No easing up for Giants

Strong starts will be foremost on the minds of Giants in their Inter-City series top six playoff men's softball matches with Hutt City and Poneke-Kilbirnie at Fraser Park, Petone on Sunday.
Giants rocketed to the top of the points table in a competition in which they have never placed better than fifth when they beat both Miramar and Porirua last weekend but, even so, coach Tony Nixon wants a more consistent batting effort on this occasion.
"We've got into the habit of scoring most of our runs towards the end of our games and it's something you can't afford to rely on at this level," Nixon said. "We need to put runs on the board early on so that the pressure to score isn't so great later in the game."
Nixon said his team's slow starts with the bat was not a case of nerves, rather it was simply a matter of some players going through a lean patch in that department.
"We've probably got three or four who have been battling a bit lately to get bat on ball and hopefully they're due for a change of luck in that respect," Nixon said. "It's something which can happen to anyone from time to time and you've just got to play your way through it."
Nixon knows that Giants will need to perform somewhere near their full potential to beat either Hutt City or Poneke-Kilbirnie. They have lost to both these sides already this season and their two wins of last weekend will ensure they don't catch either of them off guard on Sunday.
"They'll be ready for us, they won't be holding anything back," Nixon said. "There won't be any complacency there, none at all."
The only definite absentee from the Giants line-up on Sunday will be Ryan Shannahan, who has regularly starred with the bat and through his brilliance in the field.
There is though still some doubt though over the fitness of pitcher Ritchie Clarke but Nixon is "pretty hopeful" of him being on deck, a situation which would see Giants well served in that sphere as both Justin Karaitiana and Mark Quinn have been in excellent form in recent games.
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