Subject: Australia to Meet World's Best Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 13:49:12 +1100 From: "DiAnne Lilburn" <dianne.lilburn(at)softball.org.au>
Media Release 18 January 2006 Australia to Meet Worlds Best The Australian Open Mens softball team, Aussie Steelers, will come head-to-head with world number one, the New Zealand Black Sox at the Men's Commonwealth Championship at Altona, Victoria. From 25-29 January 2006, Softball Australia will host the championship, an International Softball Federation (ISF) sanctioned event, that will bring together four teams from the British Commonwealth including Australia (ranked third in the world), New Zealand (ranked first), Samoa (ranked sixth) and South Africa (ranked eleventh), for a four day display of some of the world's best male softball. The championship is aimed at trying to get men's and women's softball on the program for the 2010 Commonwealth Games and it will be the first time in almost five years the world number one New Zealand Black Sox team, have played in Australia. Australia will field a strong team of experience and youth, with Australia's six most capped players along with four players in the team who will make their Australian debut. Some of the players going into the championship include current Junior World Championship pitching record holder Adam Folkard (ACT), Andrew Kirkpatrick (ACT), Kris Kiefel (Vic), Jeff Goolagong (ACT) and Junior Men's World Championship heroes James Brooks (Vic) and Travis Southam. The last time the Aussie Steelers have beaten New Zealand was with a 7-1 victory in the final test of a four-game series in 2001. The international teams arrive this week to play in some practice matches against the Victorian Men's team in Geelong, Keilor Park and Narre Warren. DRAW Wednesday 25 January 5pm - New Zealand vs South Africa 7pm Opening Ceremony 8pm Australia vs Samoa Thursday 26 January 12pm South Africa vs Samoa 2.30pm South Africa vs Australia 5pm Australia vs New Zealand 7.30pm Samoa vs New Zealand Friday 27 January 12pm South Africa vs New Zealand 2.30pm Samoa vs Australia 5pm Samoa vs South Africa 7.30pm New Zealand vs Australia Saturday 28 January 11am New Zealand vs Samoa 1.30pm Australia vs South Africa 5.30pm Final 1 (1 vs 2) 8pm Final 2 (3 vs 4) Sunday 29 January 12pm Final 3 (LF1 vs WF2) 3.30pm Grand Final (WF1 vs WF3) AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW Mike Titheradge Australian Open Mens Team Manager Susan Crow Chief Executive Officer, Softball Australia ____________________________________ DiAnne Lilburn National Communications Coordinator Softball Australia Suite 4, Ground Floor 38-40 Prospect Street Box Hill, Victoria 3128 T: +61 3 9890 8200 F: +61 3 9890 8295 M: +61 (0) 405 509 674 For more information visit <http://www.softball.org.au/>www.softball.org.au _____________________________________________________________________________ Did you know that Australia is the world's number one softball nation? World number two - Open Women's team (Aussie Spirit), Silver Medallist (Athens, 2004), Bronze Medallists (Sydney 2000 and Atlanta 1996). World number one - Under 19 Men's team (Aussie Colts), three consecutive World Championship titles. World number three - Open Men's team (Aussie Steelers) and Under 19 Women's team (Aussie Pride). From: "DiAnne Lilburn" <dianne.lilburn(at)softball.org.au> Als Fastball List *Email: fastball(at)pmihrm.com [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.AlsFastball.com/ NEWS: http://fastpitchwest.com/alsfastball eScribe is down, but may be back soon escribe.com _______________________________________________ Alsfastball mailing list [email protected] http://fastpitchwest.com/mailman/listinfo/alsfastball_fastpitchwest.com
