NEW ZEALAND WHITE SOX verues AUSTRALIA TEST SERIES
9 to 10 January 2010

Australia 7 - New Zealand 2
Australia 14 - New Zealand 0
Australia 5 - New Zealand 0 

GILLIES SHIELD TEAM WEEKEND THREE:
Brisbane 4 to 10 January 2010

The upcoming games in the Gilley's Shield/Edebone-Webber Shield are going to be streamed live!
The 2 games are:
· QLD Heat V ACT Diamonds @ 4pm on Thursday 7th January, 2010
· NZ Whitesox V QLD Heat @ 4pm on Friday 8th January, 2010
The link to the live streaming will be available from the QLD Softball website ... here

Follow the results of the Gilley’s Shield competition currently being played in Queensland” with the following link ... here

The White Sox finally have something to smile about after beating Victoria 9-5 in the Gilley's Shield women's softball competition in Brisbane yesterday. The win ends a three game losing streak for the side in the Australian women's state competition.
However, the win did not come easy for the Bartercard White Sox with the side down 4-1 going into the fourth inning but then three runs in that innings and then another three in the fifth saw the side take control of the game.
The win is also a confidence booster for the team with the side taking on its Australia counterparts tonight in a three-game test series.
The first game is tonight with the final two games tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon.

The White Sox are still looking for their first win in week three of the Gilley's Shield competition in Brisbane. The side being beaten today 11-1 by the ACT team. That loss coming after the team had been beaten 10-1 by New South Wales and 6-0 by Western Australia on Wednesday.
The Gilley's Shield is the Australian state competition and it is the first time the White Sox have completed in the event. This week's games also act as a build-up for the three-game test series against Australia which startson Saturday in Brisbane

Improvement will be the aim for the Bartercard White Sox team when they compete in this week's Gilley's Shield women's softball competition in Brisbane.

It is the third time in as many months the White Sox team has made the trip across the Tasman for the competition which involves Australia's leading players and it is hoped that the players can show a marked improvement on the previous 13 games. Of those 13 games the White Sox have won just three.While the side cannot win the Gilley's Shield the Edebone-Weber Shield is at stake. Named after two of the games former leading players - Australia's Peta Edebone and White Sox player Gina Weber - points are accumulated every time a state team plays the New Zealand side.

On the plus side a number of the players making the trip to Brisbane have shown that they are in good form with Brooke Cutting and Megan Farrell winning the top batter and top pitcher awards respectively at last week's ALAC National Fastpitch Championship in Christchurch. Coach Dean Rice will also have in his team both Kiri Shaw and Katrina Stockford who were members of the Hutt Valley team that won the ALAC National Fastpitch Championship. Shaw, with 11 hits from 35 turns at bat, is the only White Sox player to feature among the top 10 batters in the competition.

While the games against the Australian state sides are the first priority for the White Sox team that is just the appetizer for the three-game testseries against Australia which begins on Saturday in Brisbane.

The team is: Michal Tangaroa , Kyla Bromhead, Kalala Gabriel, Amanda Preston, Sina Hunkin (Auckland), Kiri Shaw, Katrina Stockford (Hutt Valley), Melanie Gettins (Hawke's Bay), Tianna Areaiiti (Southland), Megan Farrell, Brooke Lockhart, Brooke Cutting, Alison Boys, Hope Weber (Wellington).

GILLIES SHIELD TEAM WEEKEND TWO: - Melbourne 10 to 13 December 2009

Rest will be the last thing on the minds of the Bartercard White Sox players after their performance at this weekend's Gilley's Shield softball competition in Melbourne.

In the competition which involves the Australian state teams, the Bartercard White Sox side managed just one win - 4-0 against South Australia - from their six games. The side was beaten by ACT 2-7 and Victoria 2-3 on Friday, the following day Queensland and New South Wales beat the White Sox 0-5 and 0-7 respectively and then yesterday competition leaders Western Australia beat them 2-6.

"It was a bit disappointing," Softball New Zealand general manager Dane
Dougan said.

"There had been a higher expectation put on this weekend's games."

Perhaps the biggest disappointment for the players was that they had their chances in two of their other six games, having led ACT 2-0 before going down 7-2 and Victoria 2-0 before losing 3-2. In both those games errors at crucial times cost the New Zealand side victory with the winners capitalising on some fielding mistakes.

"I expect some of the players will not be happy with their performances,"
Dougan said.

For the players their focus will now switch from the Bartercard White Sox team to their franchise sides with the ALAC National Fastpitch Championship beginning in Christchurch on December 27. The four day tournament is crucial to Bartercard White Sox coach Dean Rice as he looks to finalise his team for the test series against Australia which will be played in Brisbane next
month.

"I certainly expect the players will be wanting to show that they are the best in their positions so I expect some good performances from them in Christchurch."

Bartercard White Sox
Zavana Aranga, Kiri Shaw (Hutt Valley), Michal Tangaroa, Kalala Gabriel, Amanda Preston, Rebecca Bromhead, Kyla Bromhead (Auckland), Hope Weber, Brooke Lockhart, Brooke Cutting, Megan Farrell (Wellington), Tianna Areaiiti (Southland), Sina Hunkin (North Harbour)

Dean Rice Head Coach, Roman Gabriel Assistant Coach, Wayne Nichols Assistant Coach, Lyn Lockhart Manager, Kath McGilbert Videographer, Vicky Griffiths Statistician

Bartercard White Sox in Australia - for resuls go to the Australian Softball Website .

A pass mark has been given to the Bartercard White Sox after the opening games in Gilley's Shield competition in Blacktown, Sydney over the weekend.

Involving the elite players from the Australian state sides, it is the first time the White Sox have competed in the event. While the side lost its opening games - 1-4 to Victoria and 5-8 to New South Wales on Friday the
side on Saturday bounced back to beat South Australia 4-0 on Saturday. In their second game on Saturday they were beaten 1-2 by Queensland in the tie-breaker. Then yesterday (subs SUN) the side came from 3-0 down to beat top seeds Australia Capital Territory 4-3 and in their final game of the opening weekend they were beaten 3-1 by Western Australia.

"They were excellent results," White Sox manager Lyn Lockhart said.
"We are certainly pleased with that."

The two wins also means the Bartercard White Sox are on the board for the Edebone-Weber Shield, which is at stake for the White Sox games against the Australian State sides. This will be the inaugural season for the shield
which recognises the contribution that former White Sox captain Gina Weber, who played in four world championships and one Olympic Games, and Australia's Peta Edebone, who played in three Olympic Games and three World Championships.

It was the first tournament the Bartercard White Sox have been involved in since the Southern Cross competition seven months ago.

The next round of games in Gilley's Shield competition will be next month in Waverley, Victoria, the third weekend will be held in Redlands, Queensland on January 5-9. The finals weekend will be held in Hawker, ACT from February 19-21.

GILLIES SHIELD TEAM WEEKEND ONE: - Sydney 12 to 15 November 2009 
Zavana Aranga, Kiri Shaw (Hutt Valley), Michal Tangaroa Kalala Gabriel, Amanda Preston, Rebecca Bromhead, Sina Hunkin (Auckland), Alison Boys, Hope Weber, Brooke Lockhart, Brooke Cutting, Megan Farrell (Wellington), Tianna Areaiiti (Southland), Jackie Smith (North Harbour).

Dean Rice Head Coach, Roman Gabriel Assistant Coach, Wayne Nichols Assistant Coach, Lyn Lockhart Manager, Kath McGilbert Videographer, Vicky Griffiths Statistician

Softball NZ is proud to announce the following players to contest the GILLIES SHIELD:
(squad of 20, any 15/17 to travel)

Pitchers: Megan Farrell, Michal Tangaroa, Ali Manley
Catchers: Kyla Bromhead, Kiri Shaw, Alison Boys, Melanie Gettins
Infield: Zavana Aranga, Kalala Gabriel, Amanda Preston, Hope Weber, Tianna Areaiiti, Katrina Stockford, Ashley Johnston, Rebecca Bromhead, Char Pouaka
Outfield: Sina Hunkin, Brooke Lockhart, Brooke Cutting 
Utility/DP: Jackie Smith
Management: Dean Rice, Roman Gabriel, Wayne Nichols, Lyn Lockhart, Kath McGilbert, Vicky Griffiths