The quiet murmurs drifting across the rugby fields and hockey astros were swallowed by the electric, carnival-like atmosphere on the netball courts, where passionate supporters packed the sidelines, chanting “Let’s go Hillcrest”, “come on chicken!” and “shoot!” on the opening morning of the St Dunstan’s College Easter Sports Festival today (April 2).

With title honours and a coveted place in the all-star team set to tour Europe later this year on the line, the opening round of netball fixtures crackled with intensity as teams looked to build early momentum.

On court one, hosts and defending champions St Dunstan’s wasted no time stamping their authority, cruising to a dominant 47-7 victory over Unity Secondary’s netball team.

The tone was set early through the sharp shooting of Lucy Cairns and Abigail van Gool, whose clinical finishing put Unity on the back foot from the outset.

Captain Naledi Diraditsile orchestrated proceedings brilliantly at centre, while last year’s defender of the tournament, Deborah Ighosejewe, anchored a rock-solid defence.

Their combined efforts powered St Dunstan’s to a blistering 13-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

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The champions tightened their grip in the second stanza, outscoring Unity 12-1 to carry a commanding 25-1 advantage into the break.

Although the tempo dipped slightly in the third quarter, St Dunstan’s remained firmly in control, adding 10 points to Unity’s three to effectively put the contest beyond reach.

They closed out the match with similar authority to seal an emphatic 47-7 win. It was a statement result, even though the 50-point target they had in mind narrowly eluded them.

Despite the convincing margin, Diraditsile believes there is more to come from her side as the competition intensifies.

“The match was really great. It wasn’t our best game. Our coach did say we were not intentional because it was an easy game. I feel like the next game will be a bit better. Hopefully, it will be a much tougher team so that we can prove ourselves,” she said.

On other courts, Hillcrest High edged St Henry’s Marist College 27-22 in a tightly contested encounter, while St Dominic’s Welkom secured a solid 32-21 win over Petra College Bulawayo. Penryn School also impressed, sweeping aside Felixton College 28-3.

The festival action continues throughout the day, with tougher tests looming as teams jostle for early supremacy.

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