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Dutch put five past SA

Johannesburg - The Dutch were far too strong for South Africa in a one-off men's hockey Test that finished 5-0 at Hartleyvale, Cape Town, on Tuesday.

Holland, world number two, led 2-0 at half-time against the home team, ranked 12th in the world.

South African head coach, Fabian Gregory's lads created a number of good goalscoring opportunities but had nothing tangible on the scoreboard to show for them.

The Dutch started well, controlling the ball and moving it all over the park with precision, going 1-0 up in the sixth minute when Glenn Schuurman stole around the right baseline to set up a simple tap-in for Valentin Verga.

Three efforts from the edge of the strike zone, plus a penalty corner in the first of the four 15-minute chukkas, underlined Dutch head coach Max Caldas's team had the upper hand.

The South Africans, including Clint Panther, Dan Sibbald and Daniel Bell, showed some excellent defensive skills.

In the 24th minute Rogier Hofman made the pressure tell when he swept a loose ball firmly into the back board (2-0).

On the cusp of half-time, muscular midfielder Panther drove powerfully towards the strike zone and was brought down heavily, but Bell's penalty corner drag-flick ricocheted off the first wave defender's stick.

Three minutes into the third quarter (33rd) Holland established a three-goal cushion through Roel Bovendeert's neat skills (3-0). SA had an excellent chance in the 36th, but Sibbald's effort was well saved by on-form keeper Sam van der Ven.

Pressing forward with intent, Dylan Swanepoel got in a shot, but as the third quarter wound down (45th minute) Holland put together a fluid movement down the right and Thierry Brinkman delivered the far-post touch (4-0).

Bell pulled a certain goal off the line in the 48th and SA broke away to win a penalty corner, the variation seeing Shannon Boucher's drag-flick blocked by Van der Ven.

The inability to convert was rubbed in when Holland broke down the right flank in the 55th minute for Constantijn Jonker to finish off (5-0).

The SA women's hockey team's first Test of the CT Summer Series is against Chile at 7pm Thursday. The SA men's next Test match is against Ireland at 4pm on Sunday.

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