Title holders Delhi Waveriders register their first victory of the season, following a 3-1 win over debutants Dabang Mumbai in a league match of the third edition of the Hero Hockey India league, here on Sunday. The Waveriders scored a goal each in the first, second and fourth quarter through lloyd Norris Jones (10th minute), Simon Child (19th) and Akashdeep Singh (52nd) to record their maiden win in the ongoing edition of the six-team franchise-based event.
Dabang Mumbai's lone goal came in the third quarter from the stick of veteran Arjun Halappa in the 36th minute at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium. The Delhi outfit in particular looked little out of sorts initially in the absence of its inspirational skipper Sardar Singh, who sat out of Sunday's encounter due to a one-game suspension. But despite Sardar's absence, the Mumbai outfit did very little to take advantage of the fact at least in the first two quarters. But it did not take long for the hosts to surge ahead as in the 10th minute lloyd Norris Jones scored with a fierce hit from top of the circle after receiving a defence splitting pass from Yuvraj Walmiki.
Norris Jones was once again at the thick of action three minutes later but his reverse hit just went wide of the Mumbai goal. Minutes later Dabang Mumbai secured their first penalty corner but the opportunity went abegging as the Waveriders ended the first quarter with a slender one goal lead.
Warriors beat lancers 2-1
Bhubaneswar: Jaypee Punjab Warriors took over Kalinga lancers 2-1 in a Hero Hockey India league match. It was in the 24th minute that gritty Gurjinder Singh gave Kalinga lancers a much awaited lead with a brilliant drag-flick.
The third quarter proved to be a life line for the Punjab Warriors as the Warriors dug deep into their stamina reserves and suddenly came back into life when the Jaypee Punjab Warrior's star player Sandeep Singh converted a penalty corner to make it 1-1. In the fourth quarter, the tables turned round in favor of Jaypee Punjab Warrior as Affan Yousuf stroked in a winning goal.