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NEW DELHI Captain Barry Middleton and Jonty Clarke scored twice each to lead England over Pakistan 5-2 in the field hockey World Cup.
Englands third straight win halfway through pool play left it in a good position to qualify for the semifinals for the first time since its silver medal at London in 1986, but it came at the cost of defender Richard Mantell, who dislocated his ankle and was out for the rest of the tournament.
“Richards our key player and were going to miss him. Hes very good in long distribution of the ball,” England coach Jason Lee said.
Captain Barry Middleton and Jonty Clarke scored twice each to lead Englands charge against Pakistan.
Ashley Jackson also scored for England, which blew a 2-0 halftime lead when Shakeel Abbasi and Rehan Butt scored in a four-minute span to draw level.
Middleton broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute. “I think this is the best weve played in this tournament,” Middleton said. “We showed why we are European champions.”
Lee heaped praised on his team for its biggest win over Pakistan.
“Its a fantastic victory. It was a difficult match but the manner in which we played showed a lot of character from the boys,” Lee said. “They played excellent hockey in a match where emotions ran high.”—Agencies
