Hutt—softball champion

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32804, 3 January 1972, Page 3

Hutt—softball champion

(From Our Own Reporter) AUCKLAND. Pitching in his fifth consecutive “final” of the Beatty Cup men’s interprovincial softball championship, J. Dawson led Hutt Valley to a 3-0 win ; over Auckland to gain his first winner’s medal . for the event on Saturj day. In the four previous “fin- • als” Dawson has pitched in, • the batting of the powerful • Wellington team had taken it I to victory. This time, Hutt • Valley gained two one-point ; wins over its great rival from the two games in which they opposed one another. A win for Auckland in the • last vital game would have meant a three-way tie and • the necessity to have playT offs to decide the Dominion’s . champion team. But Auck- • land was disappointing, and ’ the Hutt Valley win meant • that it completed the touma- • ment with 22 points against . Wellington’s 20, and Auck-

-land's 18. • After its magnificent 1-0 wins over Auckland and Hutt » Valley on the Thursday. Hawke’s Bay was expected * to make a strong late run in a bid to make up the points deficit. But a 0-1 surprise defeat by Otago after a mara-

thon 10 innings on the Friday and another 0-1 loss to Wellington on the Saturday, put paid to its aspirations. An inspired diving catch by the Canterbury left fielder. D. Egar, in the seventh innings, enabled Canterbury to beat Otago, 1-0, on Saturday and finish the tournament as the fifth-ranked province nationally, a place behind Hawke’s Bay. It was the highest placing by a Canterbury team for more than a decade. Its third equal placing at the Rotorua Beatty Cup tournament in 1961 was its last performance of a similar standard .

The highlight for the Canterbury team, apart from finishing far higher than many had expected, was the selection of its first baseman, B. W. Mountford, of the United club, in the New Zealand All Stars team.

Mountford, who finished second behind D. R. Cheyne (Wellington) in the Worth batting championship, beat the stylish J. A. Lowes, the New Zealand first baseman who was unavailable for the tour of South Africa at the end of the month, and M. Bond, the Manawatu and world championship trialist, for the position. Cheyne completed the tournament with an average of .435, and Mountford averaged .429. With P. F. Rogers, the brilliant New Zealand and I Auckland short-stop, a cer-

tainty for the New Zealand All Stars A side, Canterbury’s captain, D. Phillips, did well to gain selection in the All Stars B team, especially after having had to fill the catching position for Canterbury during the last three days of the tournament. D. Rea, a newcomer to the provincial side this season, and who has had a fine tournament with the bat, was the second baseman for the B side, while G. A. Roberts gained the utility position in the team when C. N. Chee was unavailable. Rea beat the Manila world championship team player, W. Somerville, for the second-base place. Another Canterbury club player, D. Hammond, of Kaiapoi, gained selection in the New Zealand Combined Services team which played a Headifen Memorial selection. Hammond played for the New Zealand Army in the tournament.

On Friday, Hawke’s Bay beat Canterbury, 5-3, in the rain. Highlights of the game being home runs with a man aboard by Canterbury’s captain, D. Phillips, and the Hawke’s Bay pitcher, O. Walford. Canterbury outbatted Hawke’s Bay, 6-4, with B. W. Mountford gaining two hits.

On Saturday morning, Canterbury had the eventual cup winner, in a worried state

when it led Hutt Valley 2-1 until the fifth innings. But Hutt finally won 6-2. Final match Elated after their. surprise 1-0 win over Hawke’s Bay, the Otago team members were expected to give Canterbury a hard struggle in their final game of the tournament. And it was almost' a match of lost opportunities; for Canterbury. But the -brilliant dive by the Canterbury left-field, Egar, to take the ball inches from the ground with a magnificent catch, finally took the match with Otago.

Saturday’s results. — Beatty Cup.—Canterbury 2, Otago 1; Wellington 1, Hawke’s Bay 0; Hutt Valley 6, Canterbury 2; Hawke’s Bay 1, Otago 0; Wellington 4, Auckland 1; Hutt Valley 3, Auckland 0. Final points: Hutt Valley 22, Wellington 20, Auckland 18, Hawke’s Bay 16, Canterbury 10. Otago 8. Headifen Memorial Trophy.— Manawatu 4, Wanganui 0; Waikato 1, Counties 0; Nelson 2. Southland 0; Waikato 6. Manawatu 1; Nelson 9, Counties 2; Southland 1, Wanganui 0. Play-off for second: Manawatu 7, Southland 1. Final points: Waikato 10, Manawatu 8 (including play-off), Southland 6, Nelson and Wanganui 4, Counties 0. Ed Barr Cup.—Bay of Plenty, 17, Navy 10; Air Force 8., Horowhenua 7: Bay of Plenty 3, Horowhenua 2; Armv 8, Air Force 5. Play-off for first: Army 7. Bay of Plenty 0. Final points: Army 8 (including play-off), Bay of Plenty 6, Air Force 4, Navy 4, Horowhenua 0.

Heavy rain caused the cancellation of most of yesterday’s plav. Playing in rain the All-Stars B team beat the New Zealand Colts, 9-0.