Hockey: Brinkman accepts the plaudits

HOCKEY: Netherlands 2 England

JACQUES BRINKMAN, the Amsterdam midfield player, reached a record 287 international appearances last night in a testimonial game before a large crowd in his home town of Bilthoven.

England played their part in the celebrations with an exciting exhibition of fast, attacking hockey on the sand-based pitch, the adjoining water- based one being frozen. But it was the Netherlands, the reigning Olympic and world champions, who took the final honours with superior finishing at two penalty corners.

Mark Pearn, who was England's most successful forward, was a thorn in the Dutch defence all evening and, with any luck, he might have given England the lead as early as the sixth minute.

As it was the Dutch opened the scoring 16 minutes into the game at their first penalty corner. Jimi Lewis saved well from Remco van Wijk's initial shot but could do nothing to save Teun de Nooijer's follow-up.

Two minutes before the interval the ground erupted as Brinksman scored as England once again failed to clear following a penalty corner.

It was not until midway through the second half that England won the first of their three penalty corners.

ENGLAND: J Lewis (Cannock); A Humphrey (Cannock), J Halls (Cannock), B Barnes (Reading), B Waugh (capt, Southgate); D Woods (Southgate), Kalbir Takher (Cannock), R Garcia (Havestehuder); B Sharpe (Cannock), D Hall (Guilford), M Pearn (Reading). Substitutes used: J Wallis (Teddington), S Head (East Grimstead), S Mason (Reading), H Hoskin (Reading), B Garrard (Teddington).

NETHERLANDS: G Vogels; E Jazet; W van Pelt, S van der Weide, P Windt; S Veen (Capt), J Brinkman, T de Nooijer; J derk Bumer, P Geeris, R van Wijk. Substitutes used: T van Meer, D Dree, S van Heeswijk.

Umpires: J Stappaert, V Loos (both Belgian).