The New Nation - Internet Edition

Victoria SC hold Mohammedan SC to goalless draw

UNB, Dhaka

Victoria SC held Mohammedan SC to goalless draw in a match of the Protiti Pharma V-Day Club Cup Football Tournament at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Sunday.

With this draw, Mohammedan SC secured four points while Victoria SC remained at one point, both playing two matches.

Earlier, in their opening group A matches, Mohammedan SC made a good start in the tournament beating Youngmen's Club Fakirerpool by 2-0 goals while Victoria SC played to goalless draw with Arambagh KS.

In the day's match, both the teams launched several attacks but failed to convert any of those into a goal.

Mohammedan SC came close to score in the 30th minute, but a powerful shot taken by Nigerian recruit Figo from inside the D box was saved brilliantly by Victoria custodian Golam Mostafa for corner.

Golam Mostafa, who did a splendid job for his team under the bar, again fisted the ball to safety from the goalmouth as Mohammedan midfielder Faisal shot at the goal from inside the D-box in the 48th minute.

Mohammedan SC missed a real scoring chance in the 66th minute as onrushing Figo, failed to shot the ball from vantage position, from a pass by striker Farhad.

Victoria SC got the first scoring chance, but Mohammedan custodian Zia had no trouble in saving a feeble Arafat volley from inside the danger zone in the 28th minute.

Victoria SC again came close to score in the 76th minute when a Mamun long-range angular shot narrowly went out beside the goalpost.

The 'black & white' Motijheel outfit Mohammedan SC dominated the first half while Victoria SC clearly in the second half.

Yellow cards: Biplob, (Mohammedan SC) and Rashed and Swapan (Victoria SC).

Mohammedan SC - Zia, Kamal (Arafat), Arif, Biplob, Jewel, Faisal, Sharif, Monowar, Farhad, Saikat (Rony) and Figo.

Victoria SC - Mostafa, Ziaul, Kashem, Ashraf, Mamun (Hasan), Zahidul, Alam, Arafat, Rashed, Swapan and Mithun.

Referee - Taiyab Hassan.

Team B outplays Team C by 83 runs

UNB, Dhaka

Mashrafe Bin Mortaza-led Team B tasted their first win beating Shakib Al Hasan-led Team C by 83 runs in the 3rd practice match at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium (SBNS) on Sunday, ahead of Bangladesh's home series against South Africa.

Sent into bat first, Team B scored 195 for 9 in stipulated 45 overs with middle order Mahmudullah Riyad top scoring 53 runs off 80 balls that featured one four and two sixes while wicket keeper Dhiman Ghosh made 2nd highest 45 off 52 balls with three fours.

Johurul Islam 21, opener Shahriar Nafees 17, tail ender Nazmul Hossain 16 and Alok Kapali 13 made some contributions, but could not take the team total beyond 200-mark.

Veteran left-arm spinner Mohammad Rafique claimed four wickets for 28 runs in 9 overs while Tushar Imran, Shakib, Kamrul Islam and Enamul Haque Jr. took one wicket apiece.

Replying to the moderate total, Team C lost wickets at regular intervals to be dismissed for 112 in 43.1 overs with Enamul contributing team highest 43 runs off 60 balls that included three fours.

Only three other Team C batsmen -- Khaled Mashud Pilot 12, Aftab Ahmed 13 and Shakib 10 -- were able to reach double figures.

Mashrafe, right-arm pacer Nazmul Hossain and left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak Raj bagged two wickets each.

Earlier, in the first practice match, Team A outplayed Team B by six wickets while Team C outplayed Team A, also by 6 wickets in the 2nd preparation match.

Earlier, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) selected 39 players dividing them equally into teams A, B and C to hold one-day practice matches.

The South African side is scheduled to arrive here on February 14 to play two tests and three ODIs against Bangladesh.

Bangladesh U-19 face West Indies U-19 in 3rd one-dayer today

UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh Under-19 team face visiting West Indies Under-19 team in the 3rd one day match today (Monday) at the Narayanganj Osmani Stadium (NOS) at Fatullah.

Earlier, on Saturday, Bangladesh U-19 team faced a setback in their preparation for the upcoming U-19 World Cup, as they suffered a 73-run defeat against the visitors in the 2nd match of the four-match one-day series at the BKSP in Savar.

The 4th and final match between the two sides will be held on February 6, also at the Narayanganj Osmani Stadium (NOS).

The first one-day match between the two youth teams had to be abandoned due to wet outfield at the BKSP.

BFF, BSJA condole death of veteran politician, sports organiser Manik

UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) and Bangladesh Sports Journalists Association (BSJA) have condoled the death of veteran politician, a leading sports organiser and cultural activist Saifuddin Ahmed Manik who passed away on Sunday.

Manik, Gono Forum general secretary, also former member of BFF and senior vice-president of Brothers Union Club, died at the intensive care unit (ICU) of Comfort Hospital in the city Sunday morning.

He left behind his wife, two daughters and large number of admirers to mourn his death.

Acting president and acting general secretary, executive committee members, officers and staff of Bangladesh Football Federation, in a condolence message, expressed profound shock at the death of Manik.

They prayed for the salvation of his departed soul and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family members.

In separate message, president, general secretary and members of Bangladesh Sports Journalists Association (BSJA) condoled the death of Manik and expressed sympathy with the members of his bereaved family.

"Country's sports arena suffered a heavy loss with the demise of Manik," they said and prayed for eternal peace of the deceased.

BCB organising committee formed for Indo-Bangla Games

UNB, Dhaka

BCB Cricket Operations Committee member Jalal Ahmed Chowdhury and Tournament Committee member secretary Hafizur Rahman Joarder will act as convenor and member secretary respectively of the Organising Committee for the 2nd Indo-Bangladesh Games Twenty20 Cricket Tournament.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Board's Cricket Operations Committee on January 30.

Both Jalal Ahmed and Hafizur Rahman will represent the BCB in Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA) meetings on the Indo-Bangladesh Games 2008.

Senior Div Football: Sohel does it for Jatrabari

Sports Reporter

A late goal from Sohel helped Jatrabari KC to earn a lone-goal victory over Mohakhali Eleven in the Senior Division Football League at the Kamalapur Bir Sreshtha Shaheed Sepoy Mohammad Mostafa Stadium on Sunday.

After a barren first half Sohel of Jatrabari KC scored the all-important goal just five minutes before the final whistle.

Today Agrani Bank Limited SC will face Purbachal Parishad at 1.15 PM while Arambagh KS will meet Deepali Jubo Sangha at 3.15 PM at the same venue.

Holders Sunnydale make flying start beating BIS 12-5 goals

UNB, Dhaka

Holders Sunnydale School made a flying start in the Sunnydale 5th Mini (Boys) Handball tournament beating BIS by 12-5 goals in the opening match at the Dhanmondi Women's Sports Complex here on Sunday.

Vice-President of Bangladesh Handball Federation Principal Hamida Ali inaugurated the three-day meet in the morning. Principal Tazin Ahmed of meet's sponsors Sunnydale School and federation general secretary Asaduzzaman Kohinoor were present.

In the day's match, hosts Sunnydale dominated the first half by 6-3 goals.

In all, seven matches were decided on the opening day (Sunday).

In the day's other matches, Scholastica outplayed Mary Curie 16-2, South Points beat Mary Curie 8-3, SOS Shishu Palli beat Canadian International School 6-2, South Breeze defeated East Khilgaon Primary 9-4, South Points beat Loreto 7-4 and Banani Bidyaniketan defeated SOS Shishu Palli by 21-1 goals.

Fourteen school teams from Dhaka Metropolis, split into four groups, are taking part in the tournament, sponsored by Sunnydale School.

Lee leads Australia with 5-27 in rain-affected match

AP, Brisbane

Brett Lee took five wickets as Australia dismissed India for 194 on the final ball of its rain-reduced 45 overs in the opening match of the limited over tri-series at the Gabba on Sunday.

Australia's winning target was adjusted to 192 from 43 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis method for rain-reduced matches, needing to score at 4.47 runs per over.

Lee (5-27) took his seventh one-day five-wicket haul to continue the home side's momentum after Friday night's nine-wicket Twenty20 win at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

India was reeling at 2-26 in the seventh over Sunday after Sachin Tendulkar (10) trod on his off-stump while playing back to a fast short ball, joining Virender Sehwag as early casualties.

Guatam Gambhir (39) and 20-year-old Rohit Sharma (29) put the visitors back in the game with a freewheeling 65-run stand for the third wicket.

The advantage didn't last long as Mitchell Johnson (1-33), who had Gambhir edge to slips twice in three balls only for Mike Hussey and Ricky Ponting drop chances, got Gambhir leg before wicket.

Sharma and Manoj Tiwary went quickly before Ashley Noffke picked up his maiden one-day international wicket in his debut by dismissing Robin Uthappa for 5. At that point, India had lost 4-11 from seven overs in a middle-order collapse.

Rain halted play for almost 90 minutes, giving the visitors some respite at 128-6 from 36 overs.

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who believed bowling on the "sticky wicket" would be more favorable later in the day-nighter, made 37 and gained good lower-order support after the break from Irfan Pathan and Harbhajan Singh.

Harbhajan hit 27 off 19 balls, including 15 off the penultimate over by Nathan Bracken.

The three-nation series, which also includes Sri Lanka this year, will be replaced next year by a revised format of one-day matches involving Australia.