At the University of Birmingham: Black Sticks 16 (Alia Jacques 2, Stephanie Dickins 2, Olivia Shannon 3, Megan Hull 2, Alex Lukin, Frances Davies, Rose Tynan, Kaitlin Cotter 2, Olivia Merry 2) beat Kenya 0. (Q1: 3-0, Q2: 9-0, Q3: 12-0.
The New Zealand female Black Sticks’ quest for consecutive Commonwealth Games gold medals is safely under way thanks to a 16-0 slam dunk by Kenya.
The defending gold medalists, from Gold Coast in 2018, were too fast and smooth for the minnows who made their Commonwealth Games debut in the Pool B clash at the University of Birmingham on Friday night (NZ time).
The match was paused midway through the second quarter when Kenyan defender Joan Maranda took an inverted stick in the face in a horrific incident that left her screaming in pain.
Luke Walker/Getty Images
Alia Jaques and Kaitlin Cotter celebrate the first goal of the Black Sticks of the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
She was finally carried off on a stretcher to a warm applause from the crowd, after a long delay.
Maranda was taken to hospital for an X-ray but sat up in the stands after being carried off the grass, Sky Sport’s commentary team confirmed.
Kenya never looked forward to taking the win, but their tenacity and enthusiasm won them respect and probably many new fans, as evidenced by the crowds that stood behind them in every procession of the second half.
The Black Sticks showed constant changes and didn’t show their full bag of tricks in what was a solid first hit in Birmingham.
Luke Walker/Getty Images
Olivia Shannon scored a hat-trick for the Black Sticks within 45 minutes.
Black Sticks captain Olivia Merry, one of only four survivors from 2018, scored the opening hockey goal of the Birmingham Games for Alia Jaques after seven minutes of determined defense from the plucky underdogs.
Goals from Stephanie Dickins – a penalty corner – and Olivia Shannon made it 3-0 at the first break.
Co-captain Megan Hull knocked on a penalty to open the scoring in the second quarter and Alex Lukin scored the Black Sticks’ fourth goal after the delay for Maranda.
Another penalty corner resulted in a second goal for Dickins and then Shannon tapped in her second just before half-time after a beautiful adjustment work by Jaques.
But in a frantic final minute, Hull scored from a penalty corner before Jaques also got her second grab as the Black Sticks picked up the pace and began to use their speed advantage.
Luke Walker/Getty Images
Alex Lukin got himself on the scoresheet for the Black Sticks.
Kenya let the Black Sticks work for the opening goal of the second half before Frances Davies drove one in from the top of the circle after a free hit was quickly taken.
Kenya’s third quarter was once again full of enthusiasm, with scoring limited to just Davies, Rose Tynan and Shannon’s third straight at the final break.
Two Kaitlin Cotter goals opened up the final quarter’s score before Merry converted a penalty corner and then a tap to take a final quarter double.
The Black sticks also meet Australia, South Africa and Scotland in Pool B, where two teams advance to the knockout stages.