Mini-tour to prepare rep. team

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32459, 20 November 1970, Page 24

Mini-tour to prepare rep. team

(By our softball reporter)

Canterbury will begin its Beatty Cup preparation in earnest when it meets its great rival during recent national tournaments, Hawke’s Bay, and an unknown quantity, Manawatu, in representative softball games at Palmerston North tomorrow and Sunday. After its crushing win over Nelson, 20-2, and ' Marlborough, 11-2, this season, the Canterbury team could scarcely be blamed for gaining a false impression of its ability. Wins against Manawatu and Hawke’s Bay would give the coach (Mr H. L. Gable) a far better conception of the way his team will perform in the top section of the ■ inter-provincial Beatty Cup ' next month.

Last Saturday, Hawke’s Bay played in a tournament at Auckland, beating Waikato, 4-1, but twice losing 0-1 to Auckland. In the first game, it was the pitching of the brilliant 21-year-old O. Walford, and particularly his drop ball, which stifled the highly-vaunted Auckland batters until the former international, E. G. Kohlasse, broke the deadlock with a home run in the fifteenth innings. Fielding errors gave Auckland its other narrow win. Canterbury beat Hawke’s Bay, 5-2, in a Headifen Trophy play-off in the Beatty Cup tournament at Invercargill last season. However, this victory was a little fortuitous for Canterbury was outbatted by eight hits to four and trailed its opponent for most of the game. It was the inability of the Hawke’s Bay captain and catcher, G. England, to hold Walford’s drop ball, and two

late home runs by D. J. Patterson and D. Phillips, which eventually proved the deciding factors. Last season Hawke’s Bay became the first New Zealand provincial side to beat two overseas teams, San Antonio and Prescott; a feat which Canterbury subsequently emulated in even more convincing style. Canterbury has only recently manged to gain the edge over its northern rival, and until last season had not beaten Hawke’s Bay since the last round-robin Beatty Cup at Hamilton in the 196364 season. Hawke’s Bay won the Headifen Trophy two seasons ago at Auckland when it beat Canterbury, 5-1. Canterbury defeated Manawatu, 6-4, in the same series; that was the last occasion the two provinces have met, as Manawatu did not travel to Invercargill last season. Manawatu’s pitchers, P. Spillane and P. Singleton, had

difficulty stemming the flow of hits when their side was beaten, 6-1, by Prescott (Arizona) last season, and they should not pose a great threat to Canterbury. However, the batting skills of the captain, J. D. P. Taitoko, and F. Kneebone, will be a different matter. With the majority of Canterbury’s most experienced and in-form players being available for th? "mini-tour” and the Beatty Cup, Mr Gable will have a well balanced team at his disposal. The batting is its strongest point. Almost every one of the recognised batters has shown consistent form this season, while the captain, I. R. Pollock, and M. P. McQscar returned to their best with outstanding displays last Saturday. The Canterbury senior women’s team will also play Hawke’s Bay and Manawatu at the week-end.