WOMEN’S HOCKEY

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22435, 23 June 1938, Page 20

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

NEW ZEALAND TEAM TO MEET ENGLAND FOUR CANTERBURY PLAYERS INCLUDED (By LEFT HALF.) The next big event in women’s hockey in Christchurch will be the first lest match between the touring Englisn team and New Zealand, to be played at Lancaster Park on July 6. The New Zealand side, which was announced this week, contains six players who have represented New Zealand before, either in Australia in 1935 or against the Fijians a year later. The team is a good one, although, as always, there are one or two who may be considered a bit lucky to be included. It is easily to be seen where the strength of New Zealand hockey lies, 10 of the 13 players named being from the South Island, with Canterbury and Eastern Southland supplying four players each. Apart from the main centres there is only one player from a smaller association and it would appear that the selectors discovered no new material in the trial match which was to have been held at Palmerston North last Saturday. First and foremost in the New Zealand team is M. Nicol, from Eastern Southland. There is no doubt about her being the finest right wing in the country, and her record for Eastern, of which she is captain, is an impressive one. She has been in the forefront for the last few years, and it is somewhat surprising that she has not been chosen for New Zealand before. M. McKenzie (Canterbury) is well known for her brilliant performances in Australia, and for her province, for which she has played many fine games. Her position in the team will be inside right. M. SherrifE is another well-known forward from Eastern, and plays a very clever game. She played against the Fijians two years ago, in the test match at Wellington, being inside left. On this occasion she may be centre, in which case L Gawler (Auckland) or H. McLellan (Wellington) will be the reserve. Both are hard-working forwards who have played for their provinces for several years, and as it is hardly likely that a player would be brought from Auckland to be an emergency, it appears that the Wellington player may have to stand out The other forward, D. Dickey (Canterbury) has a reputation as a very clever left wing, whose Play at recent tournaments has shown her to be outstanding. M. Sanson (Eastern) Is one of the outstanding players in the Dominion at centre half. She is still a young player. She went to Australia and also played against the Fijians. It would be very hard to find a more capable half than she is. Another who is gaining New Zealand honours for the first time is S. Aldridge (Canterbury), who, at Blenheim and Invercargill, proved herself to be among the best. Even last Saturday she more than held her own against the English team—no mean feat. The other half. A. Mackie (Otago) has played for her province for about 14 years. She has had plenty of experience, having toured Australia. She was left half in the test against the Fijians, and has always been one of the most prominent players in Otago. There was no question about the selection of A. McDonald (Eastern) as right back. She went to Australia and played in nearly all the matches, and against the Fijians a year later. Selected as a reserve for Eastern in 1932, she has been in the team ever since. Of the other backs, W. Woolley (Marlborough) has been the best of. her province in recent years, and has played ln two. tests before—against Australia a .nd Fiji. She is one who may be considered a little lucky to be included, as there were several at Invercargill last year, who must have run her close for the position. The other back chosen. L. Askew (Auckland) was right nail against the English team recently, but it is not known if she was playing out of her position. The performances of M. Rhind (Canterbury) in the last two tournaments brought her into the limelight as a goalkeeper who had few equals, and even if there was some doubt as to her being the best in Christchurch, she tothe top of her form against the English team last Saturday, and her selection for New Zealand is no surprise. Lessons from English Team Whether the best team represented Canterbury against the English players last week does not now matter, but the visitors taught the Canterbury players « few lessons that should not be forgotten m a hurry. The first was how to hit the ball— and that is one of the first essentials of the game—and the second is how to play as a team. It was noticeable that the English players were at all times perfectly balanced and were never at any time inconvenienced by the heavy ground, while the Canterbury players were all the time falling over, suggesting that they were wearing faulty footwear, which was far from the case. It may have been better from the Canterbury point of view if the team had been selected a week or more earlier. and matches against outside assotalSsn, place > say, against Ashburton, or Malvern or Ellesmere. As it was. the team was meeting players whose manner of play it knew all alon f. and the same methods of attack or defence were used till they were meeting outside teams faults which became so apparent in the big game, and which were evident to a lesser extent in the practices, could have been remedied. As it was. the players became stuck in one rut, as it f nc *. when they met something new they did not know how to go about DRAW FOR SATURDAY The following Is the draw for women’s hockey matches to be played next Saturday:— Senior A—Canterbury College v. Aranui, Hagley Park No. 5, 1.30 pjn. (Messrs F. A. Iggo and J. Hocking); Hornby v. We£t Christchurch, Hornby. 3 p.m. (Mr C. Bellamy): Kiwi v. Training College, Hagley Park No. 5. 3 pan. (Messrs G. Rogers and E. Rogers); Digby’s v. Ranglora, Ranglora, 3 p.m. (Messrs N. Goldsbury and A. Tulley); Technical a bye. Senior Reserve—Belfast v. Rawhitl, Belfast, 3 p.m. (Mr A. L. Jones); Digby’s v. Hinemoa. Hagley Park No. 4, 3 p.m. (Mr C. A. Johnson); Technical v. Sunnyslde, Hagley Park No. 2. 3 p.m. (Mr J. Hocking). Senior B—Aranui v. Beckenham, Hagley Park No. 2. 1.30 p.m. (Mr E. Rogers); Technical v. Lyttelton. Hagley Park No. 4. 1.30 p.m. (Mr G. Rogers); Training College v. Kiwi, Hagley Park No. 1, 1.30 p.m. (Mr S. Wentworth); West Christchurch v. Hornby, Hornby, 2 p.m. (Mr C. Bellamy); Southbrook v. Canterbury College. Hagley Park No. 1, 3 p.m. (Mr S. Wentworth). Junior A (Section A) —Beckenham v. Digby’s. Somerfield, 3 p.m. (Mr W. Crammer); Ranglora v. Redcliffs, Ranglora, 3 P.m. (Mr L. S. Smith); Kia Ora v. Selwyn. Somerfield. 1.30 pan. (Mr W. Crammer); Glengarry v. Lin wood. St. Albans, 1.30 p.m. (Mrs F. Mulrson and Miss E. Byrne). Junior A (Section B)—Technical v. West Christchurch. Ensor’s road, 3 p.m. (Mr C. B. Macfarlane); Kiwi v. Dlgby's, Hagley Park No. 9, 1.30 p.m. (Mr C. A. Johnson); Rawhitl v. Belfast, Hagley Park No. 9, 3 pan. (Mr J. H. Jones); Lyttelton a bye. Junior B—Aranui v. West Christchurch, St. Albans. 3 p.m. (Mrs F. Muirson and Miss E. Byrne): Hornby v. Hinemoa, North Park. 3 p.m. (Mr J. Smelley); Selwyn v. Lin wood, Ensor’s road, 1.30 p.m. (Mr C. B. Macfarlane): Technical a bye.