KEY POINTS:
Softball may be a team game, but for Thomas Cameron and Nathan Nukunuku their own performances are going to be just as crucial during the national league competition that starts this weekend.
Cameron and Nukunuku are members of national league champions Auckland, but for differing reasons they have
been off the international scene.
Cameron was a late replacement for the Black Sox team that successfully defended their world title in Christchurch four years ago.
However, a combination of injuries, a lack of form and at the same time, by his own admission, dedication to the game have seen him overlooked since the 2006 Pacific Series in Japan.
Nukunuku, who made his debut for the Black Sox in 1999, put his employer ahead of his sport for last month's Pacific Series in Canberra.
"I'm hungry for it now. I fell off track for a while, but I am raring to go now," Cameron said.
Nukunuku's decision to remain in Auckland while the Black Sox went to Canberra was one he did not take lightly, but at the same time he knows that he also needed to start to think about life away from the game.
"I talked about everything with Eddie [Kohlhase, Black Sox coach] and he understood my reasons," Nukunuku said.
While a lot of attention will be on the performances of Cameron and Nukunuku, also expected to play key roles for the defending champions are the Shannon brothers Heinie and Patrick, Donny Hale, who has taken on a player-coach role with the team, and younger brother Bernard, with Gus Leger who were all part of the Black Sox team for the Pacific Series.
Auckland will be hoping to get its 2008 New Zealand Community Trust national league off to a winning start in front of their home crowd. The side opens its campaign against Southern Pride, coached by former Black Sox pitcher Marty Grant.
The national league competition is now in its sixth season with the men's competition dominated by Auckland with three of the five titles.
In the women's competition a lot of interest will be on the performance of the Australian pitchers who have been added to the Canterbury, Hutt Valley and Southern Pride line-ups.
All three hurlers, Kelly Gentle, Tatiana Holodnow and Felicity Witt, are members of the Australian Olympic Games squad and have during their own national competition shown some top form.
WEEKEND DRAW
Men
* Norana Park, Auckland
* Saturday: Canterbury Red Sox v Hutt Valley, Southern Pride v Auckland, Canterbury v Wellington, Southern Pride v Hutt Valley, Wellington v Auckland.
* Sunday: Southern Pride v Canterbury Red Sox, Hutt Valley v Auckland, Southern Pride v Wellington, Auckland v Canterbury Red Sox, Wellington v Hutt Valley.
Women
* Mainland Foundation Park, Christchurch
* Saturday: Canterbury Red Hawks v Southern Pride, Auckland v Hutt Valley, Canterbury Red Hawks v Hutt Valley, Southern Pride v Auckland, Auckland v Canterbury Red Hawks, Southern Pride v Hutt Valley.
* Sunday: Southern Pride v Auckland, Hutt Valley v Canterbury Red Hawks, Canterbury Red Hawks v Southern Pride, Auckland v Hutt Valley.