Hockey team weakened

Press, 2 June 1984, Page 72

Hockey team weakened

By

KEVIN TUTTY

Canterbury has its first major representative hockey confrontation of the season this week-end at Palmerston North, where it will play Manawatu, Otago and Wellington in a quadrangular tournament. Canterbury will not be quite at full strength. Balvant Bhana, Canterbury’s skilful inside-right, and Craig Burtt, the regular left-half are not available, and Canterbury could miss their experience in what should be the crucial game of the tournament, against Wellington, tomorrow. In terms of New Zealand representatives, Wellington has five to Canterbury’s two, so there is some incentive for the Canterbury team to prove that it has players to match Wellington. Two who will be especially keen to play well will by Andy Innes and lan Riacb. They were two of the unlucky ones omitted from the New Zealand Olympic team when it was named. Canterbury will need to show more consistency than teams have been able to produce in the Christchurch senior championship. It has a talented forward line but it has not played together this season, and that might be a disadvantage. It will need to play with all its skill and imagination to be able to repeatedly break the Wellington defence which boasts a New Zealand half-

line with Hus Bhikha, Stewart Grimshaw and Brent Miskimmin. The Wellington coach, Ra Atkinson, will be faced with a dilemma later in the season. Four of the Olympic players — Grimshaw. Bhikha, Peter and Brent Miskimmin — and two New Zealand junior representatives — Manoj Prabhu and Kevin Gallen — will not be available for the national tournament in August, thus forcing wholesale changes in the team. Otago and Manawatu are usually expected to fight for the third and fourth places in this tournament but in the last couple of years they have played determinedly. Each side boasts an Olympic goal-keeper — Graeme Sligo (Manawatu) and Maurice Marquet (Otago). ® Also at Palmerston North this week-end, the Canterbury under 21 women’s team will be attempting to win the A.N.Z. national final against four other teams — Northland, Otago, Waikato and Wairarapa. Canterbury was beaten for the title on goal average last year by Wairarapa, and will be keen to avenge that loss. It is being coached this year by the Canterbury representative, Judy Phillips. Canterbury will play Northland this morning, Wairarapa this afternoon, Otago tomorrow afternoon, and Waikato on Monday morning.