Giants face pool of death

BY WALT DICKSON

No softball club knows more about beating the odds than Giants.

The Masterton-based club has been punching above its weight in various competitions for years.

But their David-and-Goliath abilities will be put to the test when they take on the country's best at the club nationals in Christchurch, starting Tuesday.

Giants have been placed in what can only be described as the "pool of death". Waitakere Bears and Auckland Ramblers are ranked one and two respectively in New Zealand. Poneke-Kilbirnie is one of the game's glamour clubs and recently belted Giants eight-nil in the Intercity competition. The Demons recently took out the premier competition in Southland, as did the Dunedin Dodgers in Otago.

Giants number one pitcher Richard Clarke says it is far from an ideal draw, but it's one they will gladly accept.

"It's the nationals so you have to be prepared to take on the best," he says.

By their own standards, it has been a disappointing season for Giants. They have fallen short in the Hutt Valley Premier One competition and narrowly missed out on making the play-offs in the Intercity. Such results have only increased Giants' desire to do well in Christchurch next week.

Clarke says his young side is looking forward to the challenge. The 15-man squad includes four 16-year-olds and a 17-year-old.

Giants have drafted in two players for the tournament: 19-year-old out fielder Te Rangi Chadwick, from Hawke's Bay, and 16-year-old pitcher Zane Siolo, from Hutt Valley.

Siolo will share the back-up pitching duties with Justin Karaitiana. Siolo, along with catcher Campbell Gaunt, were recently named in the New Zealand under-19 squad.

Giants open the tournament against the Demons at 9am on Tuesday, followed by the Waitakere Bears in the afternoon. On Wednesday they play Dunedin Dodgers and Poneke-Kilbirnie, and round off pool play against Auckland Ramblers on day three.

Clarke says the challenge ahead of them is "pretty major", but anything is possible.

"It's going to be tough but it is possible to catch these sort of oppositions off guard when they have just come off a good win and think that they will just walk in and roll you."

Giants warmed up for next week with two "good wins" against Cardinals at South Park in Masterton last weekend.

SQUAD: Richard Clarke, Justin Karaitiana, Corie Karaitiana, Blair Thompson, Richard Carroll, Ryan Shannahan, Nathan Shannahan, Ashton Shannahan, Terry Waitere (captain), Jordan Waitere, Campbell Gaunt, Danny Brown, Julian Jermont, Te Rangi Chadwick, Zane Siolo.

- Wairarapa News