England stay with youth for qualifying

Hockey

Maggie Souyave, the England coach, has maintained her faith in youth with the squad announced yesterday for next month's World Cup qualifying tournament in Harare, writes Bill Colwill.

Souyave has kept together the side which returned from South Korea on Sunday having so narrowly been squeezed out of the prize-money in the Six Nations Cup.

The England coach is particularly pleased with the progress of 19-year- old Kirsty Bowden. Taken out of the midfield, Bowden has teamed up with the evergreen Karen Brown at full-back. "Our defence now has an air of flair and stability," Souyave said.

The midfield, often including two more teenagers, Lucilla Wright and Carol Voss, has also looked impressive.

ENGLAND SQUAD (World Cup qualifying tournament, Harare, Zimbabwe, 1-12 August): M Davies (capt), J Sixsmith (both Sutton Coldfield), K Bowden, P Miller, J Mould, C Voss (all Leicester), K Brown, L Copeland, M Nicholls, J Smith (all Slough), T Cullen, C Reid (both Hightown), J Empson (Canterbury), H Rose (Univ of Massachusetts), D Marston-Smith (Clifton), L Wright (Olton Terraquest). Pool A: Canada, England, India, Ireland, Japan, South Africa. Pool B: China, New Zealand, Russia, Scotland, Spain, Zimbabwe.