The Black Sox' pre-match
dance is proving as big an attraction as their hitting power
with crowds at the world men's softball championship in
Saskatoon, Canada.
New Zealand softball chief scorer Sandy Wallace is one of the
200 or so New Zealanders who have made the trip to support
their team, and she said the Black Sox' games were being well
attended.
"Our hitting power is very evident and I think that is why
everybody flocks to see the New Zealand games," the Otago
softball identity said.
"Every time we play, there is always a full stand and they
all want to know whether it [the haka] is a dance and what it
means."
The haka has proved so popular the team has put a video of it
on the internet.
Wallace said the atmosphere in the city was electric.
Banners lined the streets, and the media had got in behind
the championship, with the local newspaper dedicating three
or four pages to the action each day.
The Black Sox have been in dominant form and dispatched their
first six opponents with brutal efficiency.
Before yesterday they had scored 76 runs while conceding just
two and were at the top of pool A.
They have a deep batting line-up, with most capable of
depositing the ball over the fence.
Four New Zealand batters occupied the top five batting spots,
and Marty Grant and Jeremy Manley were among the best
pitchers at the tournament.
That had helped contribute to a festival atmosphere for the
New Zealand supporters, and the sunny weather was providing a
welcome break from winter, Wallace said.
"We're all sitting out in the beer garden in our shorts and
sandals. It's probably in the mid 20s and it's hot."
Before yesterday, Canada was also unbeaten and at the top of
pool B.
Meanwhile, New Zealand warmed up for the business end of the
championships with a 5-3 win over Japan yesterday, NZPA
reported.
The win means the Black Sox qualified top of their section
and will today play Australia, which finished second in its
section.
Having had the mercy rule invoked as they romped through
their six previous matches, the Black Sox were taken to seven
innings for the first time in the tournament by Japan.
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