Chronicle Editor
Luckson Pasipanodya, Correspondent
ZIMBABWE Defence Forces have taken an early lead after winning their opening three matches in the Nedbank Zimbabwe Premier Netball League In Bulawayo at the weekend.
The Bulawayo bubble played at White City Stadium had four teams in action namely Manyame Falcons, Tongogara Queens, Black Rhinos and Imbizo Queens.
Black Rhinos ended last season on second place while Falcons finished sixth.
Tongogara and Imbizo are new kids in the league.
The games started with Manyame Falcons versus Imbizo Queens. On the first quarter Manyame Falcons dominated but Imbizo Queens came back with a different strategy through the second and third quarters after half time. When they were almost closer to levelling the score line at 31-33, Manyame Queens transformed the game to a one sided affair which then took them to 42-31.
The second game was Tongogara against Black Rhinos. With its youthful team of fast players, Black Rhinos inflicted early pain on Tongogara Queens which had old and young players. Besides being dominant last year in Division One, they found the going tough through the first, second and part of the third quarter before Rhinos hammered them 53-23.
Black Rhinos were not finished as they locked horns with Manyame Falcons in the last game of the bubble. Manyame thrashed Black Rhinos 61-30 in a match that appeared balanced until after half time.
Premier Netball League executive member and bubble co-ordinator, Tonderai Magaya said the games had a lot of pressure from other bubbles.
“The bubble’s competitive nature was not influenced by what was happening at White City Stadium but by the pressure that comes at the thought of other teams that were playing in Harare and Mutare respectively.”
Results at a glance
Bulawayo Bubble
Tongogara Queens 30-56 Imbizo Queens, Black Rhinos 53-23 Tongogara Queens, Manyame Falcon 42-31 Imbizo Queens, Black Rhinos 30-61 Manyame Falcon
Mutare Bubble
ZDF Queens 106-10 Buffaloes, Aspindale 73-17 Mutasa Falcon, Mutare City 61-29 Mutasa Falcon, Aspindale 57-38 Bikita Minerals
Harare Bubble
Makate 47-Stars 27, Harare City 69-21 P Stars, Harare City 58-24 Brace 24
Top 10 teams
Log
P W D L F A GD Pts
ZDF Queens 3 3 0 0 304 41 263 6
Aspindale 3 3 0 0 189 85 104 6
Harare City 2 2 0 0 131 37 94 4
Makate High Flyers 2 2 0 0 98 52 46 4
Manyame Falcons 2 2 0 0 103 61 42 4
Harare District 2 2 0 0 106 68 38 4
Mutare City Queens 3 2 0 1 146 118 28 4
Imbizo Queens 2 1 0 1 87 72 15 2
Black Rhinos 2 1 0 1 83 84 -1 2
Bikita Minerals 3 1 0 2 107 175 -68 2
Bongani Ndlovu
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