• Howick and Pakuranga Times
HOWICK may have won only one match from six at the Vic Guth Memorial series at Fowlds Park last weekend, but the softball side thrilled with exciting play.
The 12-11 win over Eden-Roskill was the match of the series as the lead changed right through into a double tiebreaker, before Howick held out with Eden-Roskill having runners on base.
Against the powerful Waitakere Bears, it was veteran Howick pitcher Paddy O’Neill, now active in the social grade, who was thrown into the action despite it being 22 years since his previous game for the Eden club at the same event.
It was a tough first inning as the Bears’ batters hit out, but Howick fought back and had one turn to go with the score at 9-7 when the game was called off for bad light.
“I didn’t expect to play at all, just watch my son Regan,” says O’Neill. “But James Mau, the premier coach, asked me to drive back to Howick to get my socks and cleats so I could help out.
“It was great to have a go, especially when pushing 49 years, when you take to the diamond and your son is in the starting line-up also.”
As the weather was deteriorating and the match was not relevant to the tournament result, Howick conceded the game at 8.40pm.
The Vic Guth Memorial tournament winner was Wellington side Poneke-Kilbirnie, the same club that O’Neill had defeated in the match 22 years before.
Howick also had a close match with host club United that reached the final.
This weekend the mainly youthful Howick squad play at the Marist Brother Patrick Memorial series at Simson Reserve in Penrose, where O’Neill, still a big powerful man, will once again be prepared to race home to get his gear to help out the squad, or perhaps he might just sneak it into his car boot in the hope.
