England’s hockey women defied the morning heat in Delhi to score a comfortable 4-1 victory over Canada in their second pool B match at the Major Dhyan Chand stadium.

England recovered from an early setback to record a 4-1 victory over the Canadians courtesy of goals from Leicester pair Chloe Rogers and Crista Cullen either side of goals from Reading’s Alex Danson and Cannock’s Charlotte Craddock.

Cullen’s goal two minutes from time was her fourth in two matches, taking her joint top of England hockey’s Commonwealth Games scorers’ list, on eight.

After creating two early opportunities to score, England fell behind to a penalty stroke after four minutes but recovered well to impose themselves on Canada.

Chloe Rogers deflected home England’s equaliser midway through the first half and Alex Danson put England ahead just four minutes into the second half with a well taken shot on her reverse. The 19-year-old Beijing Olympian Charlotte Craddock touched home Danson’s shot for 3-1 with 20 minutes remaining, and Cullen put the icing on the cake two minutes from the end.

Head Coach Danny Kerry was pleased with his team’s performance but frustrated that they have to play in the middle of the day.

He said: “We started brilliantly. We could have been 2-0 up after two or three minutes but those chances didn’t go in. Canada scored against the run of play.

“They were well organised defensively but we ground it back to 1-1 for half time. Canada didn’t really provide a threat in the second half and I’m really pleased with the girls and how we broke them down.

“To ask players to play very good hockey in 40 degrees heat and 85 per cent humidity is not good because, quite frankly, it’s dangerous and it doesn’t make for good hockey.”

England’s women play pool B table-toppers New Zealand on Friday.