HOCKEY

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2218, 3 August 1914, Page 4

HOCKEY

ENGLISH LADY VISITORS

DEFEAT WELLINGTON TOURISTS' CREAT EXHIBITION, 6' Over five thousand people wer© pro eoiit oil Saturday at the Uasin Reserve to witness the first match of the .Dominion tour of tho All-English ladies' ihockey team against uie packed representatives of The visicorß came to these shores with the laurels ot substantial victories from the other side, and 011 Saturday they fully convinced the large crowd that these victories. had been 110 hollow ones. In every respect tho team is a remarkable one, and they gave an exhibition of tho game such as is rarely seen, even on the part of our senior men's teams. Goal-getting to thorn appeared a com-, pafative effortless manoeuvre, and they secured no fewer than eight against the local team's nil. While the Wellington ladies battled and fought' with a power that was nigh remarkable for tho sex, tho visitors simply mowed them down with cool-heajled' and systematic combination.- It was just a battle between confident skill on tho om. liand and dogged pluck and grit on tho other. Skill, as is invariably the case, triumphed, and handsomely at that. Tho Countess of Liverpool was amongst those present.

THE TEAMS. The following were the teams:— , England.—Goal, Miss L. Wothorall} full-backs, Misses C. Smith and K. Luke; - half-backs, Misses M. Robinson, C. Ga-toy, and M. Morgan; forwards, Misses 8.-Tuke, M. Eames, C. J. Gaskell (capt.), M. I. Leacroft, and V. Elwell. Wellington.—Goal, Miss o.' Roadley.; full-backs, Misses D. Tinney and M. Neumann (capt.); half-backs, Misses H, Laurenson, C. Terry, and N. Brown} forwards, Missos M ; M'Donnell, J. Dobbyn, M. Carrick, K. Pickering, and N. Lang. THE FIRST SPELL. The game opened niost interestingly. The Wellington forwards,dashed away full of promise. Miss Lang, however, let the ball get into the opposing forces' hands and the visitors''bore down in' dangerous fashion on Wellington's goal. Miss Roadley cleared awkwardly and tho situation was saved for the • time being. ' Miss Laurenson then came to light ; she cleared very nicely, and the home girls were again pursuing a rather uncertain course to -the 'other end of the field. Miss Lang secured and was doiug very nicely until the English backs came to tho rescue. - ; Again the move was repeated by the home girls, but-again the English backs blocked in relentless fashion. Then, the ■ tide of hope for the home girls turned in terrible fashion. Within four minutes tlio visitors had scored two ■ gaals by a simple, yet effective, combination of tlie forwards. Miss Eames scored first, and Miss Gaskell second. Tho Wellington rearguard then camo in for a strenuous time, but the goalkeoper. appeared nervous and it was only a short time before England was , three in the lead—Miss' Gaskell again. Tho home girls, thanks to good hitting by tlioir backs, liad one very brief tasta of a possible score.- Quite confidently the tall English 'keeper , kicked the resultant shot out. ' 'Die barometer of hope of the clamouring' Wellington bar- . rackors went-down to' zero. Likewise, tlio ball went down with almost equal rapidity to the other end of the field. More 'pretty combination,, ;by the visitors' forwards and two more goals in quick succession. Miss Leacroft-was responsible for tlie first, and. a . swiftsure hit from Miss Eames's stick, was responsible' for the' second. England, 5; Wellington, 0. Tho Wellington rearguard were beginning to feel the strain, of tlie strenuous fight. Tlie local halves led by Miss Terry, then gave their forwards a. few opportunities. Thrice Miss M'Donnell secured, and easily outpacing her vis-a-vis, Miss B. Tuke, made wonderful little flights up the wing. In / hor excitement, however, she failed to locate her sister forwards with the centre. Consequently the English backs ever on tlie alert pounced on tho ball and sent it back , to their equally alert forwards. Wellington was picking up,, wonderfully now. Half time came and • -Wellington was still making good.

SECOND SPELL. ' Tko Wellington girls opened up gam©ly on resumption. Two corners carried with, thein big possibilities, but the English rearguards proved they" were impossibilities and lightly waved' aside these puuy attempts at goal-getting. Miss Lang once centred fronrtfie wing in line fashion, but again the doughty English backs demonstrated.tueir invulnerability.v ,Then the visitors' vanguard secured, but it was only a brief triumph, and the local ladies were attacking, again with almost bull-dog tenacity. I 'J'no excitoment continued at a iever hc-at. Had tho Wellington forwards the combination of tlieir opporcnts they must liavo scored. ' As it' was, tho .opposition, was too inuch for them. At regular intervals the visitors broko away, giving all/the time pretty exhibitions vhicih lacked, however, the vigour aricl determination of the local ladies. Once Hiss ltoadley was called on to savo and tliis she did in right good fashion. These brief peregrinations of the visitors were waxing too dangerous however. At length England's prolific scorer, Miss Gaskell, seized another opportunity, and England was six in the lead. By dint of hard play tho visitors again worked their way up the lino. Miss Tinney made a determined effort to stave off the attack, but England scored —Miss Gaskell again. ■ England, 7; Wellington, 0. Play, was not so interesting _ now, but was relieved by pretty exhibitions by the visitors Tho local girls' tremcnuous efforts were beginning to languish. There was another short, slurp rush by the Euglish girls and Miss Gaskell added still another point. England, 8. Wellington,. 0. Then followed a brief flash in the pan for Wellington There was a great cantor down field, tho goal-keeper rushed out and Miss Carrick, who in her pxcitement forgot she was off-side, stint , tho ball with' unerring accuracy into tjio open goal. The crowd simply shrieked with delight, hut the outburst died as suddenly as it came when it was learned it was an off-side goal. The latter end of the -game saw tho local girls galvanised into new lifo and activity. Tho revival had big possibilities in it, but it came too lato, for a few minutes later tho bell sounded and the great tussle was at an end. Messrs. J. C. Cusnek and J. W. Gendali acted as controllers of tho game.