Hockey: Hall hat-trick has tourists on track

Danny Hall, with a first half hat-trick, set the seal on a bright start to England's short tour of South Africa as they overwhelmed Natal with an 8-0 victory. They can expect stiffer opposition tomorrow when they play the first of their four Tests against South Africa in Pietermaritzburg. Martin Jones and Mark Pearn scored twice with Jerome Goudie completing the scoring. Afterwards coach Malcolm Wood named Craig Parnham as his World Cup Captain.

In Kuala Lumpur, with less than a month before the opening games in the World Cup, Pakistan sounded an alarm on the World Cup pitch when they beat Australia 4-3 in extra time in the final of a Six Nations Tournament. The hero of the occasion was their often recalled-from-retirement Shahbaz Ahmad who scored a wonderful goal just before the interval, restored Pakistan's lead at 2-1 and then turned on his old magic to set up the golden-goal winner in the 75th minute for Khasif Jawad. Shahbaz was fittingly named man of the final.

Belper turned the tables on East Grinstead as the Second Division of the National League resumed following the midwinter break, with a 4-3 win in Sussex, after coming from behind to retain their eight point advantage over Hounslow and Ealing who beat Havant 3-1.

Hightown, who were ejected from the Womens' National Indoor League last season for not fulfilling their commitments, have regained their National status to Division Two, winning the play-offs with maximum points.