Trust softballers to support good cause at Chichester

Hosted by Chichester Falcons, this year’s event was in aid of the Aldingbourne Trust, who support people with learning disabilities.

Six teams from the UK battled it out at the University of Chichester.

Returning to defend their title were the Vampire Batters from Crawley, noisy neighbours the Brighton Beachcombers, new entrants Maidenhead Softball Club, plus Solent League regulars Portsmouth Dodgers and Solent Sluggers. The Falcons filled the sixth slot.

A softball-themed coconut shy provided the players with a little light relief from the furious pace of the one-hour timed games.

The Dodgers and got ahead of the pack early on, despatching Vampire Batters in their first game, while the Sluggers and Falcons struggled to find their feet.

Beachcombers and Maidenhead rallied but the Vampire Batters were soaring, putting up the highest score of the day against Beachcombers at 21-8. The Falcons flapped hard but couldn’t catch a break until their final round-robin game where they took the Sluggers 9-6.

The finals saw the Dodgers wind up with the Vampire Batters for the cup but the Batters had too much and picked up the cup for the second year in a row.

The teams gathered for the prizegiving and Sue Joy from the Aldingbourne Trust explained how the £920 raised would help develop the Country Centre and build new facilities for clients.

As always the tournament was fully dependent on the hard work and generosity of numerous individuals. Special thanks go to Perry Northeast (University of Chichester), Mike Ford (The Softball Shop), Lewis Harding, Colin Cobden and Chloe Court (Waitrose Chichester).