MICHAEL VLISMAS, Johannesburg | Saturday 8.00pm.
GREG Nicol’s brace of goals helped South Africa to a 2-1 victory in their final test against India, and a 3-0 series victory over the Asian champions.
After being 1-0 down at halftime following a 34th minute goal by Dinesh Nayak, Nicol spearheaded the South African comeback with two goals in as many minutes.
The first was via a reverse stick shot in the 53rd minute, and the second only a minute later sealed the victory.
“We said before this final test that we wanted a three-nil series victory and I’m glad we got it,” said Craig Jackson, the South African captain.
“To have a player like Greg Nicol in the side is always an asset because he scores those kind of goals. But as a whole, the team did really well during this series and everybody played their part,” he added.
The victory bodes well for the team’s hopes at next month’s All Africa Games.
The Indians had come out here strong favourites to beat South Africa, despite leaving five of their test stars at home.
However, they found themselves matched in pace and skill by their hosts, and return home without a single victory on their African sojourn, with South Africa winning three of the five tests while the other two ended in draws.
The South African women wrapped up their All Africa Games preparations with a resounding 9-1 thrashing of Wales, to claim their series 4-0.
Karen Roberts’s team surged into a 3-0 lead after only five minutes, with Pietie Coetzee scoring in the second and fourth minutes, and Caryn Bentley in the fifth.
That early blitz broke any resistance the Welsh were capable of offering, and the visitors found themselves on the wrong end of a 7-0 scoreline at halftime.
Roberts rounded off a solid series for her with a goal in the 37th minute, before making Marilyn Agliotti’s 42nd minute goal as well.
Wales skipper Lynda Watkin scored her side’s only goal in the 63rd minute. — MWP
Scorer’s:
South Africa v India, men
South Africa – Greg Nicol (53rd minute, 54th minute).
India – Dinesh Nayak (34th minute).
South Africa v Wales, women
South Africa – Pietie Coetzee (2nd minute, 4th minute), Caryn Bentley (5th minute, 31st minute), Kerry Bee (16th minute), Anli Kotze (25th minute), Alison Dare (28th minute), Karen Roberts (37th minute), Marilyn Agliotti (42nd minute).
Wales – Lynda Watkin (63rd minute).