Softball: Black Sox see Aussies as major threat

Black Sox captain Jarrad Martin says his world champion side will have to be at their best to beat the fast-improving Australians in next month's Commonwealth Softball Series.

Black Sox coach Eddie Kohlhase today names the team to meet Australia, South Africa, Samoa and Canada in the series to be held in Melbourne from January 25 to 29.

Australia finished third in last year's world series in Christchurch but were at least a notch or so behind New Zealand. But Martin believes that may well have changed.

"Come the next world series I reckon it will be New Zealand 1 and Australia 2. Australia have actually got the potential there to win it," he said.

Australia's improvement stems from their success at under-19 level, where they have claimed the last three consecutive world championship titles.

"A lot of us have played over in the States, where a few years back there were no Aussies playing," Martin said.

With the next world series four years away, the Black Sox want to build player depth.

Kohlhase is working with a New Zealand squad of 35, of which 17 scored a comfortable 4-0 series win over Samoa this month.

But despite that convincing performance, Kohlhase said there would be changes to the side for the Commonwealth series.

He was looking for improvement in the pitching department, where veteran Marty Grant claimed a shut-out, keeping Samoa scoreless in the final game.

Martin said the players were aware of Kohlhase's rotation policy.

"I think the person with the hardest job at the moment is the coach ... We are hoping to to have 35 guys capable of playing for the Black Sox at the next world series ... then he is the one that has to decide which 17."