FIRST MATCH IN AUSTRALIA TOMORROW Softball tour a preparation for 1974 world tournament

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 38183, 24 March 1973, Page 4

FIRST MATCH IN AUSTRALIA TOMORROW Softball tour a preparation for 1974 world tournament

The New Zealand women’s softball team’s preparation for the world series in the United States next year oegins in earnest tomorrow when the national side plays the opening game of its Australian tour.

Both New Zealand and Australia are using the tour as part of their build-ups to the championships in Connecticut. and it should provide New Zealand with some indication as to how it will fare against the rest of the world in 1974. A 2-1 loss to the Philip pines in the test series earlier this season should not discourage the New Zealanders, who were by m> means outclassed by the side which finished third at the last world events: The 14 matches in Australia, which include three tests, will pro' e a good testing ground for the nat.onal side. A blending of both experienced and youthful players has been chosen and it is expected that the Australian selectors will also be trying out some voung talent during the tour.

The Australian women have always played softball of a high standard and during their visit to New Zealand last year won all three tests.

Victoria is the stronghold of women’s softball in Australia. This state's strength was made apparent during the Philipines’ visit, w hen Victoria won decisively on two occasions. New Zealand will meet the Victorian state side on April 5 and play the Victorian A grade championship winner two days later. The team will probably he expected to produce an attacking style of play. The assistant coach. Mr A. Clyma. is an aggressive coach and a physical fitness enthusiast. He has organised a training programme for the women and it is believed that most of them have lost weight in preparation for the tour. Mr Clyma will probably want to formulate an attacking pattern which may be used at the championships in August next year. Many members of the national side competed in the Dustin Cup inter-club tournament in Auckland this week. While some of the players figured in tournament upsets, there was no indication that they personally were responsible for the lack of expected form.

The only Canterbury player in the squad is R. Stinson, the pitcher for Christchurch West and Canterbury. Only 18. she toured Australia with the national under 21 team last season.

She had an unfortunate accident in the first test against the Philippines when she struck a tele-

vision camera while taking a fly ball in the outfield. Stinson was not quite match fit for the second test and so was a reserve for the final international.

However, it is expected she will be groomed for a regular outfield position, as utility players are a valuable asset for any national squad.

Stinson is not the only regular pitcher in the NewZealand team. There are three others, L. Bowies (Hawke's Bay), 1. Keating (Wellington), and C. Kemp (Auckland). Bowles has 10 years of softball experience behind her. She was a member of the 1970 world championship side and played against Australia last year. She pitched Leopards to victory tn the Dustin Cup and has been the county’s top woman pitcher for some time.

However, if anyone is to take the position from Bowles it will be Kemp, a 16-year-old schoolgirl who has achieved in a few months what many softballers could not hope to accomplish in a decade.

From her debut in the open grade in inter-club women's softball in Auckland, she was chosen for the provincial team and pitched Auckland to victory in the final of the Bensel Cup. This game, and a good trial, led to her inclusion in the national side.

To prove her selection w-as no fluke, she allowed the Philopines only one safe hit in their 1-0 win in the third test, the only test in which Kemp was on the mound. The previous day

she had pitched Auckland to victory over the tourists. Kemp will probably be given a chance to enhance her reputation during the Australian tour, although there will still be a place for her in the outfield. The fourth pitcher in the squad. Keating, a 22-year-old Wellington player, represented Broadway in the Dustin Cup. where it surprisingly only managed second place. Another Broadway player. M. Ward, is the New' Zealand captain. The wife of the New Zealand men’s vice-captain, C. Ward, she played against Australia in 1962 and has represented New Zealand at world series in Australia and Japan. The 31-year-old housewife is also a New Zealand basketball representative.

Another player who has been to two world championships is the catcher, J. Foote. from Wairarapa. She is also very experienced and has been playing softball for 14 years. The other catcher is an Aucklander, M. Rush, who plays for the New- Zealand Samoan Society. She went to the Osaka tournament and has been playing the sport for 18 years. Rush is also very capable at third base. The infielders are L. Smith (Southland), P. Farrow (Wellington), M. Marshall (Wellington), B. Simpson (Auckland), and the veteran N. Clyma (Otago), who has played softball for 20 seasons. Apart from her experience at first base, the 22-year-old Smith is also a

utility. Another utility, who substituted for Smith in the final Philippines test, is L. Parker, from Hawke’s Bay. She was a member of the squad at Osaka. Eight of the 13 players in the 1973 team went to Osaka. All but three have played softball for 10 years or more, so the side does not lack experience. The coach for the tour is Mr H. Atkin, of Wellington, and Mrs J. Smith (Southland) is the chaperone. The other three officials travelling with the side are all prominent in softball administration in Canterbury. Miss L. Leask, the Canterbury women’s coach, is the assistant manager and publicity officer, while Mr J. Gibson, a senior New Zealand councillor, is the team’s manager. The Canterbury association’s chief umpire, Mr J. Rochford, is , a graded international umpire and will officiate in matches in Australia. The first test is to be held next Wednesday, the second on Anri] 1 and the final international on April 8 is the last game of the tour.