Softball team in good form for cup

Press, 20 November 1989, Page 34

Softball team in good form for cup

The Canterbury’s men’s softball team completed a pleasing shakedown for the Jeffries Cup South Island inter-provincial championship in two weeks when it beat South Canterbury and Otago by wide margins, at Timaru yesterday. Canterbury beat South Canterbury 6-0 in the first game of the double-header, and then hit awesome form against Otago, dumping it 10-2 after Otago had scored two runs in its first innings. The Otago game was remarkable for a hat-trick of home runs scored in the fourth innings. Graeme Anderson, Neil Stuart and Barry Khaler all blasted home-runs in succession. The next batter, Barry Rea, had a three base hit, and he was followed by Murray Lanini who struck another home run. Roger Keith the Canterbury coach said he could not remember a team scoring three home runs in succession. Lanini had a remarkable batting sequence against Otago. In four turns at bat he hit three home runs and was walked.

Mr Keith said Canterbury accumulated 20 hits in the two games and 10 of them were home runs. “It was quite spectacular batting. It was nice to see the team mould so quickly because they hadn’t played together before.” Mr Keith said he was aware, however, that the competition at the Jeffries Cup would be harder. The titleholder, Marlborough, Southland and Nelson could all be difficult to beat, said Mr Keith. The pitching duties yesterday were shared by Jimmy Hall and Tony Buckley, and both performed creditably said Mr Hall.