Germany dampen Black Sticks’ World Cup hopes

The Kiwi men’s hopes of making the semifinals in hockey’s World Cup nosedived in The Hague last night.

A 5-3 loss to Olympic champions Germany leaves New Zealand having to beat hosts and world No 3 the Netherlands, who lead pool B, in their final game early on Wednesday and hope other results go their way.

World No 2 Germany had not been impressive during the Cup, losing their two previous games to Argen- tina and the Netherlands 1-0. But they dominated large chunks of last night’s match, rediscovering strong, assertive form and were well worth the win.

All three Black Sticks goals came from fine penalty corner strikes by defender Andy Hayward, his second hat-trick of the Cup, two coming in the last four minutes.

Germany began well, Florian Fuchs smashing a fierce shot over goalkeeper Devon Manchester and into the goal off the underside of the crossbar.

New Zealand, ranked sixth, had scoring chances, but both midfielder Steve Edwards and striker Hugo Inglis were guilty of squandering opportunities. Martin Zwicker doubled Germany’s lead four minutes from halftime, helped by soft defending.

Then in a hectic two minutes, Hayward got his first goal but Christopher Zeller responded with a penalty corner goal in the half’s last movement.

That was a killer for New Zealand, who then conceded further goals to Zwicker and Benedikt Furk before Hayward’s late double, which pushed him to the top of the scoring chart at the Cup.

The women’s Black Sticks, ranked fifth, play fourth-ranked Australia tonight and must win to have a chance of advancing to the last four.

Their 4-1 win over Japan yesterday, with a brace from midfielder Anita Punt and one each to Sophie Cocks and Katie Glynn, left them level on goal difference with the Australians but they lost midfielder Rose Keddell to a broken thumb. Ashley Diamond, of Canterbury, is the 2014 singles winner at the Lion Foundation national indoor bowls champs in Napier. Diamond, 27, from the Hornby club, beat 20-year-old Teri Anderson from St Andrews in Hamilton 14-2 in a one-sided final during which Anderson conceded early defeat. It is the third national title for Diamond, who has previously won the pairs and fours. He has been playing bowls about 16 years.