: Sunbirds 39 – 44 Tornados
Division 1 3rd/4th Position Playoffs: Southern Stings 41 – 53 Golden Fireballs
Division 2 FINAL – Eastern Cape Comets 35 – 37 Kingdom Stars
Division 2 Individual Awards
Best Shooter: Aphiwe Thusini – KD Stars
Best Centre: Arne Rust – EC Comets
Best Defender: Amarachi Agbai
Stand Tall Player of the Tournament: Nozipho Ntshangase – KD Stars
Division 2 Final Standings
Kingdom Stars
EC Comets
Tornado
Sunbirds
Sonoblomo
Tshukudu
Kingdom Queens
Diamonds
Lilies
Telkom Netball League Fixtures on Day 23 at Ellis Park Arena in the City of Johannesburg on Wednesday, 19 June, 2024
16:00: Limpopo Baobabs vs Kingdom Stars Promotion / Relegation Match
18:00: Division 1 FINAL: Gauteng Jaguars vs Free State Crinums
Day 1 Results on Friday, 26 April, 2024
Kingdom Stars 53 – 42 Tshukudu
Kingdom Queens 32 – 37 Sunbirds
Tornados 46 – 34 Lilies
Jaguars 53 – 40 Baobabs
Comets 43 – 35 Diamonds
Fireballs 42 – 39 Flames
Day 2 Results on Saturday, 27 April, 2024
Sunbirds 14 – 7 Sonoblomo
Tshukudu 45 – 41Lillies
Flames 43 – 48 Stings
Jaguars 68 – 37 Aloes
Tornados 37 – 41 KD Stars
Crinums 64 – 35 Baobabs
Day 3 Results on Sunday, 28 April, 2024
KD Queens 39 – 48 EC Comets
Sunbirds 47 – 45 Diamonds
Stings 47 – 49 Fireballs
Baobabs 50 – 62 Aloes
Jaguars 48 – 48 Crinums
Day 4 Results on Monday, 29 April, 2024
KD Queens 40 – 32 Diamonds
EC Comets 41 – 47 KD Stars
Sonoblomo 48 – 44 Tshukudu
Lilies 21 – 49 Sunbirds
Fireballs 33 – 44 Crinums
Stings 48 – 53 Jaguars
Day 5 Results on Tuesday, 30 April, 2024
Tornadoes 40 – 42 EC Comets
Diamonds 47 – 38 Lilies
Sonoblomo 52 – 43 KD Queens
Baobabs 31 – 70 Fireballs
KD Stars 42 – 33 Sunbirds
Flames 33 – 48 Crinums
Day 6 Results on Wednesday, 1 May, 2024
Sonoblomo 42 – 60 KD Stars
Diamonds 42 – 51 Tornadoes
KD Queens 50 – 49 Tshukudu
Baobabs 36 – 44 Flames
Lilies 34 – 44 EC Comets
Aloes 35 – 61 Stings
Day 7 Results on Thursday, 2 May, 2024
Lilies 42 – 59 Sonoblomo
Sunbirds 45 – 44 Tshukudu
Aloes 41 – 58 Fireballs
Tornados 60 – 45 KD Queens
Crinums 44 – 37 Stings
Flames 40 – 60 Jaguars
Day 8 Results on Friday, 3 May, 2024
EC Comets 53 – 40 Sunbirds
Sonoblomo 52 – 48 Tornados
KD Stars 52 – 26 Lilies
Stings 60 – 34 Baobabs
Aloes 46 – 51 Flames
Tshukudu 56 – 45 Diamonds
Day 9 Results on Saturday, 4 May 2024
Diamonds 47 – 57 Sonoblomo
Tshukudu 35 – 49 EC Comets
KD Stars 47 – 49 KD Queens
Crinums 57 – 39 Aloes
Sunbirds 41 – 52 Tornados
Fireballs 53 – 48 Jaguars
Day 10 Results on Sunday, 5 May 2024 (End of Power Week 1)
08:00 Lilies 44 – 49 KD Queens
10:00 EC Comets 51 – 43 Sonoblomo
12:00 Diamonds 36 – 55 KD Stars
14:00 Tshukudu 46 – 62 Tornados
Day 11 Results on Friday, 31 June, 2024 (Power Week 2 Begins)
EC Comets 48 – 44 KD Stars
Jaguars 78 – 44 Baobabs
Tornados 56 – 35 Lilies
Crinums 53 – 43 Aloes
Fireballs 58 – 43 Flames
Day 12 Results on Saturday, 1 June, 2024
Diamonds 47 – 51 Comets
Sonoblomo 41 – 42 Sunbirds
Flames 52 – 54 Aloes
KD Queens 39 – 45 Tshukudu
Fireballs 51 – 53 Jaguars
Crinums 51 – 43 Stings
Day 13 Results on Sunday, 2 June, 2024
Sonoblomo 40 – 38 Lilies
EC Comets 47 – 33 KD Queens
Tshukudu 49 – 50 KD Stars
Sunbirds 54 – 48 Diamonds
Stings 74 – 36 Baobabs
Aloes 41 – 59 Jaguars
Day 14 Results on Monday, 3 June, 2024
KD Queens 54 – 47 Diamonds
Sunbirds 46 – 51 Comets
Tshukudu 57 – 38 Sonoblomo
KD Stars 41 – 37 Tornados
Stings 46 – 38 Flames
Baobabs 25 – 65 Crinums
Day 15 Results on Tuesday, 4 June, 2024
Lilies 28 – 47 KD Stars
Tornados 50 – 41 Tshukudu
Sonoblomo 38 – 40 Comets
Jaguars 59 – 41 Flames
Aloes 41 – 65 Fireballs
Day 16 Results on Wednesday, 5 June, 2024 (End of Power Week 2)
Tornados 50 – 40 Diamonds
Tshukudu 49 – 43 Lilies
KD Stars 53 – 43 Sonoblomo
Aloes 49 – 60 Stings
KD Queens 43 – 58 Sunbirds
Baobabs 43 – 52 Flames
Day 17 Results on Thursday, 13 June, 2024 (Power Week 3 Begins)
Sonoblomo 54 – 35 KD Queens
Lilies 53 – 58 Diamonds
Comets 52 – 39 Tornados
KD Stars 54 – 31 Sunbirds
Stings 46 – 66 Jaguars
Fireballs 49 – 47 Crinums
Day 18 Results on Friday, 14 June, 2024
KD Queens 42-42 Lilies
Tshukudu 44-45 Comets
Diamonds 47-53 Sonoblomo
Sunbirds 40-62 Tornados
Crinums 54-33 Flames
Baobabs 31-72 Fireballs
Day 19 Results on Saturday, 15 June, 2024
Lilies 43 – 50 Sunbirds
Sonoblomo 49 – 52 Tornados
Diamonds 53 – 46 Tshukudu
KD Queens 38 – 40 KD Stars
Jaguars 39 – 37 Crinums
Stings 49 – 57 Fireballs
Day 20 Results on Sunday, 16 June, 2024 (End of Power Week 3)
Sunbirds 34-55 Tshukudu
Comets 41-37 Lillies
KD Stars 47-33 Diamonds
KD Queens 40-55 Tornados
Baobabs 53-62 Aloes
Telkom Netball League Semi-Final Results on Monday, 17 June, 2024
Division 2 7th/8th Position Playoffs: Kingdom Queens 46 – 53 Diamonds
Division 2 Semi-Final 1: Eastern Cape Comets 50 – 48 Sunbirds (Extra time)
Division 2 Semi-Final 2: Kingdom Stars 38 – 37 Tornados
Division 1 Semi-Final 1: Gauteng Jaguars 48 – 46 Southern Stings
Division 1 Semi-Final 2: Golden Fireballs 39 – 43 Free State Crinums
Telkom Netball League Results on Day 22 at Ellis Park Arena in the City of Johannesburg on Tuesday, 18 June, 2024
Division 2 5th/6th Position Playoffs: Freestate Sonoblomo 60 – 61 North West Tshukudu (In Extra Time)
Division 1 5th/6th Position Playoffs: Eastern Cape Aloes 51 – 52 North West Flames
Division 2 3rd/4th Position Playoffs: Sunbirds 39 – 44 Tornados
Division 1 3rd/4th Position Playoffs: Southern Stings 41 – 53 Golden Fireballs
Division 2 FINAL – Eastern Cape Comets 35 – 37 Kingdom Stars
Original Copy: Netball SA, with editing by gsport
Photo Caption: The Kingdom Stars were crowned the champions in a rivetingly competitive Telkom Netball League Division 2 final on the back of an incredible campaign featuring fourteen wins in sixteen games, at the Ellis Park Arena in Johannesburg on Tuesday, 18 June, 2024. All Photos: Netball South Africa
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