Patience could be the key for Giants

Giants will receive a good gauge on their chances of making a strong challenge for major honours in both the Hutt Valley premier men's softball competition and the Inter-City series this season when they play a double header against Cardinals at South Park, Masterton tomorrow.
Four wins in as many matches, and against three different clubs, last weekend was a hugely impressive result for Giants but they are well aware the opposition from Cardinals will be significantly better than what they met then.
A sentiment supported by Cardinals having already claimed the scalp of one of the country's top club sides in Poneke-Kilbirnie this season and being widely touted as a front runner for the highly-competitive Inter-City title.
"In tight games it's the team which stays patient and keeps their cool who usually comes out on top."
Giants pitcher Richard Clarke sees Cardinals extending Giants in all areas of the game.
"They don't have too many weaknesses, they pitch well and they bat well," he said. "They are the sort of team where if you have an off day they will take you to the cleaners."
Clarke agrees, however, that after last weekend's successes Giants will be going into tomorrow's matches with their own confidence running high. To score 37 runs while conceding just seven represented a splendid effort by any standards, especially when you consider that three of their top batters in Corie Karaitiana, Mark Quinn and Gordon Wilmshurst all missed all, or part, of the action.
All three of them will be on deck tomorrow as will coach Tony Nixon, who was in Australia last weekend but was due to return home today.
Clarke said the key to Giants coming away from this weekend with positive results would very probably be patience, particularly in the batting department because they were likely to receive few loose deliveries there.
"In tight games it's the team which stays patient and keeps their cool who usually comes out on top," he said.
South Park will be a hive of activity tomorrow with the Giants under-15 boys, premier two and President's grade teams all playing matches against Cardinals there as well.
Special interest will be taken in the under-15 boys game as Giants and Cardinals are vying for that lead in that competition. It will get under way at 10.30am. The senior matches are at 1pm and 3pm, the premier two game will start at 1pm and the President's grade match at 3pm.