Hockey: Injury-hit England scrape second win

England followed up their 4-1 win against South Africa in the first Test in Potchefstroom on Saturday with a 2-1 victory in the second Test at the same ground yesterday.

After a goalless first half, England built up a 2-0 lead with penalty-corner strikes from Leisa King and Mel Clewlow. Pietie Coetzee pulled a goal back for the hosts in the 65th minute to leave England hanging on in a desperate closing few minutes.

England, with their squad reduced to just 13 fit players, struggled in the high humidity and temperature in a physical encounter. The teams will now meet in Bloemfontein on Wednesday for the third Test in this four-game series.

At Bisham Abbey on Saturday, Great Britain drew the second of their training games 5-5 against Reading, who are building up for the European Club Championship in Brussels next month. They had drawn 2-2 at Reading on Wednesday. The most pleasing aspect for GB will have been the two goals from the 19-year-old Barry Middleton and the return of Danny Hall to goalscoring form with a well-taken hat-trick. Richard Mantell scored Reading's equalising fifth goal with just seconds left.

In a repeat of last year's final in the County Championship at Cannock yesterday, Warwickshire turned the tables on Kent to win an exciting final 5-4 in spite of an inspired performance and two goals for Kent from their Trinidad international Kwane Browne.

The high scoring Lancashire squad retained their Under-21 title winning their final game 9-0 against second-placed Suffolk with their captain, David Seddon, scoring a hat-trick.