Maddie to add to her England cap

Somerset's newest hockey international has just been selected for the prestigious Four Nations Cup tournament which takes place in Holland over Easter. 17-year old goalkeeper Maddie Hinch kept a clean sheet on her international debut against Ireland over half-term, and now goes on to play against Holland, Spain and Germany, in the next stage of her international career.

The King's College pupil was playing against Ireland for England Under 18s at the Belle Vue complex, Manchester , the venue for the Commonwealth Games hockey tournament in 2002. Maddie earned her cap after a long series of county and regional trials last term, held all over the country.

"By the time we got to the last 20 minutes against Ireland everyone was completely shattered," said Maddie. "Both defences were struggling a bit as the game opened up, so I was kept pretty busy, with shots coming from all angles! Fortunately there were no penalty strokes to deal with, and I was able to make a few good saves. I think everyone was pretty happy with a 2-0 win."

"I've definitely got a taste for it now," she said, "and I'm really looking forward to the next three games."