New-look tennis team

Press, 17 February 1983, Page 38

New-look tennis team

The old order has finally changed in Canterbury women’s tennis with the announcement of the side to defend the Nunneley Casket in Lower Hutt later this month.

Gone are ■ the renowned racket wielders of the 1970 s in Christine Newton, Shirley Haig, Judy Phillips and Robyn Hunt; only Sally Moorfield of the chosen quintet has long standing links with casket winning sides.

Mrs Moorfield, who has retained the captaincy, will be making her eighth consecutive appearance in the national women’s inter-dis-trict teams’ event. Of her team-mates. Phillippa Lewthwaite is in for the third time, and Lynn Cowie was a reserve last year.

The team, in alphabetical order, is:—

Lynn Cowie (Fendalton), Jane Howe, Phillippa Lewthwaite (both United), Sally Moorfield, Julianne Taylor (both Shirley). The manageress will be Mrs Pat Leopold, who, with Messrs Jim Martin and Ross Purves, selected the team. Mrs Moorfield was a certain choice, but the other positions were thrown open with the absence overseas of Miss Newton, the unavailability of Mrs Haig and Miss Phillips because of national hockey commitments, and the declining form of Mrs Hunt because of injury.

Miss Lewthwaite retained her place with reliable interclub form which brought her eight singles wins in nine outings, and her team-mate,

Miss Howe, shaped promisingly when she was runnerup to Mrs Haig for the Canterbury closed title. Miss Taylor is a former Ashburton girl who has had a splendid season with eight straight wins for Shirley before going down to Miss Lewthwaite last week-end. Fendalton has had a difficult passage through this summer’s senior competition, but Miss Cowie has provided backbone with determined performances.

The selectors have also chosen a team to play South Canterbury at Timaru this Sunday. The players are:—

Men.—Vernon Aubrey. Steven Baird. Richard Dalman, Gary Lawson. Rhett Mason. Hugh Robinson (captain).

Women.—Debbie Hills. Phillippa Lewthwaite (captain), Lynette O’Dell, Delia O'Malley, Vicki Ratana. Rachel Wilson.