x3

England

England's women opened their Champions Challenge with a 1-1 draw against New Zealand in Virginia Beach, USA.

Ipswich's Leisa King gave England the lead in the 27th minute but four minutes after half-time Kayla Sharland equalised for the Black Sticks and the sides could not be separated.

"It was a real physical tough encounter. It was really intense," said England coach Danny Kerry. "I thought New Zealand probably had more chances than we did but our chances were clear-cut.

"Given our team and where we we're at, I'm very pleased with the performance. It'll be interesting to see if we can come up against New Zealand in the tournament again."

England face Japan tonight in the event for nations ranked seventh to 12th in the world which offers one promotion place to the elite Champions Trophy.

Rate This Article

Select Here  5 Stars  (Best Rating)   4 Stars   3 Stars   2 Stars   1 Star  (Worst Rating)

Your opinion counts.
Rate this article or enter your comments below.