Bastion boosts Canty's bowling (4 Sep 1996)

From The Press September 04, 1996

Bastion boosts Canty`s bowling

Canterbury will field the most potent strike bowling combination in women`s cricket with the queen of pace, Katrina Withers, joined by New Zealand team-mate Helen Bastion this summer.

Bastion, a left-arm medium pace bowler and right-hand bat, was a surprise choice in the victorious New Zealand team that toured England earlier this year.

The 20-year-old Te Awamutu product played as an invitation player for Central Districts at the national tournament and strengthened her claim for the tour with a successful series for the New Zealand youth team against Australia.

Her decision to leave Te Awamutu was "mostly for cricket reasons", although it will also bring her closer to her Blenheimbased boyfriend.

Bastion played one test in England with moderate results. She bowled first change in the opening test at Scarborough and finished with no wicket for 59 off 16 overs.

The game favoured the batting side with New Zealand scoring 517 for eight in reply to England`s 414 all out.

"It was all really good experience. Now I want to press on with the Canterbury side and hopefully get picked to play Australia," Bastion said.

Bastion had been under pressure from her Canterbury-based New Zealand team-mates to join one of the more fashionable clubs, but instead has opted for newly promoted East Christchurch Shirley.

The women`s club competition is likely to increase in size to six teams this summer with East Christchurch Shirley and South Canterbury joining existing clubs St Albans, Sydenham, Marist, and Lancaster Park.

"We are going to be young, but if we get a few of the players we are chasing we should be pretty competitive," Bastion said.

Bastion`s arrival will not only strengthen Canterbury`s stranglehold on the women`s scene, it will also add some colour.

Her list of interests are headed by a liking for night-life.

"We visited Ireland at the end of our England tour and I didn`t want to leave.

"I haven`t had the chance to get out here yet, but I had to leave Te Awamutu because I kept going home to mum."

Copyright (C) 1996 The Christchurch Press Company Ltd.

Source :: The Canterbury Press (https://www.press.co.nz/)