Softball: Improving softball side shows depth and talent

White Sox coach Mike Walsh is not concerned about New Zealand's failure to make the final of the transtasman women's softball series in Hamilton yesterday.

Olympic silver medallists Australia won the four-day tournament by beating New South Wales 5-3 in the final.

New Zealand fielded two composite teams, the Black and the Reds, as Walsh looked at his options ahead of the world championships in China in August.

Walsh believes the tournament served its purpose as it enabled him to view the talent at his disposal.

"The depth is starting to come, the experienced players are starting to get even better and the young ones are there pushing for the future," he said yesterday. "Some young players have stood up during the series."

Walsh, who is due to name a squad in April, said a number of players were pushing hard for inclusion.

"We are going to have 17 quality players and as selectors we are going to have to make some tough decisions on the team to go to the world champs.

"It will be the toughest selection since the Sydney Olympics in 2000."

Walsh took heart from the performance of the New Zealand Black team, who pushed Australia hard before losing 3-5 in round-robin play yesterday.

The New Zealanders were three outs away from claiming victory and booking a place in the final before a seventh-inning revival saw Australia score three runs to turn around a one-run deficit.

- NZPA