By Bob Fromer
GB Slowpitch Team members will be arriving over the next few days in the pleasant Czech town of Pardubice, about 50 miles east of Prague, ready for the attempt to win a ninth straight European Slowpitch Championship when the tournament starts on Wednesday 17 July.
A slightly disappointing total of six countries will be taking part – GB, Ireland, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Germany and Serbia – and the teams will play a double round-robin from Wednesday through Friday, with the Page Playoff plus a fifth place playoff game on Saturday 20 July.
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Strong competition
Though Serbia, in their first-ever European Slowpitch Championship, may struggle, the other five countries are all experienced slowpitch campaigners, and GB Head Coach Steve Patterson, in his first European Championship, will be well aware of the threat posed by Slovenia in particular -- though Ireland, the Czech Republic and Germany can all make life difficult on their day.
The Slovenians, however, will come back to Pardubice with some confidence, as this is where the Slovenian club team Lisicke took the European Slowpitch Cup from the Chromies last August, the first time a continental team has ever won a European slowpitch competition.
The Slovenian national team will feature many of the Lisicke players and with a combination of speed and power, will attempt to secure a similar result.
GB personnel
There has been one change to the GB Team selected after trials and the GB Challenge Tournament in the spring: Vicky Chapman has been replaced by Claudine Snape. The full GB Team will be:
Women
Jenny Ball
Lucy Binding
Emily Clifford
Nicola Duerden
Areej Elmaazi
Chiya Louie
Ruth Macintosh
Claudine Snape
Men
Lee Cornwall
Brett Gibbens
Paul Gough
Roger Grooms
Danny Gunn
Steve Hazard
Ian Kulka
David Lee
Dan Spinks
Ben Taylor
For Chiya Louie and Jenny Ball, who have been playing with the GB Women's Fastpitch Team in European Championships in Prague this week, it will just be a quick trip down the motorway from Prague to join up with the GB Slowpitch Team. Then the next task will be to adjust their swings!
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Schedule
GB will play its first game of the tournament at 10.30 am on Wednesday 17 July against the Czech Republic on the main pitch at Krtkova Arena. But the opening game at 8.45 am will give GB a chance to see the form of what will probably be their two hardest opponents, as the Czechs will take on Slovenia.
GB will play Serbia and Ireland later on Wednesday, with the Opening Ceremony at 7.15 pm followed by a game featuring the Czech Republic and Germany.
GB will conclude the first part of the double round-robin with back-to-back games on Thursday against Germany and Slovenia on the second field at Svitkov, and will later play Serbia back at the main field.
On Friday, 19 July, GB will conclude the round-robin phase with four games, the first at 8.00 am (!) and the last one starting at 5.30 pm, which will be a test of stamina as well as skill.
All four games of the Page Playoff will be played on Saturday, with the 3v4 game at 9.45 am, the 1v2 game at 11.30 am and the final scheduled for 5.30 pm.
Reports from all GB games will be posted on the BSF website (www.british softball.org).