Giants Blue’s perfect record goes on the line tomorrow with a tough away game against Poneke-Kilbirnie [PK].
The defending champions are the only unbeaten team after four rounds of the Intercity Premier Two [P2] Championship and have dominated the opposition, scoring 40 runs and giving up only seven runs.
PK are in third place and could prove a hard nut to crack at Hataitai Park. They also have a healthy runs differential, having scored 28 and conceded only 10 in the three games they have played.
Again, the key to a fifth straight Blues’ victory will be the pitching of player-coach Justin ‘Chunky’ Karaitiana, who has been miserly with the number of safe hits he has conceded, while the Blues’ batting has been built on a solid foundation of good placement of shots and strong base running.
Giants stalwart Chris Feary is confident the Blues will be untroubled in adding another victory to maintain their lead.
Feary is anticipating the toughest game of the Intercity Premier Three [P3] Championship for his team, Giants Red, when they host Paremata-Plimmerton at South Park, but he admits to knowing little about the opposition.
“Paremata-Plimmerton have given a couple of teams we haven’t played good thumpings, and they beat Demons, who took us to a tiebreaker, 7–0, and in previous years when they’ve played in P3, they’ve been quite good,” Feary said.
Pitcher Tony Nixon has been in outstanding form for the Reds and should prove difficult to get away, while the power hitters like Gordon Wilmshurst, Matt Kawana, and the Waitere brothers Terry and Willie will take full toll of any loose pitches.
The first pitch will be thrown at 3.30pm tomorrow at South Park.
Feary is also confident the Giants women can build on their first win of the season when they play Dodgers Divas in a Hutt Valley Premier Three clash at Fraser Park, Lower Hutt.
He said Giants should be on a high after last week’s upset win over defending champions Tōtara Park, and they would be favourites to notch their second win of the season.
The under-13s are also seeking their second win against Cardinals in a 9am game at South Park.
