Hockey: Netherlands take sixth crown

MADRID - The Netherlands won their sixth women's World Cup hockey crown overnight (NZ time) after a second-half double from Maartje Paumen and a strike from Sylvia Karres earned them a 3-1 victory over Australia in the final.

Paumen broke the deadlock in a tight contest early in the second half, but Australia equalised when Rebecca Sanders scored with a penalty stroke six minutes later.

Karres put the Dutch in front again when she scored her sixth goal of the tournament with a clever reverse-stick finish and Paumen made sure of victory when she fired home a penalty stroke three minutes from the final whistle.

Earlier, Argentina, who the beat the Dutch in the 2002 final, won the bronze medal when they trounced hosts Spain 5-0.

- REUTERS