White Sox down

Softball: The New Zealand White Sox were bundled out of the women’s world softball championships in Canada despite a captain’s knock by leader Ellie Cooper. Cooper slammed an automatic home run and had three hits from four in the 8-2 loss to the Netherlands in Surrey, British Columbia yesterday. The White Sox had won five of their six preliminary games and a medal was within touching distance for a side which had displayed genuine batting power. But they were eliminated in the first round of the top-eight playoffs after the Dutch strung together a couple of big innings with the bat.