Rosario(Argentina) : Australia, Germany and defending champions Netherlands won their second straight matches in the BDO FIH Hockey World Cup in Rosario, Argentina on Wednesday (September 1).
Ashleigh Nelson scored twice to help Australia defeat India 6-3, Germany edged Japan 2-1 and Netherlands recorded an emphatic 7-3 victory over New Zealand in the Pool A matches. India, Japan and New Zealand all lost for the second time at the tournament.
Australia took on India - with the Hockeyroos looking for their second successive win of the tournament to ensure that their goal of reaching the Semi Finals remained firmly on track. Madonna Blyth gave Australia a 1-0 lead in the 16th minute, but India levelled six minutes later through Rani Rampal.
Ashleigh Nelson gave Australia the lead just before halftime. Ritu Rani equalised for India early in the second half, but Australia responded with three unanswered goals from Casey Asthma, Nicole Arnold and a second from Nelson.
Rampal scored late for India and Shelly Liddelow got Australia's final strike. Defeat for India leaves them without a point after two matches, greatly reducing their chances of reaching the medal classification matches.
The high scoring Dutch went up against New Zealand eager to claim the win that would help steer them to the top of Pool A. New Zealand blasted into the lead in only the second minute of the game when Krystal Forgesson fired in a field goal to give her side a shock lead.
However, the advantage was short lived as the dangerous Ellen Hoog scored an equaliser just one minute later.
Dutch striker Kim Lammers then got her name on the score-sheet with an open play goal in the 16th minute, a lead which they held until the half time break. The Netherlands moved up a gear in the second half and scored four times in just 13 minutes.
Marilyn Agliotti tapped in from close range in the 36th minute before a penalty corner effort from Maartje Paumen slammed into the goal two minutes later.
Michelle van der Pols made the score 5-1 in the 39th minute before veteran captain Janneke Schopman netted in her third consecutive World Cup in the 49th minute.
Hoog grabbed her second of the game from open play with ten minutes of the match remaining, before Forgesson scored two late goals to complete both the scoring and her hat-trick. An incredible 19 goals in just two games means that the 'oranje' are now favourites to win the group.
Germany were also hoping to stamp their authority on Pool A against Japan. After a scoreless first half, Ai Murakami gave Japan the lead with Maike Stoekel equalising as Japan tried to counterattack and stretch the lead.
German hockey legend Natascha Keller scored the winner with nine minutes remaining to crown the win and put Germany level on points with The Netherlands and Australia at the top of Pool A, but third place on goal difference.
Two teams in Pool B have also won their two matches - England and Argentina. On Tuesday, England defeated China 1-0 and Argentina defeated South Korea 1-0. AP
