Image courtesy Pankaj Nangia / ActionPlus ImagesThe atmosphere was tense around the ground as the start of day five play dawned. Security was even tighter than usual in anticipation of the Prime Minister's arrival to watch the India v Spain match. So many people in the press stand that my chair got pinched when I stepped down to talk to the Hockey Writer's Club Secretary for a short while. Citing security, the police have now decided that we can't eat in the stand or drink coffee either.
England's victory over Pakistan was marred by a serious injury to defender Richard Mantell. In a match that was always going to be tense, the win being so important to both teams, the injury seemed to spur the England team as a 2-2 draw turned into a 5-2 win. Richard will be out for the rest of the tournament with a suspected dislocated right ankle.
The crowd had started to fill up a little more after the first match and there were as many cheers for Pakistan as there were for England from the home fans at the start of the match.
James Tindall thought he had scored after just four minutes when he 'batted' in baseball style, but the video review disallowed it, presumably for being too high. Rehan Butt went close before England took the lead in the 21st minute when a lift down the left wing found James Tindall and his cross Jonty Clarke for his first goal of the tournament. England increased their lead before half time when a quickly taken free hit by Barry Middleton found an unmarked Ashley Jackson in the circle and he coolly slotted in.
At the start of the second half England earned only their second penalty corner of the match. However, Salman Akbar kept Jackson's shot out. Pakistan then pushed forward and pulled one back when Shakeel Abbas took advantage of a wayward England ball from defence. Three minutes later and their second penalty corner of the half was converted by Rehan Butt to equalise for Pakistan, but in doing so Richard Mantell tangled with a player behind him and fell awkwardly. Team officials ran immediately on to the pitch, along with an ambulance crew. The rest of the team, meanwhile, huddled together in disbelief. When Mantell was stretchered off the game restarted.
It took just five minutes for England to take the lead when Alexander picked up a mistake by the Pakistani keeper and his pass was pounced on by captain Barry Middleton to make it 3-2. Tindall had a chance to seal it half way through the second half but his reverse stick shot went past the right upright. Clarke scored his second and England's fourth when he seized on a gap on the nearside of Akbar's goal to score. Two minutes later and Clarke this time turned provider with an inch perfect pass for Middleton to score his second and England's fifth.
Coach Jason Lee praised the way his players had reacted to the injury to Mantell and their performance thereafter. Captain Middleton said that many of the younger players were shocked, not having seen a serious injury in hockey before.
With three yellow cards in the game and a bit of niggling, there was baying from the Indian press after the game for the match to be reviewed by the TD following Shivendra Singh's suspension. We will see.
In the final game of the day, India took on Spain. The ground was even fuller than the match against Pakistan and the crowd was buzzing. It took Spain 20 minutes to silence them with a goal from Albert Sala and they made it 2-0 on half time when Pol Amat scored.
India pulled a goal back from a penalty corner strike by Sandeep Singh but Spain exerted the pressure with two goals in a minute from first a corner special from Pau Quemada followed by a strike from Ramon Alegre. India again pulled one back when Gurwinder Singh Chandi scored but Spain sealed the win three minutes from time with another Quemada corner strike.
It was a David and Goliath clash as South Africa took on Australia in the first match of day five. The only problem was that there were so many holes in the South African defence that there was no chance of them causing Goliath to fall as Australia won by the biggest margin of victory ever in a World Cup match.
Although South Africa opened the match with a penalty corner and had one other chance in the first half, they fired over both times. Australia, however, scored from three of their four corners, the first two converted by Luke Doerner and the third following up the shot, by Fergus Kavanagh. In between Doerner's goals Glenn Turner and Des Abbott both chipped in to make it 5-0 at half time.
In the second half Australia added to their tally with a hat-trick from Jamie Dwyer, two more penalty corners for Luke Doerner for his four and goals from Matthew Butturini and a second for Glenn Turner. 12-0 the final score which could have been doubled if it had not been for the fine saves of Brendon Botes in the South African goal.
Summary of results from Day Five:
South Africa 0 Australia 12
England 5 Pakistan 2
Spain 5 India 2
Pool B after three matches:
- England 9 pts (+6)
- Australia 6 pts (+14)
- Spain 6 pts (+4)
- India 3 pts (-3)
- Pakistan 3 pts (-5)
- South Africa (-16)
England's next match is against India on Saturday.
ASHLEY JACKSON IS SCHEDULED TO APPEAR ON BBC'S 'A QUESTION OF SPORT' ON SATURDAY AT 4 PM.
