Extra incentive for women

Press, 26 December 1984, Page 18

Extra incentive for women

DANAE GOOSMAN

The Canterbury women’s softball team will be trying to improve on its second placing from last year in the national provincial championships which begin in Dunedin on Tuesday. A great deal of interest will be focused on the tournament because at the end of six gruelling days play two New Zealand teams will be named to compete in Australia in March, 1985. The result of this should be an excellent standard of play as players vie for positions. Canterbury, like all the top provinces, has several

players capable of making either of the New Zealand sides.

However, the first task facing the team is to ensure that its performances takes it into the top four after section play. If players become more concerned with personal performances Canterbury will not fare well. However, if the side collectively performs up to its capabilities then it should finish in the top two places. Unfortunately, as has often been the case in recent years with the women’s side, its batting line-up may prove the downfall. However, providing the lower-order batters can produce the hits, or bat powerfully enough to force errors then Canterbury is almost assured of a place in the final as its field is extremely strong and talented.

The draw for the tournament is one which will suit Canterbury. On the first day it will meet Hawke’s Bay and Hutt Valley. While both teams are capable of causing upsets Canterbury should win. Canterbury will be matched . against North Shore and Auckland on the Wednesday, and the later encounter will definitely pose the greater problems. It is one which Canterbury, ideally, should throw everything in to win. If any day can be considered easy then that should be the third day when Canterbury meets Southland and Manawatu. It has not lost to Southland since 1981 and Manawatu made the top grade after winning the promotion - relegation struggle last year. On Friday, the fourth day, Canterbury will meet Wellington and depencjgjg on previous results this game might only serve to deter-

mine seedings for the top four section. The real battles will take place on Friday afternoon, Saturday and Sunday. Under the double elimination system it is crucial Canterbury does not drop a game going into Sunday’s play, and on, if is hoped, to the final. It is likely Canterbury’s battleground will be fought out with three North Island rivals — Hutt Valley, Auckland and Wellington. In 1981, the last occasion the tournament was played on South Island soil, Canterbury was the victor, leaving North Island tacticians, battle-weary players and commentators with dented egos and more than mildly stunned.

The player-coach, Cheryl Kemp, haschosen only a 13player side this season. However, the team has a wealth of experience in Robyn Storer, Jane Earnshaw, Natalie Hazelwood, Linda Manning and Penny Salton all of whom are past or present New Zealand representatives. Lynda O’Cain and Janenne Gould have previously been named in under-age New Zealand teams, while Sharron Constable and the captain, Chris Tew, have been national trialists. Chris John was named in the M.L.C. tournament team as a pitcher over Labour week-end in Wellington, so her performances have been noted by the selectors. The only two newcomers to the team are Debbie Chase and Airini Caddick, both being experienced under-age players. According to Kemp, her team’s objective is to retain the runner-up’s position at least, anything above that is a bonus and a bonus it would be for the side to bring the title back to Can-

terbury. The team’s hopes undoubtedly rest with its batters and the dominance Kemp and John can achieve

on the mound. On paper the only two sides capable of preventing Canterbury from obtaining its bonus are Wellington and Auckland.