Power Week 2 of the 2026 Telkom Netball League got underway at Ellis Park on Friday with a thrilling Division Two clash between the Limpopo Baobabs and Mpumalanga Sunbirds ending in a dramatic 48-48 draw, while the Western Cape Tornados continued their unbeaten streak.
The Baobabs and Sunbirds entered the contest separated by only two points on the standings, and the intensity of the encounter reflected just how closely matched the teams were.
Both sides struggled with unforced errors early on, but the Sunbirds found momentum defensively to open a five-goal lead before the first Telkom Super Shot period. Limpopo shooters Juanike Steinmann and Rochelle Maree responded superbly with long-range conversions to cut the deficit to two goals as the quarter ended 13-11 in favour of the Sunbirds.
The second quarter followed a similar pattern, with missed opportunities hurting the Baobabs and allowing the Mpumalanga side to extend their lead. However, Limpopo once again capitalised during the Super Shot phase to stay within touching distance, trailing by only two goals at halftime.
The Sunbirds introduced three changes after the break, but the Baobabs persisted with their starting seven and gradually fought their way back into the contest. The sides traded blows in a fiercely contested third quarter before the Sunbirds edged ahead 38-37 heading into the final period.
Despite signs of fatigue creeping in, Baobabs coach Emily Mathosa kept faith in her starting combination. The Sunbirds briefly opened a four-goal gap through forced turnovers, but Limpopo showed tremendous resilience late in the match.
With under two minutes remaining, the Baobabs reduced the deficit to a single goal before Maree once again delivered from long range to level matters. Neither side could find a winner as the gripping contest finished all square at 48-48.
In the second match of the day, the Kingdom Queens secured a 51-45 victory over the Limpopo Lilies. The KwaZulu-Natal outfit controlled the match from the outset and led at the end of every quarter thanks to disciplined defensive structures.
The Lilies made eight tactical changes in an attempt to shift momentum and showed improvement in the final quarter, winning it 10-9, but the deficit proved too large to overturn.
Meanwhile, the Western Cape Tornados maintained their unbeaten run with a convincing 49-42 triumph over Tshukudu.
The Cape side endured a sluggish start and trailed by four goals in the opening quarter before fighting back to reduce the margin to one by the first break. From there, the Tornados took control of the contest, with coach Nolusindo Twani’s side dominating the remaining quarters.
A key tactical adjustment saw Rehana Noah introduced at Goal Shooter in place of Liandré Kriel, a move that helped steady the attack and secure a seven-goal victory.
Tornados assistant coach Sasha-Lee Petersen admitted the team is still finding rhythm despite remaining unbeaten.
The first one is shakey, also we have two new girls in our squad, so a slow start, but I’m glad the girls pulled it through in the end. I don’t think today’s game showed what we are working on, but we are reminding the girls the things they have to work on from Power Week one to two, so hopefully in the few games to come we can show what we have been working on,said Petersen post match.