Monday, November 30, 2009

England confident for Ashes clash

2009 Men's Champions Trophy
Venue: Melbourne, Australia Dates: 28 November to 6 December
Coverage: Highlights and match reports on the BBC Sport website

England defend a short corner
England lost their opening game then drew with Spain

England are upbeat for Tuesday's Champions Trophy match with Australia, despite not beating them for 24 years.

Olympic bronze medallists Australia have won 27 of the last 32 matches between the two sides, with five draws.

The hosts have started the Melbourne tournament with two wins, while England lost to Germany and drew with Spain.

But England assistant coach Bobby Crutchley said: "If we keep improving as we have done, the Australians' style is likely to give us some space."

England's last win over their Ashes rivals came on grass in Melbourne in 1985, and since then they have conceded 111 goals, with just 39 scored.

England hockey team ready for moust-Ashes

They proved their calibre ahead of this tournament for the world's top six nations by winning the EuroHockey Nations title in August.

Olympic champions Germany, who they beat in the European final, gained some measure of revenge with a 3-2 win on Saturday.

And England were then left frustrated after Spain gained a 3-3 draw, with a controversial penalty, followed by an equaliser with four minutes remaining.

Defending champions Australia, meanwhile, have scored 11 goals in victories over Korea and the Netherlands.

"Looking around after the first two games here the Australians have started better than anyone," Crutchley continued.

"There will be a large crowd in the stadium for the match which will make for a fantastic experience."

The two sides are also involved in a charity contest to grow moustaches, as part of the Movember campaign to raise awareness of prostate cancer.

"It's really about raising funds and awareness and having a bit of a laugh and a joke at the same time," forward Jonty Clarke told BBC Sport.

"It's almost turning into a contest on who can raise more money between England and Australia so hopefully we can get one over on them there as well."

England's Dan Fox

Champions Trophy hockey - England held by Spain

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