Fresh blood for England

Hockey

BILL COLWILL

reports from Berlin

With six of his bronze medal- winning European Cup side unavailable, and fitness doubts over Kalbir Takher and Chris Mayer, the England manager, David Whittle, is trying out two uncapped players in the Six Nations Champion Trophy here.

Mark Pearn, 18, who led the attack for Gloucester City, of the Second Division, last season, becomes the youngest player to win an England cap. Guildford's Danny Hall, 20, also makes his debut this evening as England face the Netherlands.

The replacements will be trying to stake a claim for a place in Great Britain's squad for the Olympic qualifier in Barcelona in January. Guy Fordham, with five caps, looks the most likely to make the breakthrough.

ENGLAND SQUAD (for Six Nations Champion Trophy, Berlin): S Hazlitt (capt), J Barrow, G Fordham (Hounslow), S Mason, J Wyatt, M Pearn (Reading), J Wallis (Teddington), J Halls, J Lee, N Thompson (Old Loughtonians), D Hall (Guildford), C Mayer, Kalbir Takher, B Sharpe (Cannock), R Garcia (Polo Barcelona), C Giles (Havant).