Black Sticks open Commonwealth Games gold medal defence with 16-0 thrashing of Kenya – صحيفة الصوت

At University of Birmingham: Black Sticks 16 (Alia Jaques 2, Stephanie Dickins 2, Olivia Shannon 3, Megan Hull 2, Alex Lukin, Frances Davies, Rose Tynan, Kaitlin Cotter 2, Olivia Merry 2) beat Kenya 0. ( Q1: 3-0, Q2: 9-0, Q3: 12-0.

New Zealand’s female Black Sticks’ quest for back-to-back Commonwealth Games gold medals is safely underway courtesy of a 16–0 slam dunk of Kenya.

The defending gold medallists, from Gold Coast in 2018, were too quick and slick for the minnows making their Commonwealth Games debut in the Pool B clash at the University of Birmingham on Friday night (NZ time).

The game was paused midway through the second quarter with Kenyan defender Joan Maranda taking a reverse stick to the face in a horrific incident that left her screaming in pain.

She was eventually stretchered off to warm applause from the crowd, after a lengthy delay.

Maranda was taken to hospital for an x-ray but was sitting up in the stands after being carried from the turf, Sky Sport’s commentary team confirmed.

Kenya never looked like taking the victory but their tenacity and enthusiasm won them respect and likely, many new fans, as evidenced by the crowd getting behind them in every second-half procession.

The Black Sticks rung constant changes and didn’t show their full bag of tricks in what was a solid first hit out in Birmingham.

Black Sticks captain Olivia Merry, one of just four survivors from 2018, set up the opening hockey goal of the Birmingham Games for Alia Jaques after seven minutes of determined defence from the plucky underdogs.

Goals from Stephanie Dickins – a penalty corner – and Olivia Shannon took the score to 3-0 at the first break.

Co-captain Megan Hull knocked in a penalty stroke to open the scoring in the second quarter and Alex Lukin scored the Black Sticks’ fourth goal after the delay for Maranda.

Another penalty corner resulted in a second goal for Dickins and then Shannon tapped in her second just before halftime after some superb setup work from Jaques.

But in a hectic last minute, Hull scored from a penalty corner before Jaques also grabbed her second as the Black Sticks upped the tempo and began to use their speed advantage.

Kenya made the Black Sticks work for the opening goal of the second half before Frances Davies drove one in from the top of the circle after a free hit was taken quickly.

Kenya’s third quarter was again full of enthusiasm, with the scoring limited to just Davies, Rose Tynan and Shannon’s third right on the final break.

Two Kaitlin Cotter goals opened the final quarter scoring before Merry converted a penalty corner and then a tap in to grab a last quarter double.

The Black sticks will also meet Australia, South Africa and Scotland in Pool B, where two teams will advance to the knockout stages.