HOCKEY

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20523, 13 June 1938, Page 13

HOCKEY

INDIAN TOUR OPENS DEFEAT OF WAIRARAPA MAGNIFICENT PLAY SEEN (By Telegraph.—Press Association) MASTERTON, Sunday Displaying uncanny skill, speed and timing, the Indian hockey team opened its New Zealand tour at Masterton yesterday when it defeated a Wairarapa eleven by five goals to nil. The weather was fine, but the ground was on the holding side after overnight rain, and the visitors took some time to adapt themselves to the heavy going. It was a keen, hard game from start to finish and kept the crowd of nearly 3000 keyed up to a high pitch of excitement. The Indians were vastly superior in all departments, but the fit, virile Wairarapa team adopted hard hitting, forceful tactics which frequently had the visitors in trouble. Although they went within an ace of scoring on several occasions, the home players at no stage looked like taking the upper hand. It was difficult to single out any of the Indian players in particular, but Feroze Khan, centre-forward, S. M. KJian, centre-half, and A. Latif, inside-right, were outstanding, while G. Singh, right fullback, saved his side on several occasions with long range hits. Massey, A. Fisher, Worsforld and Tildsley were the pick of the Wairarapa team. The Indians led 2—o at the interval. F. Khan and A. Latif scoring goals. Wairarapa had the better of the opening stages of the second spell, but they tailed off under the battery of the Indians’ attack, and M. S. Khan scored two goals and A. Latif one.