Rain affects softball

Press, 18 February 1986, Page 44

Rain affects softball

All teams played once on a rain-shortened first day of the New Zealand under-21 women’s softball tournament at Ashburton yesterday, but catch-up games will be played this evening and tomorrow to get the tournament back on schedule for a Thursday final.

More than 75mm of rain fell in Ashburton from Wednesday to yesterday, but the Showgrounds were in remarkably good order when play started at 4 p.m. Canterbury started with a 10-run win over South

Canterbury after virtually wrapping up the match with its first turn at bat. Auckland did likewise to an Otago side which only batted consistently late in the game. Waikato had to struggle to beat Manawatu, and Southland found the young Mid-Canterbury team a problem before getting home by one run. North Shore had to come from behind to head Wellington in the fifth innings while Hutt Valley headed off a Hawke’s Bay side which appeared to have the game under control early.

While one round of matches does not make a tournament, it seemed that Auckland was the side most would expect to win. However, Canterbury was never really challenged though it showed, enough chinks in its armour to suggest improvement would be needed if it was to be a finalist. Results, section one: North Shore 4, Wellington 3; Canterbury 13, South Canterbury 3; Waikato 4, Manawatu 2. Section two: Southland 3, MidCanterbury 2; Hutt Valley 5, Hawke’s Bay 3; Auckland 15, Otago 3.