SIDELINES

Press, 13 May 1987, Page 52

SIDELINES

THE NEWS last week that the New Zealand Softball Association would send a team to compete in the women’s international tournament in Taiwan next month brought to light an interesting statistic. This will be the ninth overseas trip for the national women’s team in the last 10 years; Australia three times, Taiwan, China and Hong Kong, Canada; El Salvador, and Japan have all been on the visiting list previously. By contrast the men’s team has been out of the country only twice in the some time — to the United States for the world series of 1980 and 1984. Part of the explanation for the disparity is that more countries compete at a high level in women’s softball. CANTERBURY’S TOP women squash players have been having a double dose of inter-club play this season. As well as contesting women’s open grade on Tuesday nights, the players are taking on the males on Mondays in men’s division four. Under the umbrella of the Mount Pleasant Club, the team is headed by the top three ranked Canterbury, women, Carolyn Viggers, Justine Marriott and Freda Walker, with Ann Harliwich, Donna Church and Toni Bird alternating in the No. 4 spot. After an initial loss to Albion the women have strung together three straight wins and are denting an ego or two.