Twin front triumph for Giants

The waiting is over - and the news is good.
Cross Country Rentals Giants premier men's softball team were not sure after their Inter City series and Hutt Valley premier league matches last weekend whether they had done enough to make the semifinals of the competitions but word yesterday was positive on both counts.
In the Inter City competition they will square off against either Poneke-Kilbirnie or Miramar at Fraser Park on Saturday for a place in the grand final and then, on March 10, they will contest the semifinals of the Hutt Valley premier league, where their opponent is expected to be HV Marist.
Giants pitcher Ritchie Clarke said his team's efforts to make the two semifinals meant they had achieved the objectives set at the start of this season, and now the mindset was about going one step further. "We've put ourselves in a position to challenge for two titles and we don't intend to stop there. We're aiming to go all the way," he said, adding he was not fazed about which team Giants would meet in the Inter City semis. "Quite frankly the sides left there are all about as strong as each other, so it doesn't matter who we get."
The 2010 season has been a notable one for Giants, who are fielding a record seven teams in the Hutt Valley/Wellington competitions, including the newly formed premier two women's side. In addition, they organise the NZCU Baywide local league (nine teams), a secondary school league with four teams and a fastball competition, also with four teams.
The Trust House Giants under-18s are unbeaten in 2010-11 and will play Wainuiomata in the Inter City final this Friday.
The NZCU Baywide Giants under-15s are in the top four of their Hutt Valley competition and in the first match of a top-four series to find the two finalists they scored a 6-3 win over Hutt City United.
The Giants under-13s have also made it into the final four of their Hutt Valley competition and are going through the same qualifying process as the under-15s.
The Giants vets have won through to the top four in their Hutt Valley grade after finishing first in the regular season where they tasted just the one defeat.
The two women's teams have also served Giants well this season, with the major B side just missing out on qualifying for the top four playoffs in their Hutt Valley grade while the Pro-Logo premier twos have been competitive in their debut year.
Representative honours have come and thick fast for Giants players in 2010-11. Campbell Gaunt's selection in the Junior Black Sox and Ariana Namana's selection in the Junior White Sox development squad have been the individual highlights and the club has had four players in the Hutt Valley under-13s, two in the Hutt Valley under-15s, three in the Hutt Valley under-17s, three in the Hutt Valley under-19s and three in the Hutt Valley senior men's team.