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Shaheed Mushtaque XI beat Shaheed Jewel XI by 94 runs in the Victory Day Exhibition match at the Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Sent into bat first, Shaheed Mushtaque XI posted a fighting 265 for the loss of six wickets in the stipulated 50 overs and then they skittled out Shaheed Jewel XI for 171 off 42.5 overs.

Amit Majumder of Shaheed Mushtaque XI smashed a dashing 107 facing 125 deliveries.

He cracked 11 fours and two huge sixes.

Shamsur Rahman Shuvo was the other notable score for the winners. He hit a fine 73 off 111 balls. He sent the ball six times through the ropes and one time over the fence.

Raihanuddin Arafat of Shaheed Jewel XI claimed three wickets at the cost of 36 runs while his teammate medium pacer Hasibul Hossain bagged a couple of wickets in exchange of 47 runs.

Later, Rubaiyat Haq was the only remarkable run getter for the losers. He hit a polished 42 off 55 balls amid six shots beyond the ropes.

Ariful Haque of Shaheed Mushtaque XI grabbed three wickets giving away 46 runs while Mukter Ali, Taposh Ghosh, Humayun Kabir chipped in with two wickets each in lieu of six, 23 and 33 runs respectively.

Besides, Sumon Shaha took one wicket each for 30 runs.

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Match abandoned due to rain New Zealand 3 for 30 (Styris 12*, Lee 2-12) v Australia

Rain ended Australia's hopes of regaining the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy within three days as only six overs were possible in the second ODI at the SCG. Australia were well on top when the weather turned bad, reducing New Zealand to 3 for 30 after Daniel Vettori chose to bat.

The umpires called for the covers at 3.30pm local time, just 30 minutes after the start, which had also been delayed due to drizzle. As the day progressed the weather radar continued to display a bleak outlook and only the most optimistic spectators stayed at the ground.

Scott Styris remained unbeaten on 12 and Ross Taylor was on 5 following the early fireworks from Brett Lee and Nathan Bracken. Lee finished with 2 for 12 from his three overs and Bracken collected 1 for 18.

The day began badly for New Zealand when the out-of-form Lou Vincent edged Lee to Ricky Ponting at second slip for 0 from the second ball of the match. Last time Vincent was in Australia, for the CB Series, he made three half-centuries from four innings but his only ODIs since the World Cup have yielded 6, 9, 18, 5 and 0.

He was followed in the next over by Jamie How, who made 4 before he tried to cut a Bracken inswinger that was too close to his body. How sent a simple chance to Matthew Hayden at first slip and New Zealand were 2 for 7.

That became 3 for 12 from three overs when Lee deceived the dangerous Brendon McCullum (5) with a wider, slower delivery that McCullum drove in the air to Brad Hogg at mid off. Styris was lucky to survive when he fended Bracken just wide of second slip and he was just starting to find some form with a pair of boundaries cut forward of square off Bracken when the umpires called for the covers.

The abandoned match was as good as a victory for New Zealand, who lost the first game at Adelaide Oval on Friday. As the holders of the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy they will retain the prize if they level the series with a win in the third match in Hobart on Thursday.

Teams:

Australia - Ricky Ponting (captain), Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Michael Clarke, Mike Hussey, Andrew Symonds, James Hopes, Brett Lee, Brad Hogg, Nathan Bracken, Shaun Tait, Mitchell Johnson (12th man).

New Zealand: Daniel Vettori (captain), Lou Vincent, Brendon McCullum, Jamie How, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor, Jacob Oram, Kyle Mills, Jeetan Patel, Chris Martin, Gareth Hopkins, Mathew Sinclair (12th man).

Umpires: Mark Benson (ENG), Steve Davis (AUS)

TV Umpire: Bruce Oxenford (AUS)

Match Referee: Roshan Mahanama (SRI)

AFP, Chicago

American sprinter LaTasha Jenkins has successfully won her appeal of a doping charge after a pair of slip-ups by two different European testing labs.

In July 2006, Jenkins, who is believed to be the first to win an appeal against the US Anti-Doping Agency, tested positive for the steroid nandrolone.

A three-member arbitration panel ruled in her favour after she complained that labs in Belgium and Germany did not follow proper World Anti-Doping Agency procedures during the handling of her samples, the Chicago Tribune reported on Saturday.

The panel ruled that both labs erred by not using two different technicians to the run the tests.

Jenkins, 29, was awarded the bronze medal in the 200 metres at the 2001 World Championships when her American teammate and third-place finisher Kelli White was disqualified after revealling she used performance-enhancing drugs.

This is believed to be the first time an American athlete has won an appeal of a USADA doping charge, the newspaper said.

AFP, Buenos Aires

Diego Simeone, the man who famously tangled with David Beckham at the 1998 World Cup, was named the new coach of Argentinian side River Plate on Saturday.

Simeone takes over from Daniel Passarella who quit in November.

The 37-year-old former international, who played club football for Sevilla and Atletico Madrid in Spain and for Inter Milan and Lazio in Rome, collapsed to the ground after tangling with Beckham in the highly-charged 1998 World Cup quarter-final.

The Englishman was red-carded for kicking Simeone before Argentina went on to win the game.

AFP, Seoul

Reclusive North Korea has confirmed it will host a leg of the 2008 Beijing Olympic torch relay, state media reported.

North Korea and China signed a formal agreement in Pyongyang on Saturday to allow the torch to pass through the nation's capital on April 28, the North's official Korean Central News Agency said in a report late Saturday.

The torch will move through Seoul on April 27 before travelling over the heavily fortified border to North Korea, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said, quoting Chinese officials.

The two Koreas have agreed to send a joint cheering squad to the Beijing Olympics by train, as part of their reconciliation efforts after their bloody 1950-1953 civil war.

AFP, Galle

England and Sri Lanka will mark one of cricket's most poignant moments when they contest the third Test at the previously tsunami-ravaged Galle International Stadium from Tuesday. The stadium, situated close to the Indian Ocean in the country's coastal south, was destroyed by the Asian tsunami in 2004, which killed an estimated 300,000 people in a dozen countries. Some 31,000 people in Sri Lanka alone perished in the December 26 disaster.

It was rebuilt from scratch with a 500,000-dollar funding package from Sri Lanka Cricket and, nearly three years to the day since it was decimated, is ready to host a Test match again.

When Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse inaugurates the new stadium on the eve of the match on Monday with both teams in attendance, one man in particular will struggle to hide his emotions.

Former Sri Lanka Test spinner Jayananda Warnaweera, the stadium's long-time manager, still finds it hard to believe that his ambition to bring cricket back to Galle has been realised.

"I can't tell you how I feel to be able to return this beautiful ground to Test cricket," Warnaweera, who played 10 Tests between 1986 and 1994, told AFP.

"I had promised myself that Test cricket will be played here again and I have lived up to that vow. It's a very emotional and exciting time for me."

Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene said he was delighted to return to one of his favourite venues, which lies at the foot of the historic 17th century Galle Fort, a UNESCO world heritage site.

"It is one of my favourite venues. It's definitely going to be an emotional time for most of our guys. Lots of them in the team are from this part of the country," Jayawardene said.

Like many people around the world, Jayawardene remembers exactly where he was when news of the devastating tsunami began to filter through.

"We were playing in New Zealand when the tsunami struck and the first pictures we saw were that of Galle and we saw the ground under water.

AFP, Madrid

Barcelona warmed up for next Sunday's tussle against Real Madrid with a 3-0 victory over Valencia on Saturday but it came at a cost with Argentine Lionel Messi ruled out of 'El Classico' with a foot injury.

Messi, the club's top-scorer with eight goals, limped off shortly before half-time and Barcelona confirmed that an injury to his left foot will rule him out of the mouthwatering title tussle.

Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o brought some relief to his team by scoring his first league goals of the season as Barcelona moved just one point behind Real who are in action against Osasuna on Sunday.

Eto'o had been out since the end of August with a serious knee injury but showed his value with a brace in the 12th and 26th minutes to make it three goals in four days.

Eidur Gudjohnsen added a third.

It was only Barcelona's second away win of the season and the win puts pressure on Real to beat Osasuna.

For Valencia it was a sixth defeat at their Mestalla Stadium where some home fans left after Gudjohnsen's goal after the hour mark.

Valencia coach Ronald Koeman was hoping to plot the downfall of the club where he is still adored - making close to 200 appearances and scoring the winning goal in the 1992 European Cup final - but was not helped with the loss of striker David Villa to injury.

In contrast, Barca coach Frank Rijkaard had the luxury of omitting Ronaldinho with Spanish international midfielder Andres Iniesta included to provide more steel.

After just three minutes, Eto'o had a great chance but his lack of match sharpness showed with his control poor.

But in the 13th minute he more than made amends with a brilliant individual goal.

Showing quick feet to shift the ball Eto'o fooled two defenders and drove a fierce left-footed shot into the corner.

It was just a matter of time before the second goal arrived and it did on 26 minutes with Eto'o producing a clincial finish from a great Messi pass.

Messi then limped off but it did not stop Barca with Gudjohnsen completing the scoring on 61 minutes.

Espanyol plan to be challenging for a Champions League place come the end of the season and they are well on course following a 1-0 win over Levante on Saturday that lifted them to fourth place.

A goal from Jarque after eight minutes clinched the points as last season's UEFA Cup finalists moved level with Atletico Madrid.

Levante fell to their 13th defeat in 16 games and are eight points from safety.

Internet

Filippo Inzaghi scored twice as AC Milan beat Boca Juniors to win the Club World Cup in Japan. Inzaghi struck after a Kaka pass after 21 minutes but Boca equalised a minute later through Rodrigo Palacio's header. Alessandro Nesta's volley, Kaka's solo run and finish and Inzaghi's second - all in the space of 10 minutes - settled the match in Milan's favour.

Kakha Kaladze saw red, as did Boca's Pablo Ledesma, while Milan's Massimo Ambrosini scored an own goal.

"I'm really satisfied - this trophy is what I've missed all along," said Kaka.

"I really thank God for this year as we won the trophy which is so hard to get."

AC Milan: Dida, Bonera, Nesta, Maldini, Kaladze, Gattuso (Emerson 65), Seedorf (Brocchi 87), Pirlo, Kaka, Ambrosini, Inzaghi (Cafu 76).

Subs Not Used: Kalac, Gilardino, Simic, Jankulovski, Favalli, Gourcuff, Serginho, Oddo, Fiori.

Sent Off: Kaladze (78).

Booked: Ambrosini.

Goals: Inzaghi 21, Nesta 50, Kaka 62, Inzaghi 71.

Boca Juniors: Caranta, Maidana, Paletta, Morel Rodriguez, Ibarra, Battaglia, Gonzalez Luengo (Ledesma 67), Cardozo (Gracian 68), Banega, Palermo, Palacio.

Subs Not Used: Garcia, Silvestre, Cahais, Krupoviesa, Boselli, Bueno, Datolo, Bertolo, Vargas Rivera, Migliore.

Sent Off: Ledesma (88).

Booked: Ibarra, Battaglia, Paletta.

Goals: Palacio 23, Ambrosini 85 og.

Att: 53,600

Ref: Marco Rodriguez (Mexico).

· Urawa Red Diamonds took third place in the tournament after defeating Etoile Sportive du Sahel of Tunisia in a penalty shoot-out after the match had finished 2-2.

Washington was the star of the game for Urawa in his last match before he returns to Brazil, scoring both goals for the Japanese team as well as a brace in the penalty shoot-out.

"This is a game I'll never forget," said Washington. "It's great to end the season this way and I want to thank our fans for all their support."

AFP, Paris

Roger Federer goes into 2008 with his position as the greatest player of all time virtually assured but with the sport he represents so well fighting an unexpected battle to preserve its integrity. Superlatives for Federer were exhausted a long time ago and 2007 saw the elegant and modest Swiss rack up statisics so formidable that his rivals must already be anticipating the new year with dread.

Successful defences of his Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open crowns took the 26- year-old's Grand Slam tally to 12, just two shy of Pete Sampras's record of 14.

His 53rd career title came with a fourth Masters Cup triumph and he finished 2007 as the world number one player for the 200th consecutive week.

"I'm really happy. It's been in some ways a breakthrough year for me," said Federer, who finished the year with eight titles, a 68-9 record and whose triumph at a rain-sodden Wimbledon was his fifth in succession.

His win in the Shanghai season-ending tournament was even more remarkable after he had suffered three uncharacteristic defeats - twice to David Nalbandian and once to Fernando Gonzalez - as the year wound down.

In February, he eclipsed Jimmy Connors' 30-year record (160) for most consecutive weeks as world number one while at the US Open he became the first player in history to reach all four Grand Slam finals in back-to-back years.

Sampras, who lost a three-match exhibition series in Asia to the Swiss in November, has no doubt that his records will crumble.

"The major record, he's got so much time," said Sampras who held the top ranking for a record 286 weeks and finished as world number one for a record six consecutive years.

"He's 26 and he's got the next four years to be at the pinnacle of his career so I see him breaking that, if not next year, pretty soon."

As always, there is a spanner in Federer's Grand Slam works in the shape of Rafael Nadal.

The Spaniard finished the year again at number two having captured a third French Open title beating Federer in the final for the second successive year.