Softball: Title lures Martin to keep Black Sox on

The 2004 world series was to have been Jarrad Martin's swansong.

After a long career in the national side, which saw him debut as a 17-year-old in 1991, the Black Sox captain announced he intended to hang up his bat and launch into a career in golf.

At that time his father, Murray, a top provincial golfer, was making a bid to qualify for the European Seniors Tour and Jarrad planned to join him in Europe after the world series.

But after the Black Sox claimed their history-making third consecutive world title in Christchurch, Martin, 32, decided against the move and instead set his sights on the next world series in 2009.

"That is my long-term goal," he said. "I know I can be there if I do the work."

With the series still some time away, Black Sox coach Eddie Kohlhase has made it his priority to develop a solid base of players to ensure New Zealand are well equipped in every position.

As a result Martin - who roomed with Kohlhase, a former Black Sox, during his first international series - has been moved out of his more traditional position at first base and into a specialist pitching role.

He is no stranger to the position, having pitched before for New Zealand, but moving into it fulltime is providing a new challenge.

"I am definitely going to be pushing the younger guys in the New Zealand squad for a pitching position. It is just a matter of staying in shape and doing the work required," he says.

Martin has pitched nearly every game for North Harbour in the national men's league and will play a key role for the side in this weekend's final series.

Harbour finished the round-robin competition third behind Wellington and Auckland, ending the competition with six wins and four losses - the same as Auckland.

The Southern Pride clinched the final play-off spot with five wins and five losses.

The team to beat are clearly the defending champions Wellington, nearly all of whom are members of the Black Sox squad.

Until this year, it was to Wellington that Martin pledged allegiance.

"I was just after a change," he said. "North Harbour are a different team and have a different environment. I think coming from a team, where you had the luxury of having a strong team on paper, to a team like Harbour, who have got a lot of unrecognised names - it kind of gives you an incentive to play harder.

"You have to play hard to beat the big teams whereas a team like Wellington can afford to cruise through the competition."

One of Wellington's key assets is Black Sox pitcher Marty Grant, who hurls the ball at such pace that just connecting with it is an achievement.

"If he doesn't come out and have a great day, then who knows," Martin said. "But I think all the games this weekend are going to be high scoring ones so it is just a matter of who has got the best defence."

National men's league

Finals series at Hataitai Park, Wellington.

Tomorrow

11am: Game 1, Auckland v North Harbour.

1pm: Game 2, Wellington v Southern Pride.

3pm: Game 3, loser game 1 v loser game 2.

5pm: Game 4, winner game 1 v winner game 2.

Sunday:

10am: Game 5, winner game 3 v loser game 4.

2pm: Final, winner game 4 v winner game 5.