Sporting Digest: Hockey

ANNA BENNETT, the 18-year-old who made her first international appearance last Saturday at Basingstoke against India, and Helen Whalley, a Birmingham school teacher, are the surprise choices in the England women's World Cup squad announced yesterday. Trojans' Sally Gibson was unexpectedly omitted.

ENGLAND WOMEN'S WORLD CUP SQUAD: S Lister (capt), J Thompson, L Young, H Rose (all Ipswich), S Wright, A Bennett (both Slough), T Miller (Clifton), J Atkins (Bradford Swithenbank), M Davies, J Sixsmith, H Whalley (all First Personnel Sutton Coldfield), T Cullen, C Cook (both Hightown), K Johnson (Balsam Leicester), J Smith (Chelmsford), M Nicholls (Ealing).