Softballing Saints, young and old, congregated at Lansdowne Park on Saturday to celebrate bygone success and enjoy present day achievement.
Around 40 former players and administrators gathered in Blenheim over the long weekend for a few days of nostalgia, comradeship and memories to mark the club’s 65th anniversary. On Saturday, the older brigade took the opportunity to see the current crop of young players in action when the senior men’s side took on the United Pango club from Nelson in a double-header.
The Saints club was founded in 1961 and has enjoyed tremendous success over the years, especially the boom times of the 1970s and 1980s when the club’s representatives formed a side which was justifiably feared nationally. During this time, they also tested themselves against overseas competition, taking on highly-rated visiting USA sides and travelling to the US for some games in 1978.
A number of the Saints players from that era gained national honours, with the sport enjoying an unprecedented period of achievement and recognition locally.
Many of the stalwarts of that golden era were on deck over the weekend, with reunion attendees enjoying a busy and social weekend. On Friday they had a registration get together at the Grove Tavern, on Saturday they enjoyed an evening meal at the Redwood Tavern then wound up with Sunday lunch at the Marlborough Golf Club.
On Saturday afternoon, the current crop of Saints players were able to show their forerunners that the club remains in good heart and there are still some fine ball players donning the club’s colours.
Spearheaded by the return of former NZ pitcher Kurt Schollum, Saints accounted for their Nelson counterparts 14-3 in the first game and 10-0 in the second.
Experienced operators such as Tyler Bird, Drew Roberts, Blake Wisdom, Dane Gill and Callum Hayton led the way as Saints closed out the first game in the sixth inning and the second in the fourth inning.
