New Delhi:
Emily Hurtz scored a hat-trick to set up Australia's 11-0 rout of Trinidad and Tobago in a Pool A women's hockey match at the Commonwealth Games on Tuesday.
The hockeyroos, who finished fifth in the World Cup in Argentina last month, fired four goals in the first half and seven in the second to leave their 26th-ranked rivals without any answers at the Major Dhyan Chand stadium.
Hurtz scored a field goal in the 19th minute and followed it up with two more in the 48th and 63rd minutes while Megan Rivers scored a brace.
Captain Madonna Blyth, Casey Eastham, Shelly Liddelow, Nicole Jessica Arrold, Jayde Taylor and Ashleigh Nelson were the other scorers for the defending champions, ranked number six in the world.
Three-time Olympic champions Australia have an enviable record at the Commonwealth Games, having won the gold medal twice (1998, 2006) since the introduction of the sport in 1998 in Kuala Lumpur.
Trinidad, who lost 12-0 to South Africa in their opening encounter on Monday, next face Scotland on Thursday.
Hurtz said her team was pleased to have adjusted to the hot and humid conditions early on in the tournament.
"The first 10 minutes of the match were quite difficult," said the 20-year-old. "But thankfully we adjusted to the conditions as the match progressed."
Trinidad and Tobago coach Anthony Marcano said his team was set back by the gruelling schedule.
"We played back to back matches which did not allow us time to regroup," he said. "It has been a learning experience for us because it is the first time that we are being exposed to this level of competition.
"We have a rest day on Wednesday and we will use it to plan on how to come back in the tournament."
In a Pool B match played earlier in the day, Crista Cullen smashed a hat-trick as England posted a 4-1 win over Wales.
The 25-year-old drag-flicker put England ahead in the 10th minute before scoring her second goal in the 20th to help her side go into the half-time with a 2-0 lead.
Cullen converted her third penalty corner six minutes into the second half to make it 3-0 before Charlotte Craddock scored a goal from open play to increase England's lead.
Wales managed a consolation goal just one minute before the final hooter through Sarah Thomas, who played an integral part in Britain's Olympic campaign in Beijing in 2008.
England, the world number five, lived up to their billing as one of the favourites to lift the gold with their deft passes and neat possession throughout the match.
Wales will have their work cut out after suffering their second loss in as many days after going down 5-1 to New Zealand in their opening match on Monday.
England defender Sally Walton said her team reaped the benefits of playing against some top teams in the lead-up to the Delhi Games.
"It was a really big summer of hockey for us with the Champions Trophy and the World Cup," she said.
"We played against the most skilful forwards and teams in the world, defended against the best. So we went into this match with a positive mentality. We treated Wales as a world class team, with respect, and defended accordingly."
"They (Wales) have improved. They're scoring and doing well."
The hockeyroos, who finished fifth in the World Cup in Argentina last month, fired four goals in the first half and seven in the second to leave their 26th-ranked rivals without any answers at the Major Dhyan Chand stadium.
Hurtz scored a field goal in the 19th minute and followed it up with two more in the 48th and 63rd minutes while Megan Rivers scored a brace.
Captain Madonna Blyth, Casey Eastham, Shelly Liddelow, Nicole Jessica Arrold, Jayde Taylor and Ashleigh Nelson were the other scorers for the defending champions, ranked number six in the world.
Three-time Olympic champions Australia have an enviable record at the Commonwealth Games, having won the gold medal twice (1998, 2006) since the introduction of the sport in 1998 in Kuala Lumpur.
Trinidad, who lost 12-0 to South Africa in their opening encounter on Monday, next face Scotland on Thursday.
Hurtz said her team was pleased to have adjusted to the hot and humid conditions early on in the tournament.
"The first 10 minutes of the match were quite difficult," said the 20-year-old. "But thankfully we adjusted to the conditions as the match progressed."
Trinidad and Tobago coach Anthony Marcano said his team was set back by the gruelling schedule.
"We played back to back matches which did not allow us time to regroup," he said. "It has been a learning experience for us because it is the first time that we are being exposed to this level of competition.
"We have a rest day on Wednesday and we will use it to plan on how to come back in the tournament."
In a Pool B match played earlier in the day, Crista Cullen smashed a hat-trick as England posted a 4-1 win over Wales.
The 25-year-old drag-flicker put England ahead in the 10th minute before scoring her second goal in the 20th to help her side go into the half-time with a 2-0 lead.
Cullen converted her third penalty corner six minutes into the second half to make it 3-0 before Charlotte Craddock scored a goal from open play to increase England's lead.
Wales managed a consolation goal just one minute before the final hooter through Sarah Thomas, who played an integral part in Britain's Olympic campaign in Beijing in 2008.
England, the world number five, lived up to their billing as one of the favourites to lift the gold with their deft passes and neat possession throughout the match.
Wales will have their work cut out after suffering their second loss in as many days after going down 5-1 to New Zealand in their opening match on Monday.
England defender Sally Walton said her team reaped the benefits of playing against some top teams in the lead-up to the Delhi Games.
"It was a really big summer of hockey for us with the Champions Trophy and the World Cup," she said.
"We played against the most skilful forwards and teams in the world, defended against the best. So we went into this match with a positive mentality. We treated Wales as a world class team, with respect, and defended accordingly."
"They (Wales) have improved. They're scoring and doing well."
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