MEN’S SOFTBALL Southland Lifts Cup In First Challenge

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30687, 1 March 1965, Page 16

MEN’S SOFTBALL Southland Lifts Cup In First Challenge

Southland lifted the Jeffries Cup in a notable victory over the defenders, Canterbury, in the first challenge of the season for the South Island softball premiership. Starting the game with a spectacular home run from I. Ellis, Southland wrested the initiative from Canterbury and never lost It. G. Tattersfield, pitching for Southland, proved to be the master of the Canterbury batters and his pitching exhibition was one of the finest seen in the history of the Cup. Canterbury, riven with batting Indecision, put up only token resistance and totally capitulated in the last three innings in a disappointing display. The game was played at English Park in fine weather, before the smallest crowd of the season.

Canterbury lost the toss and was in to bat first. B. Mansfield slashed a cut through left field to give Canterbury a start but a strikeout of Noonan and a Woods fly ball ended the innings with Mansfield still on base.

Southland started with Craig out on a trickier to first base, and with Ballantyne crowding him off the plate, Ellis looked sure to follow suit. But Ellis dug the ball out on the low inside corner of the plate, hoisted it over the centre fielders head for a home run, quite exceptional for the power of the hit.

Canterbury had its finest and almost final chance to rack up runs in the second innings when with Morel and Joyce on base and only one dismissal they looked odds on to score. But here Tattersfield showed his greatness. Beautifully balanced, and with superb control he struck out Ballantyne and Nelepa to end the tnning in summary fashion and with it most of the Canterbury hopes. The third tnning provided real action from both teams with Canterbury batting over the loss of Graham as first man to bat for the inning. Mansfield, next batter, swept a ball, rifle fast, through the gap between the converging centre and right fielders and Canterbury had a home run on the score board.

Southland set about the Canterbury attack with vigour and resolution and dividends were quick to accrue. Skerratt was on an awkward bounce, Craig on a fingertipped chance. Ellis bunted a confident trickier towards first base and Southland had three men on base with none out. Fink eeorod • lucky

run when Nelepa dropped the ball at home base as Skerratt dived for the base yards short of safety. Ballantyne pitched out Purdue with a wicked inswlnger and popped up the dangerous Singleton, that Mansfield caught on foul territory as Canterbury fought back. Next batter was South Island outfielder, Smith, and he hammered a drifting ball wide of Noonan in centre field and Southland scampered in with another three runs to make it four for the inning. It seemed of little consequence that Tattersfield went out immediately after to a catch in centre field for even the most hardened of Canterbury supporters had a feeling that those four runs would be difficult to win back.

And so they proved. Canter bury lost their next 11 batters in consecutive dismissals in a dismal display of rudderless navigation that bodes ill for the provincial standing in forthcoming representative games. P. Joyce secured a lone hit in the last Inning but Morel struck out for the second time and Canterbury were beaten. The coaches were M. Skerratt for Southland and B. Lapthorn for Canterbury. The umpires Messrs J. Gibson and J. Bochford.

Results of senior games played earlier in the day: Richmond 12, Deep Freeze 1: Avon 7, Papanul 5; Suburbs 10, Spreydon 3.