Coach Norma Plummer used the opportunity of playing one of the weaker teams to ensure that all 12 players had time on court, with Lindie Lombard making her first appearance in the tournament, playing at goal attack.
It was five minutes before Sri Lanka were able to score, and by the end of the first quarter, South Africa were leading 25-7. In the second quarter, Sri Lanka were able to stem the flow of goals to a certain extent, but they scored only five goals to 16 for the Proteas. At halftime, South Africa had an unassailable 41-12 lead. Things just got worse for the islanders as the match continued – they scored four goals in the third quarter, and just one in in the last, while South Africa scored 24 in each.
Elsje du Plessis achieved 100 per cent accuracy, with 11 goals from 11 attempts, while Lenize Potgieter had a nearly clean sheet, with 43 goals from 46.
Plummer said although the outcome had been expected, she was pleased with the way the team had executed their game plans.
“I wanted to play them all, and to try out various combinations in a match like this, before we get to the business end of the competition,” she said.
