Defending champions Correctional Queens Netball Club continued their strong run in the Rainbow Netball League with two victories in a double-header played on Saturday at Zimbabwe Forest College in Mutare.
The Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS)-owned side beat Hwange Colliery 80–34 before defeating Santa Queens 37–28 in a more physical encounter.
Head coach Faith Matanganyidze said she was proud of the team’s overall performance, noting their strong response after a slow opening quarter in the first match.
“In the first quarter, our performance was a little bit poor. This was seen on the results where the first quarter ended 14 scores to 13 in favour of us, and it seemed like it was going to be a tight contest. But from the second quarter to the last, the girls raised their performance to our expectations, and we managed to secure a resounding victory. I was proud of my girls’ determination and endurance,” she said.
Mercy Mahuma was named Best Player in the opening match, while Pretty Banda earned the Golden Hand award for her finishing.
Despite the heavy defeat, Hwange Colliery Coach Joel Sibanda remained optimistic. He emphasized that after a decade-long wait for promotion, the club is currently in a rebuilding phase and views matches against giants like Correctional Queens as vital learning experiences.
“We are still building, so the results were not a shock to us. In today’s matches, we played against some of the big teams in the league. It was a good experience for us. Correctional Queens are the defending champions and Santa Queens were among the top four teams, so the matches were tough for us,” Coach Sibanda said.
In the second fixture, Tafadzwa Dahwa of Santa Queens was named Best Player, while Correctional Queens’ Tafadzwa Mawango received the Golden Hand award.
Correctional Queens Assistant Coach Sanele Ndlovu noted that while the match began with high-quality, entertaining play, the intensity shifted as the game progressed. He observed that the final quarters were characterized by a physical style of play that disrupted the flow of the game, though he expressed satisfaction with the final result.
“First and second quarters were so entertaining, and we witnessed a stellar performance. But from the third to the last quarter, the match became too physical and didn’t flow the way we expected. Nevertheless, we are happy we managed to secure a victory,” said Ndlovu.
With the double win secured, Correctional Queens now turn their attention to a high-profile clash against rivals Glow Petroleum as they continue their title defence.
ZPCS Facebook page