Hall set for a stiff spell on the mound

Press, 29 November 1979, Page 32

Hall set for a stiff spell on the mound

Alan Hall, a little-used (dub pitcher lately, should ,do quite a bit of work when [Canterbury contests the [South Island men’s softball tournament for the Jefferies Cup at Papanui Domain this week-end. Hall, still only 20, has suffered a decline in status since two years ago when he was the province’s first-, (string representative pitcher. [This season he has spent most club matches in the outfield with Hadyn Smith preferred on the pitching mound. Circumstances, however [ — an injury to the No. 1, [David Bradbury — have required the Canterbury coach [(Mr Dennis Rea) to call on another pitcher to support the in-form Geoff Roberts. [Hall, in the squad for his i tremendous batting, was the obvious choice. I Mr Rea said yesterday (that it was extremely unlikely Bradbury would be [able to play. Bradbury pulled the tendons in the: Wrist of his pitching arm earlier this month, and it was swollen “like a balloon”; on Monday after the club game last week-end. According to the coach,; the break from pitching had probably done Hall good. "He’s come back quite sharp in training and might be back to his old fire.” Bradbury’s aggravated injury was not the only bad' news Mr Rea received on! Monday; the other damper was the possibility that the second baseman, Tony Mountford, may be out too Mountford a truck-driver, was injured when a chain [ snapped and wrapped around! his arm. He will seek additional medical advice tomor-i row and have an x-ray on Monday. With Bradbury and Mountford injured and an-; other player, Billy Rintoul, [ unavailable because he is; shifting house, Canterbury’s ; squad of 16 has suddenly' been reduced to 13. And Canterbury hasn’t [ won the Jefferies Cup outright since 1972, but Mr Rea retains his confidence about: its chances. “I still think [ we've got the team to do 1 it,” he said. He believes that Roberts! and Hall can tie the opposi-1 tion down. “We’ve got the j batters there; it’s just a mat-’ ter of scoring the runs.” : Two features mark the i !two-day tournament. It Willi be contested on a double eli-‘ mination basis and most teams will get a chance to use Papanui’s new skin diamond — the first in the [South Island. Eight teams are contesting i [the tournament, but only! four — Canterbury. Otago,! Marlborough, and the holder, I

1 Southland — stand any real I chance of winning. ti Canterbury should cruise 3 through its early game on 1 Saturday morning against 5 West Coast and it will then 5 meet Otago, to whom it lost 6-2 and 1-0 in a double-head- . [er at Dunedin. Mr Rea is -.pleased to get this game >! early on and says he is ’[“pretty confident” this time. Otago’s young pitcher, t [Peter Meredith, will form , much of the basis for his [team’s chances after his sea- , [son in the United States, while Southland’s group of

il big hitters such as Chris McDonald, Noel Eade, and e Jamie Campbell ensure thai n I this side will be a big >t [threat. The Southland spearn head will be Roger Keith, a st [“junkie” type of pitcher, 1- who has taken over the top s[spot from Barry Patton. ej Mr Rea will probably field s'about three different variations over the week-end r, land all players will be exn pected to perform well — s [otherwise those previously i- overlooked may make the s. I side for the national at Inif'vercargill later this month.