Otago premier title will be a twoteam race this year

OTAGO softball is making the best of an unfortunate situation in its club competition.

Its premier competition has returned to two teams, after having risen to four last year.

Old Boys and Ellis Park have both dropped to the senior reserve competition grade.

That leaves the Dodgers and Cardinals — who were a clear level above the other two premier teams last season — to contest the premier competition.

They will play each other every week, although a senior reserve crossover grade will provide variety.

This will consist of the two premier teams, alongside Old Boys, the Spartans Seniors and the A Team.

In addition to the teams’ one regular grade game every week, one game per week will also be played in the crossover grade.

The aim is to provide those teams a taste of the higher level, and in particular to give younger players the chance to develop.

Otago softball chairwoman De Thomson said the association was disappointed to drop back to two premier teams, although it was hoping the new structure would promote growth.

Building from the bottom up was key, and that was noted in a rise in teams playing in the reserve competitive grade, rather than in the social grade.

It was hoped those players could be brought through to reach the premier standard.

Meanwhile there had also been a drop in women’s teams to two, although there were several mixed teams made up predominantly of women.

In the junior grades there were three additional teams, which Thomson said was pleasing.

The senior competition begins on Saturday; the premier match between the Dodgers and Cardinals begins at 4pm.