Surbiton are enjoying a fine pre-season run, despite being bereft of a host of players away on international duty.

A mixture of familiar faces, promising youngsters from the club’s academy and some new signings have all pitched in as the Long Ditton-based club got their friendly fixtures under way last week.

Surbiton drew 4-4 with Scotland U21s - in London for tournament preparation - on Thursday and then beat them 6-0 on Saturday afternoon.

Captain Tim Pinnock led the way with an open-play strike and penalty conversion in the first game and two more penalty corner goals on Saturday. James Ashcroft and newcomer from Southgate Mike Houlihan scored an open-goal apiece in the first game and Hugh Wilson (two) and Ali Hitch then scored from open play and Houlihan from a penalty stroke on Saturday.

Tommy Alexander, a new signing from Reading, played in goal for the Scots on Thursday and against them on Saturday.

Surbiton continue their pre-season preparations with a game against Canterbury tomorrow at Sugden Road (4pm).

Meanwhile, Surbiton had five players representing England as the national team defeated France 8-0 and 4-0 at the Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre last week in their final two warm-up internationals before the European Championships, which start in Amsterdam tomorrow.

Matt Daly was in fine goalscoring form as Surbiton’s 26-year-old attacker brought his goal tally for England to 39 in 80 games with a hat-trick on Wednesday afternoon, followed by another two goals on Friday morning.

His club team-mate James Tindall also scored from open play in Wednesday’s rout and the pair, together with Richard Alexander, Ben Hawes and Rob Moore, are in England’s 18-strong squad, which flew out to Amsterdam on Tuesday.

England commence their pool A matches against Austria (world-ranked 22nd and ninth in Europe) this Sunday, then face Germany (first in both) on Monday and Belgium on Wednesday.

England, ranked seventh in the world and fourth in Europe, then compete in the play-offs on Friday, according to their pool ranking, and the finals on Sunday.