The New Nation - Internet Edition

Sports Reporter

Barisal Division took the command over Dhaka Division when they made 215 for the loss of four wickets in the first innings on the second day of the four-dayer match of the Ispahani Mirzapur Tea 9th National Cricket League at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Saturday.

Earlier, Dhaka Division were bundled out for 157 in the first innings on the first day play.

Barisal Division made a solid start as Hannan Sarkar and skipper Shahriar Nafees, the two openers of Barisal contributed together 67 runs in the opening stand.

Hannan Sarkar knocked the team's highest of 85 off 273 balls. He hit four fours in his 359-minute innings.

Imran Ahmed and Shahriar Nafees added 35 and 33 runs respectively to the Barisal total.

Mohammad Ashraful of Dhaka bagged a pair of wickets conceding 57 runs while Mosharrof Hossain and Mohammad Sharif took one wicket each for 33 and 39 runs respectively.

Nasiruddin Faruque and Raisul Islam were at the crease on 27 and 14 before the two umpires drew the bails for the second day.

A superb 127 by Imrul Kayes guided Khulna Division to pile up a comfortable 274 in the first innings against Sylhet Division on the second day of the four-dayer match at the Narayanganj Osmani Stadium.

The first day play was abandoned due to wet outfield of the stadium.

Imrul Kayes used 208 balls in his 275-minute innings, which was laced with 16 fours and two sixes.

Shakib Al Hasan hit a fine 59 off 66 balls amid seven fours while skipper Habibul Bashar made 33 off 64 balls including six fours.

Spinner Enamul Haque (Junior) of Sylhet Division bowled a notable spell and finished as 25.1-2-65-5.

Rashedur Rahman and Tapash Bisya got two wickets conceding 33 and 61 runs respectively.

Later, Sylhet Division scored six for the loss of none at the close of the second day play.

Meanwhile, the second day play betwen Rajshahi Division and Chittagong Division was abandoned due to wet outfield of the Bir Sreshtha Shaheed Ruhul Amin Stadium.

Earlier, Rajshahi Division made 191 for the loss of nine in the first innings on the first day play.

BSS, Dhaka

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has finally rewarded the women cricketers for their superb performance abroad by announcing the first ever Women's Divisional Cricket Tournament from December 27.

This decision was taken by the Women's Wing of the BCB at a joint meeting with the Cricket Operations Committee, Grounds and Facilities Management Committee, Game Development Committee, Logistics and Protocol Committee and Media and Communications Committee yesterday at the BCB's Management Office.

The meeting was presided over by Monwara Anis Khan, chairman of Women's Wing of the BCB.

The following decisions were also taken at the meeting:

Women's Divisional Cricket Tournament will be held in Dhaka from December 27 (2007) to January 5 (2008).

The Girls' School Cricket Tournament will take place in Dhaka from January 17 (2008) to January 29.

Cricket Tournament for Services and University Teams will be organised in Dhaka from February 1.

The Game Development Committee will distribute cricketing gears at the divisional and school level.

Cricket Operations Committee Chairman Gazi Ashraf Hossain, Game Development Committee Chairman Lt Col (retd) M Abdul Latif Khan, Grounds and Facilities Management Committee Chairman Shafiqur Rahman, Member-Secretary Zahid Reza, Logistics and Protocol Committee Member-Secretary Tariquzzaman, Tournament Committee Member-Secretary Hafizur Rahman Joarder and Media and Communications Committee Member-Secretary Rezaur Rahman Sinha were present at the meeting.

BSS, Dhaka

Kazi Rawnak Hossain of Sargam lifted the title of the chess competition of Jatiya Press Club (JPC) defeating Enayet Hossain Khan of Good Morning held in the JPC auditorium on Saturday.

The JPC is holding the sports competitions for its members to mark the celebrations of its 53rd founding anniversary.

Rawnak in his first round defeated Monwar Hossain and then in the semifinal beat Jibon Islam.

Enayet in his first round ousted Hasan Shafi and in the semifinal defeated Emdadul Haque.

Financial Express' Emdadul Haque had something to cheer as he outplayed Jibon Islam of Bhorer Kagoj for the third position playoff.

The shooting competition will be held on Monday between 2 pm and 4 pm. The JPC members who are interested to take part have been asked to report at the tennis court by 1.30 pm.

AFP, Canada

Three-time Grand Slam winner Lindsay Davenport's continues to impress in her comeback by beating France's Stephanie Foretz 6-4, 6-0 Friday in the quarter-finals of the WTA Bell Challenge.

The 31-year-old unseeded American advances to the semis where she will face Russian Vera Zvonareva who rolled over countrywoman Olga Poutchkova 6-2, 6-1.

Third seed Julia Vakulenko stopped Olga Govortzova to set up the other semi against unheralded American Julie Ditty.

Former world number one Davenport is playing in her third tournament of the season after taking almost a year off due to pregnancy. After giving birth to her first child - Jagger Jonathan Leach - in June, Davenport returned to singles action a month ago at Bali, Indonesia and won the event.

Including three victories in Quebec, Davenport is 11-1 this season and has won 22 of 26 sets.

The 126th ranked Davenport was facing Foretz for the first time.

Zvonareva and Vakulenko had already booked their spots in the semi-finals before Davenport's night match on Friday.

Zvonareva is the highest seed remaining at this indoor carpet event. She is attempting to end the season on a positive note after suffering a left wrist injury in April which sidelined her for four months.

The third-seeded Vakulenko, advanced with a 6-3, 6-2 win against No. 5 Govortsova.

Ditty needed three sets to dispatch Vania King 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

UNB, Dhaka

The second Indo-Bangladesh Bangla Games will be held in Dhaka on February 22-26 next year with fresh inclusion of Twenty20 Cricket.

The 9th disciplines of sports included in the second version of the games are Athletics, Swimming, Shooting, Football, Kabaddi, Basketball, Volleyball, Kho Kho and Twenty20 Cricket.

A 218-member contingent each from Bangladesh and West Bengal are likely to participate in the five-day meet to be inaugurated on February 22.

The decision was take at a joint meeting of the games held on Saturday at the conference room of Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA).

Chaired by BOA Secretary General Kutubuddin Ahmed, the meeting was attended by Secretary General of Bengal Olympic Association Kamolesh Chatterjee, BOA Vice President Mizanur Rahman Manu, Deputy Secretary General Ashrafuddin Ahmed Chunnu, SM Imtiaz Khan Babul and Ishtiaque Ahmed, Treasurer Monirul Haque, member Syed Shahed Reza, Director and CEO Col Wali Ullah (retd), NSC Secretary Aminul Islam and Sr Assistant Secretary of Youth and Youth Ministry Obaidul Haque.

Eight events included in the two-day athletics meet (men's and women's) to be held at Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka, 17 events including in two-day long swimming competition (men's and women's) to be held in the BKSP swimming pool, two-day rifles shooting competition (men's and women's) will also be held in BKSP, three-day football competition (men's and women's) will be held in Dhaka, Chittagong and Narayanganj, three-day men's Kabaddi competition will be held in Dhaka and Narayanganj, three-day men's Kho-Kho competition will be held in Dhaka, three-day men's basketball competition in Dhaka (Mirpur) and BKSP, three-day men's Volleyball competition in Dhaka and Gazipur and thee-day Twenty20 Cricket meet will be held in Dhaka and Chittagong.

Best of thee matches will decide the winners in all the team events sports -- football, kabaddi, kho kho, basketball, volleyball and Twenty 20 cricket -- while three men's and three women's team from each side will compete in athletics, swimming and shooting.

AFP, Guwahati

India and Pakistan will be keen to shrug off their recent home defeats when they clash in a high-pressure one-day series starting here on Monday.

India lost 4-2 to Australia and Pakistan 3-2 to South Africa in last month's one-day series, showing that playing at home is not always an advantage.

India's home series was marred by on-field verbal spats between rival players and racial taunts from the crowd directed at Australia's Andrew Symonds.

Pakistan's Australian coach Geoff Lawson said he hoped the current tour of five one-day internationals and three Tests is incident-free.

"Just look at the recent South Africa-Pakistan series. Both teams played hard, non- compromising cricket but not one bad word was said on the field," said the former Test paceman.

"I hope this series is played in the same spirit. These are two tough opponents, but they should enjoy and respect playing against each other."

Lawson said the team that handled the pressure better would clinch the series.

"It's a little bit more than a cricket game. The team that handles the pressure and tensions better will win," he said.

Despite on-field pressures, relations between the rival players remain remarkably cordial.

Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik and manager Talat Ali visited Indian opener Virender Sehwag's house in New Delhi on Friday to offer condolences on the recent death of the batsman's father.

"It was our duty to be with Sehwag's family in their hour of grief," said Malik.

Pakistan came out on top during their last India tour in 2005 under Inzamam-ul- Haq's captaincy, bouncing back after losing the first two matches to wrap up the one- day series 4-2.

Inzamam has retired, but Pakistan have dangerous batsmen in Mohammad Yousuf, Malik, Younis Khan and Shahid Afridi to expose the Indian bowling.

The recall of controversial fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar will give Pakistan a boost as he is capable of testing the Indian batsmen with his pace and variation.

He returned for the fifth and final one-dayer against South Africa after serving a 13- match ban, primarily for hitting team-mate Mohammad Asif with a bat ahead of the Twenty20 world championship in South Africa in September.

Akhtar's form will be crucial as Pakistan are already without paceman Asif, ruled out of the first three matches due to an elbow injury.

India may have beaten Pakistan in the world Twenty20 final in South Africa in September, but their 50-over form was inconsistent against Australia.

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni is looking forward to an improved display from his side and major inputs from youngsters who played a key role in the Twenty20 success.

India will be bolstered by the return of hard-hitting Sehwag, who was axed for the Australia series. He is expected to play a vital role in providing brisk starts with record- breaking Sachin Tendulkar.

Pakistan (from): Shoaib Malik (capt), Younis Khan (vice-capt), Salman Butt, Imran Nazir, Yasir Hameed, Mohammad Yousuf, Shahid Afridi, Misbah-ul-Haq, Fawad Alam, Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Sohail Tanvir, Abdul Rehman, Rao Iftikhar.

India (from): Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Yuvraj Singh, Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma, Virender Sehwag, Robin Uthappa, Gautam Gambhir, Irfan Pathan, Murali Kartik, Rudra Pratap Singh, Zaheer Khan, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Harbhajan Singh, Praveen Kumar.