Kiwis take series victory over Australia
July 9, 2006
Sydney, AU
Kiwis take series victory over Australia
Sunday July 9th 2006
Big hitting has seen the New Zealand Junior Men’s Development team takeout the international series against the Australian under 19 team inSydney today.
Going into the final two games today the New Zealand team needed just onewin to claim the series and they closed the deal in the early gamedefeating Australia 11-4.
They then backed that up with a 2-0 in the final game to take out theseries 5-2.
New Zealand team manager Mark Carter says the wins today were a wholeteam effort with the victory in the final game with the series wonimportant. Carter explains that the team had a lot to lose in the finalgame but they played well to take out the game.
New Zealand’s dominance in the series was reflected in the individualawards presented after the series final. Wellington’s James Pointon wasnamed top pitcher, Jovaan Hanley of Hawkes Bay picked up the award fortop batter and Jamie Love of Auckland was named series MVP.
With a series win over Australia to go with the Friendship Series titleearlier in the week Carter says the successful tour has “exorcised a fewdemons and got the monkey off the back of a few players”. In the past fewyears Australia has dominated New Zealand at the junior boy’s level butthat hasn’t happened on this tour.
Carter says while the tour has been successful in terms of results it hasalso been beneficial in terms of building towards the 2008 WorldChampionships and learning more about the players in the squad.
Following the series win the team will debrief the tour today before arest day tomorrow ahead of the team flying home on Tuesday.
By SNZ Media Liaison: Kelly Mitchell
* mailto:kelly.mitchell@xtra.co.nz
http://www.softball.org.nz/
*mailto:snz@softball.org.nz
Cheers Vance
Softball New Zealand web master.
* mailto:vanf@ihug.co.nz
