All five of Surbiton’s England hockey internationals featured in the two 16-man squads that lost their Test matches against Australia in Nottingham last week.
Ben Hawes, James Tindall, Richard Alexander, Matt Daly and Rob Moore were all in action in the international games, as England went down 5-4 and 4-1.
Hawes scored one of the goals as the home side ran the world’s second-ranked nation and Beijing bronze medallists very close before losing by the odd goal in nine in the first test at Highfields Stadium.
The full-back overloaded down the left and fired the ball across goal from within the circle to make the score 2-1 as England went down fighting.
In the second clash, in which England were outclassed, Tindall had the satisfaction of setting up England’s consolation goal four minutes from time.
The Surbiton attacker cut in from the right and saw his reverse-stick strike hit the base of the near post and rebound to Reading’s Jonty Clarke, who simply had to tap the ball over the line.
Hawes and Tindall – together with Surbiton team-mates Richard Alexander, Matt Daly and Rob Moore – are all in the 25-strong EuroHockey Nations Championships training squad, from which 18 players will be selected to play in England’s next international, a friendly against Wales at the National Sporting Centre at Bisham Abbey on Sunday (4pm).
Surbiton’s Andy Cornick is in the 22-strong Wales squad from which their 18 will be selected.
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