The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

The Acme Baby Zink Tennis competition, jointly organised by Bangladesh Table Tennis Federation and Jafar Imam Tennis Complex, will begin on October 23 in Rajshahi.

Six events will be held in the five-day meet. The events are men's singles, men's doubles, boys' singles (16 yrs & below), girls' singles (16 yrs & below), boys' singles (14 yrs & below) and mini tennis group.

Entry fee of Tk 50 for junior events and Tk 100 for senior events will have to be submitted to the match referee on October 20 at the Ramna National Tennis Complex in Dhaka and October 21 at Jafar Imam Tennis Complex at Rajshahi.

9th National Cricket League begins today

UNB, Dhaka

Holders Dhaka Division take on Khulna Division in one of the three opening four-day matches of the Ispahani Mirzapore Tea 9th National Cricket League at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium (SBNS) here today (Friday).

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Maj. Gen. Sina Ibn Jamali will formally inaugurate the country's biggest domestic league as chief guest at 9 pm.

In the day's other two home and away basis matches, Barisal Division play Chittagong Division at Bogra Shaheed Chandu Stadium (SCS) and Rajshahi Division meet Sylhet Division at Rajshahi Divisional Stadium (RDVS).

The four-day matches will be followed by one-dayers on October 23 at the same venues, while the second round four-day matches of the league will be held on October 26.

Second round four-day fixture:

Sylhet Division vs Dhaka Division (SCS), Rahshahi Division vs Barisal Division (RDVS) and Khulna Division vs Chittagong Division at Bir Shreshtha Matiur Rahman Stadium in Khulna (BSMRSK).

The four-day second round matches will be followed by one-dayers on October 30 at the same venues.

AFP, Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Galaxy are optimistic that England star David Beckham can return to the lineup for Thursday's Major League Soccer game against the New York Red Bulls.

"David has trained with the club all week and he will be available for selection," coach Frank Yallop said. "We know the quality of David and what he brings to the team, so if he is feeling good and we want to do it, we will."

After taking on New York, the Galaxy travel to Chicago to face the Fire in an all- important season ender that could decide a playoff spot.

The Galaxy are in a playoff tussle and they need to win, or at least draw, against the Red Bulls to keep their playoff hopes alive.

"It's like a cup final obviously for us, trying to get into the playoffs. If we come out right in the game on Thursday we can get a result," Yallop added.

AFP, Germany

The Czech Republic made a mockery of Germany's unbeaten record in Euro 2008 qualifiers with a thumping 3-0 away win at Munich's Allianz Arena to seal their qualification.

Having already qualified for Euro 2008 thanks to last Saturday's 0-0 draw with the Republic of Ireland, Germany lost their place at the top of Group D to the Czechs, who needed a win to book their place at next summer's tournament.

The Czechs blitzed Germany's defence with all three goals coming from their midfield as coach Karel Brueckner's tactic of playing a 4-2-3-1 formation paid off.

It made a mockery of double World Cup winner Franz Beckenbauer's pre-match assertion that the current German team were the best and most consistent in the whole of Europe as they suffered their first defeat in 10 qualification games.

The last time Germany lost 3-0 at home was against France four years ago.

German coach Joachim Loew had named his strongest available team with captain Michael Ballack, defender Philipp Lahm, striker Miroslav Klose and midfielder Bernd Schneider all injured, while goalkeeper Jens Lehmann is suspended. But the Germans had no excuses as they got off to a nightmare start to find themselves 2-0 down in a little over 20 minutes.

A mix-up in the German defence left the Czech's towering lone striker Jan Koller unmarked in the penalty area with the goal at his mercy, but he laid the ball off to midfielder Libor Sionko to beat Timo Hildebrand after two minutes.

And a long goal clearance by the Czech Republic's goalkeeper Petr Cech was headed on by Koller into the path of midfielder Marek Matejovsky, who beat defender Christoph Metzelder for pace and hit his shot past Hildebrand on 23 minutes.

Germany have not won a game by coming back from 2-0 down since 1976 and they showed precious few signs of matching that feat with strikers Kevin Kuranyi and Lukas Podolski virtually anonymous.

In front of his home crowd, Bayern Munich's Podolski let his frustrations get the better of him as he picked up a yellow card on 46 minutes.

Defender Metzelder and midfielder Piotr Trochowski made way for Simon Rolfes and Clemens Fritz soon after, as Loew tried to improve his side's attack.

Germany fell 3-0 behind when Czech midfielder Jaroslav Plasil cut back inside defender Arne Friedrich on 63 minutes and beat Hildebrand to put the result beyond doubt and his side into Euro 2008.

In desperation, Loew introduced Germany's player of the year Mario Gomez as he played three strikers, but it had little impact.

BBC Online

Centuries from Herschelle Gibbs and AB de Villiers and four wickets for Makhaya Ntini gave South Africa a 45-run win in the Lahore day-nighter.

In the first of a series of five one-day internationals, Pakistan allowed the tourists to rack up 294-5 before being bowled out in 46.3 overs.

Gibbs (102) shared 85 with Graeme Smith and 137 with De Villiers, who made an unbeaten 103 despite some late cramp.

Ntini (4-69) then made Pakistan suffer with some well-directed short bowling.

He struck in his second over when Justin Kemp clung onto a brilliant catch at short extra-cover to end Imran Nazir's innings.

And once three more batsmen had played limp shots off Ntini to provide far easier catches the score was 55-4 in the 12th over, Pakistan were always going to struggle.

Things gradually subsided further - despite Mohammad Yousuf's 53 - and Pakistan needed 123 from the last 12 overs with just three wickets in hand.

They should not have got anywhere near it, but some spirited striking from Shahid Afridi (47 from 26 balls) gave the crowd something to cheer.

Earlier, the tourists, having triumphed 1-0 in the Tests, had batted confidently on a pitch with more life in it for the bowlers than one would expect at the Gaddafi Staidum.

Smith and Gibbs played the bowling so well they had to be run out, and De Villiers produced a magnificently well-paced innings.

The debut of Sohail Tanvir, the 22-year-old left-arm seamer who played well in the ICC World Twenty20, would not have passed unnoticed.

He bowled intelligently with the new ball, then trapped Kemp lbw, before being suffering at the hands of De Villiers late on.

And with the bat, Tanvir struck 26 in an entertaining stand of 43 from just 25 balls.

AFP, Johannesburg

England fast bowler Steve Harmison is heading for a spell in South African domestic cricket in his quest to regain fitness before the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka after a recent back injury.

The Johannesburg-based Highveld Lions expect the Durham paceman will join up with the squad next week and see him as an ideal short-term replacement for former Proteas international Garnett Kruger, who has been slapped with a ban for criticising so-called cliques in the national team.

"Obviously it could turn out nicely for us, in light of Garnett's banning," Lions bowling coach Gordon Parsons told The Star newspaper on Thursday.

"He was number one in the world at one stage, and if he is firing he will be handy for us.

"I hear he is quite a nice lad and it will be nice for me to work with him."

The 28-year-old, who has 205 Test wickets, last played for the national side in June during England's home series against the West Indies.

However he was ruled out of the following series against India as he underwent a hernia operation and a brief comeback was aborted when he suffered a muscle tear in his right lower back during a county championship match.

The spell in South Africa has been sanctioned by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) as part of his rehabilitation process ahead of the three-Test series against Sri Lanka in December.

Harmison's experience will be badly needed by England after his fellow fast bowler Andrew Flintoff pulled out of the tour last week after undergoing keyhole surgery on his troublesome left ankle.

AP, Mumbai

Four Indian cricket fans will face court for allegedly racially taunting Australian cricketer Andrew Symonds by making monkey gestures, a police official said Thursday.

The four spectators were evicted from the one-day international match in Mumbai on Wednesday after cricket officials showed to police photographs of them making the gestures as Symonds - of Caribbean origin - came to bat, police officer Sunil Zende said.

The fans, which included one woman, were charged with harassment and misbehavior and released after a paying a 1,200-rupee (US$30, euro21) bail. They will have to appear in court later to face charges, Zende said.

Indian and Australian cricket officials issued a joint statement condemning racial taunts.

"There is no place for racism in cricket either on or off the field," said the statement by Sharad Pawar, India's top cricket official, and Creagh O'Connor, his Australian counterpart. "All cricket nations have to be on guard to ensure that the fun does not cross the boundary into unacceptable behavior."

Australian players said fans in western India also made monkey noises targeted at Symonds last week, but Indian cricket officials dismissed those allegations.

"It was difficult to pick out monkey sounds in a noisy cricket stadium," Ratnakar Shetty, an Indian cricket official, told the Indian Express newspaper on Wednesday.

Shetty and other cricket officials suggested Indian fans might have targeted Symonds because of his heated exchanges with Indian bowlers Harbhajan Singh and Shantakumaran Sreesanth.

But during Wednesday's match, the taunts were caught by photographers, said Zende.

AFP, Madrid

Rafael Nadal appeared on court for the first time in more than six weeks, thrilling his home public with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Marcos Baghdatis to advance at the Madrid Masters.

The world number two, with both knees strapped, has been plagued by tendinitis since the summer, forcing him to withdraw from Bangkok last month a few weeks after losing in the US Open fourth round.

But the popular 2005 champion is determined to put mind over matter in Madrid, where he rules in the popularity stakes.

"I'm very pleased with this win, it means a lot," said the Spaniard, who races off on Thursday night in a third-round match against Briton Andy Murray.

"I haven't trained a lot and it's been a long time since I played. I'm always excited to play here in Madrid, the public helps me so much."

Nadal made his return to competition, snatching back an early break in the opening set and getting on top of Baghdatis with a break for 5-4 on his way to sealing the match.

Third seed Novak Djokovic missed a match point and struck 41 unforced errors but mounted a fight-back to win 6-7 (7/9), 6-3, 6-3 over Fernando Verdasco.

The 20-year-old winner, who holds Masters shields this season from Miami and Montreal, was forced to the wall by the attacking Spaniard, whose lethal forehand has earned him the nickname of "Hot Sauce."

Djokovic came up trumps in 2hr 34min as he saved all 10 break points he faced.

The Serb, who played the US Open final against Roger Federer last month, next faces former Spanish great Juan Carlos Ferrero, who met long-time mate and rival Carlos Moya for the 14th time and ended up a 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 winner.

Argentine danger-man Guillermo Canas looms in the path of holder Federer after advancing 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 over Agustin Calleri.

The Swiss top seed's life suddenly got a touch uncomfortable as he comes up against the South American spoiler who knocked him out of back-to-back Masters events last spring during one of the worst wobbles of his illustrious career.

Canas, who has been back on the ATP for more than a year after serving a doping ban, stunned Federer in the Indian Wells second round and repeated the upset little more than a week later with a fourth-round victory in Miami. The pair have met four times - all at the Masters level - with the South American winning three.

The 2006 finalist Fernando Gonzalez of Chile beat Nicolas Almagro 7-6 (13/11), 7-5 to add to Spanish misery at home.

Gonzalez, who stands seventh in the race for one of four remaining places for the season-wrapup Masters Cup in Shanghai, was beaten by Federer in straight sets a year ago.

The fifth-seeded Chilean followed up that performance by reaching the Australian Open final last January only to lose again to the Swiss.

Luckless American James Blake led a parade of seeded losers, with the number six now 0-4 in Madrid following a defeat by Mario Ancic 6-3, 6-4.

Blake, who lost a Stockholm semi-final at the weekend, had complained of back pain in that contest and will now rest for a week.

Feliciano Lopez won an all-Spanish clash at the expense of seventh seed David Ferrer 7-6 (7/3), 7-5.

The early defeat doesn't help the cause of Tokyo winner Ferrer in his battle for a place in Shanghai.

Argentine David Nalbandian put out Czech ninth seed Tomas Berdych 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-2) while Paul-Henri Mathieu upset 10th- seeded French countryman Richard Gasquet 7-6 (10/8), 7-5.

AFP, Madrid

Novak Djokovic missed a match point and struck 41 unforced errors but mounted a fightback into the third round of the Madrid Masters with a 6-7 (7/9), 6-3, 6-3 win over Fernando Verdasco on Wednesday.

The 20-year-old winner, who holds Masters shields this season from Miami and Montreal was forced to the wall by the attacking Spaniard, whose lethal forehand has earned him the nickname of "Hot Sauce."

Djokovic came up trumps in 2hr 34min as he saved all ten break points he faced.

The Serb, who played the US Open final against Federer, next faces former Spanish great Juan Carlos Ferrero, who met long time mate and rival Carlos Moya for the 14th time and ended up a 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 winner.

Argentine danger-man Guillermo Canas looms in the path of holder Roger Federer after advancing 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 over Agustin Calleri.

The Swiss top seed's life suddenly got a touch uncomfortable as he comes up against the South American spoiler who knocked him out of back-to-back Masters events last spring during one of the worst wobbles of his illustrious career.

Canas, who has been back on the ATP for more than a year after serving a doping ban, stunned Federer in the Indian Wells second round and repeated the upset little more than a week later with a fourth-round victory in Miami.

The pair have met four times - all at the Masters level - with the South American winning three.

The 2006 finalist Fernando Gonzalez of Chile beat Nicolas Almagro 7-6 (13/11), 7-5 to add to Spanish misery at home.

Gonzalez stands seventh in the race for one of four remaining places for the season-wrap-up Masters Cup in Shanghai, was beaten by Federer in straight sets a year ago.

The fifth-seeded Chilean followed up that performance by reaching the Australian Open final last January only to go out again to the Swiss.

Luckless American James Blake led a parade of seeded losers, with the number six now 0-4 in Madrid following a defeat by Mario Ancic 6-3, 6-4.

Blake, who lost a Stockholm semi-final at the weekend, had complained of back pain in that contest and will now rest for a week.

Feliciano Lopez won an all-Spanish clash at the expense of seventh seed David Ferrer 7-6 (7/3), 7-5.