Three Canty softballers in N.Z. country team

Press, 27 February 1989, Page 26

Three Canty softballers in N.Z. country team

The home crowd will have three Canterbury softballers to cheer when New Zealand Country Districts meets the men’s world champion, United States, in a doubleheader at Cuthberts Green on March 31. This presumes none of the Canterbury trio, Paul Shannon, Aaron Flynn and Darren Rea, are not selected for the full New Zealand team which will meet the United States in a five-test series. The Country Districts team named at the New Zealand Softball Association’s council meeting in Wellington at the week-end included five other South Islanders, not altogether surprising when selection was limited to players from outside the Auckland, Wellington and Hutt Valley associations. Waikato has the biggest representation with four players, including Colwyn Shortland who will share pitching duties with Alan Dowd from North Harbour and John Scholten (Otago). All three Canterbury players had excellent national tournaments this summer though the big-hit-ting Rea was actually in the New Zealand Combined Services line-up. The Canterbury playercoach, Roger Keith, was pleased that Shannon, Flynn and Rea were all selected in the team, but a little surprised that the outfielder, Neil Stuart, was not included as well. The full squad of 15 is:— Pitchers: Colwyn Shortland (Waikato), Alan Dowd (North Harbour), John Scholten (Otago). Catchers: Mark Anderton (North Harbour), Danny Bright (Nelson). Infield: Paul Shannon (Canterbury), Pani Hareroa (Waikato), Mike Brown

(Waikato), Darren Rea (Canterbury), Aaron Flynn (Canterbury). Outfield: Robert Neha (Waikato), Glen Roff (Southland), Waka Wilkie (Hawke’s Bay), Scott Moffat (Nelson), Marty Greig (South Canterbury). Coaches: Paul Rogers and Dale Eager. The New Zealand team will be named on March 22 after the men’s national club tournament in Auckland. One test will be played in Lower Hutt on March 30 with the other four all at Cuthberts Green over the week-end of April 1 and 2. PA Wellington The ghost of lan Stringer past appeared at Fraser Park at the week-end as Cardinals scored four important Lion Red softball series wins. Cardinals yesterday beat United (Christchurch) 8-4 and 13-1, the latter in five innings, to go with 9-5 and 5-1 wins over Fraser Tech (Hamilton) on Saturday night. Those wins were vital to Cardinals top-four aspirations, and just as important was Stringer’s contribution. Over the four games Stringer collected 10 hits from 13 turns at bat, an amazing statistic at top level. The 10 hits were made up of three automatic home runs, four stand-up triples, two doubles and a single, and he batted in 13 runs. Stringer present has not been playing well and the Cardinals coach, Dave Sorenson, must have wondered what Stringer’s future was going to be like. Over the week-end, however, it was just like the Stringer of old, the big hitter who ravaged pitchers on Fraser Park in the early 1980 s with Hutt City United and the Hutt Valley representative side.

The sight of Stringer stepping into the batter’s box used to send a shiver down the spine of opposing pitchers. Only fleetingly in the past few seasons has Stringer shown the form of those exciting days but it all came back this week-end, and yesterday in particular, as he hoisted the ball over the outfield fence three times. The improved batting form coincided with his return to fielding on first base, rather than occupying the designated hitter spot in the order. “It does help being involved all the time,” Stringer said. "I don’t mind where I play, but you can get a bit stale just being the designated hitter all the time. “I was also having a bit of a problem with my batting and Mark (Sorenson) noticed I had my back foot turned in too far. I corrected it and now I’m getting the power from my hips again.” Next week-end Cardinals play Auckland United and Marist in Auckland and the week-end’s wins will give them a confidence boost for that challenge. In the second match against United nine different Cardinals players crossed home plate on 11 hits and one walk, leaving only two runners on base as they chalked up 13 runs. Results from Lion Red national men’s softball series games played in Wellington at the week-end: Saturday.— Cardinals 9, Fraser Tech 5; Cardinals 5, Fraser Tech 1; Miramar 2, United 1 (9 innings); Miramar 6, United 1. Sunday.— Cardinals 8, United 4; Cardinals 13, United 1; Miramar 3, Fraser Tech 2; Miramar 3. Fraser Tech 0.