Softball success likely

Press, 28 November 1979, Page 22

Softball success likely

Canterbury A will start as firm favourite for the major honours in the South Island women's invitation softball tournament, to be played at Nunweek Park, this weekend. Nelson’s defection from the tournament will make Canterbury’s task even easier, although seven teams — an increase on last year's figure — have been invited. Canterbury will field its B team in the two-day competition as well while North Otago, South Otago, Otago, Southland and South Canterbury sides complete the draw. Canterbury’s depth in women's softball, especially against the rather lightweight talent mustered by teams from further south, could even see the A and B sides fill the first two places. Certainly on paper the A selection bristles with

experience and talent. Its strength is spread throughout, boasting as it does a top-class pitcher in Cheryl Kemp, a powerful batting line-up and fielders of quality and some of rhe other teams may find themselves out of their depth. The decision to appoint Kemp the Canterbury captain, ahead of the present captain of the national team, Robyn Storer, has drawn mild criticism from some softball followers, and it remains to be seen how she copes with the task. But Kemp has many years of top-grade softball behind her — she has fashioned a distinguished record hurling for New Zealand in the past — and is sure to get ample support from the rest of the side. Storer and Penney King, the New Zealand and Canterbury first base, will

give Canterbury strength at the top of the batting line-up, while Penny Salton, the non-travelling reserve for the national

team, is a valuable acquisition from Nelson. The rest of the team is built on last year’s national tournament side, but Bernie Straker (JaksUnited) has forced her

way into the A team with a string of good club games this year and Chris Timms (Western Suburbs) returns to the fold after an absence of two years. Otago, a young and potentially good side, will probably lack the experience to handle Canterbury, and the reputed Southland batting line-up may have its teeth pulled by an in-form Kemp. South Canterbury was walloped 11-0 by Canterbury in a “friendly” earlier this month, while both North and South Otago are minor associations with, at best, only outside chances. The invitation tournament will give the players a good shake-down prior to the nationals, to be held in Hamilton in early January, and it will also afford the coaches an opportunity to formulate their top line-ups.