Hard to beat

The introduction of the Friday night league for intermediate students played a big part in the success of the Masterton Intermediate boys softball team at a recent tournament in Palmerston North.
There they walloped four other schools by huge margins.
Coach Mark Quinn said the league, organised by Giants club stalwart Russell Thompson, had honed the skills of the players to the point where they were now very competitive against any opposition in their own age group.
That was very evident in Palmerston North where they scored a remarkable 72 runs while conceding just four.
They beat Wanganui 16-2, Rutherford 30-0, Monrad 8-1 and, in the final, Feilding 18-1.
Not only was the batting of the Masterton Intermediate side impressive but in Danny Brown and Campbell Gaunt they had a consistent and reliable pitcher-catcher combination.
"They did all the basics well, fielding, hitting and running," he said. "It really was a top all-round effort."