Hockey: Nevill seeks happy farewell: Women's cup final evenly balanced

MARY NEVILL, Great Britain's bronze medal-winning captain in the Barcelona Olympics, will be playing her last competitive game for Balsam Leicester in tomorrow's All England Women's Hockey Association Cup final against Ealing at Milton Keynes.

At 32, Nevill, after 11 years with the club and 180 international appearances, has decided to call it a day, although, should Leicester win, the temptation of European competition may be too much to resist.

Leicester are almost certain to be missing 18-year-old Lucy Cope, who has been a key member of their middle line but badly twisted a calf muscle during her first international against Wales in Cardiff last month and broke her hand in falling.

There is better news for Ealing's sweeper, Katie Dodd, who damaged a hamstring last weekend but will definitely play. Ealing, however, will be missing the New Zealand internationals Kate Trolove and Trudy Kilkolly, who have returned home for national trials. Trolove, their leading scorer this season with 12 goals, will be greatly missed and her absence may be decisive. With both sides strong in defence goals are likely to be scarce and, like the semi-finals, the result may be decided by a shoot-out.

Ealing (from): S Lawrie (capt); K Dodd, S Lawfull, J Caudwell, K Harvey, H North, M Nicholls, J O'Grady, J Hurt, L Moors, A Green, S Eyre, R O'Bryan, J Lewis, K Richards, M McGregory.

Balsam Leicester (from): A Claxton; S Holwell, S Saunders (capt), K Johnson, J Mould, M Laird, M Nevill, G Moss, S Naylor, K Gordon, J Williams, G Nash, L Cope, S Blanks, S Clarke, E Newbold.

Umpires: W Mould and J Gibbs.