It features the premier clubs from Dunedin and Invercargill, with six teams split into two pools of three. It gets under way at 10am, with the final scheduled for 2.30pm tomorrow.
With just two teams in the Dunedin premier competition for a second year running, having four top teams come to the city was a boost for the sport, organisers said.
"It’s nice to get a variety of opposition and also a good quality as well, so [we’re] definitely looking forward to it," Otago Softball development officer Doug Hill said.
Of the Invercargill sides, the two Demons teams look the strongest. Demons Red had won the trophy the past six seasons, while Demons Blue had won two of the three seasons before that. The red side was spearheaded by Southland representative pitcher Daniel Perry, who compared well with others at representative level.
"They’re very experienced teams, unlike our two prem teams, which are both relatively young," Hill said.
"The Southland teams, a lot of the players have been around for a long time, so as far as experience goes they’ve definitely got an edge there."
However, that did not mean the Otago sides could not be competitive. The majority of the Dodgers team had played for the Otago senior men’s team that finished third at the Jefferies Cup earlier in the season. While a lot of those players were aged 18 to 20,
they had several years of representative experience and would have high hopes of doing well at the tournament. Dodgers last won the trophy in 2002-03. Cardinals finished second in last year’s tournament.
The tournament has been held since the 1971-72 season, the host city being alternated each year.
● Callum Rowley and Kaitlyn Hastie have been named in under-15 New Zealand squads. The duo impressed playing in the North v South games held in Auckland and Wellington. They will attend two camps this year, which lead into tours with the Emerging Sox next year.
