The New Nation - Internet Edition

We have still a fair chance of doing well: Ashraful

UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh skipper Mohammad Ashraful has said they have still a fair chance to do well against South Africa if "our bowlers" could perform to their best.

"We didn't bat well on the day, but on this pitch 192 is a dependable total," he said at a post-match press briefing at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Friday.

The youthful Bangladesh captain said: "We won the toss, but could not utilize the opportunity as we lost wickets at regular intervals."

He added: "All credit goes to the bowlers as they brought us back in the match taking four important wickets."

South Africa coach Mickey Arthur expressed satisfaction over the performance by his bowlers, but seemed a little worried with the batsmen.

"The bowlers bowled well, but the batsmen failed to give us a good start," he said, but did not fail to praise the local bowlers.

Arthur said they have still six batsmen in hand and if they would able to score three hundred on the pitch, it should be a competitive target.

South Africa v Bangladesh first Test scoreboard

Scoreboard at stumps on the opening day of the first cricket Test between Bangladesh and South Africa at the Sher-e-Bangla Mirpur stadium here on Friday:

Bangladesh 1st innings:

Tamim Iqbal c and b Steyn 0

Junaid Siddique c Boucher b Steyn 1

Shahriar Nafees c Smith b Morkel 25

Habibul Bashar c Mckenzie b Morkel 11

Mohammad Ashraful c and b Botha 34

Aftab Ahmed c Ntini b Botha 44

Shakib Al Hasan c de Villiers b Morkel 30

Mushfiqur Rahim b Morkel 7

Mohammad Rafique lbw b Morkel 0

Mashrafe Mortaza b Steyn 29

Shahadat Hossain not out 0

Extras: (lb4, b2, w2, nb3) 11

Total (all out) 192

Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Iqbal), 2-3 (Siddique), 3-32 (Bashar), 4-60 (Nafees), 5-82 (Ashraful), 6-152 (Ahmed), 7-152 (Hasan), 8-152 (Rafique), 9-192 (Rahim), 10-192 (Mortaza)

Bowling: Steyn 11.4-2-27-3, Ntini 13-2-47-0 (w2),

Morkel 13-2-50-5 (nb3), Kallis 5-2-5-0, Botha 12-0-57-2

Overs: 54.4

South Africa 1st innings:

N. Mckenzie lbw b Hossain 5

G. Smith b Hossain 10

H. Amla lbw b Rafique 25

J. Kallis b Rafique 17

A. Prince not out 9

J. Botha not out 5

Extras: (lb2, nb3) 5

Total (for four wickets) 76

Fall of wickets: 1-12 (Smith), 2-19 (Mckenzie), 3-54 (Amla), 4-69 (Kallis).

Bowling: Mortaza 5-0-31-0, Hossain 9-4-17-2 (nb2), Rafique 7-1-19-2 (nb1), Shakib Al Hasan 3-1-7-0.

Overs: 24

Beijingers asked to give up seats for needy

Reuters, Beijing

Beijing residents have been asked to give up their seats for the needy on public transport as China tries to improve the manners of the capital's citizens ahead of the Summer Olympics, state media said on Friday.

In a drive to reform behaviour, Beijing has instituted the 22nd of every month as "Give up your seat for the elderly, pregnant women, children, and the disabled" day, and distributed millions of etiquette pamphlets to commuters.

"We are Olympics hosts and should give visitors from home and abroad a good impression," the China Daily quoted Beijing native Bai Meng as saying.

"Seat-giving Day" and "Queuing Day" are just a few of the campaigns Beijing has launched in recent months in a bid to "civilise" public servants, taxi drivers and ordinary people.

"Queuing Day has been welcomed by the people, and this latest move will further our efforts to improve public transportation," Liu Xiaoming, deputy chief of Beijing municipal committee of communications, was quoted by the China Daily as saying.

In the run-up to the Olympics this August, the government has also been campaigning to curb queue-jumping, spitting, littering and even speaking loudly in public, fearful such behaviour could mar the city's image.

Australia beat Sri Lanka in rain-shortened match

AFP, Melbourne

Sri Lanka's chances of reaching the tri-series finals were dealt a serious blow when Australia beat them by 24 runs in a rain-shortened one-day match on Friday.

The visitors' gamble to bowl first-expecting the match to be shortened by the weather-looked to have paid off and they restricted the hosts to just 184 for seven from their 50 overs.

However, the Sri Lankan batsmen again failed to rise to the challenge and they were 77 for four when rain did stop play after 29.3 overs, leaving them well short of the required 102 under the Duckworth-Lewis method.

The Duckworth-Lewis method is system of calculating a team's score in a game that has been cut short.

The loss means Sri Lanka, having won just one of their six games in the tri-series, will have to win their last two matches, against India and Australia, to have any chance of reaching the finals.

On the other hand, Australia booked their place in the finals again with their seventh successive win over Sri Lanka.

Just one partnership was enough for Australia to win, with Mike Hussey (64 not out) and Michael Clarke (50) putting on almost half of their total with a fifth-wicket stand of 90.

Sri Lanka were always struggling in the chase after losing early wickets.

Veteran opener Sanath Jayasuriya finally appears to be showing his age and the 38-year-old was the first to go, for a duck, caught by Ricky Ponting at second slip from the bowling of Stuart Clark.

Jayasuriya has just 46 runs in the series at 9.20 and was soon followed back to the pavilion by fellow opener Dilruwan Perera, who also fell to Clarke for one as the tourists slumped to three for two.

Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene were once again called to the rescue and set about consolidating the innings, only for the latter to be caught behind off Nathan Bracken for 27.

When Sangakkara, aware of the impending rain and trying to lift the run rate by opening his shoulders, got a leading edge and was caught for 22 by Andrew Symonds off James Hopes, Sri Lanka's hopes were all but gone.

And their fate was confirmed when the rain arrived minutes later.

Once again, Australia's bowlers had rescued their side after an indifferent batting performance.

Clark, only playing because Brett Lee was being rested, did most of the damage with 2-8 from five overs.

The home side were 54 for four before Clarke and Hussey again came to the rescue, with disciplined bowling bringing relief to some of Australia's star batsmen.

Matthew Hayden's poor series continued when he fell to Farveez Maharoof for 23, while captain Ponting's run drought continued when he was able to muster just 11 before being run out.

Ponting, dropped before he scored, has only 64 runs in the tri- series at 10.66, while Andrew Symonds has 42 runs at 8.40 after his technical flaws were exposed as he was caught behind for four from the bowling of Maharoof (2-20).

Australia's usual composure under pressure was lacking, and had the Sri Lankans been more accurate with their throws, they might have netted half a dozen run-outs.

U-19 World Cup Cricket: Bangladesh emerge group D champions with stunning 13-run win against England

UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh emerged Group D champions to reach the quarterfinal of the ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup with all-win record beating formidable England by 13 runs at the Royal Selangor Club ground in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Friday.

Bangladesh will meet Group B runners-up South Africa on February 24 at Bayueams Oval in Kuala Lumpur.

Bangladesh earlier got off to a flying start beating Bermuda U-19 team by huge 178 runs and Ireland by eight wickets in the second match.

Sent into bat first in the day's match, Bangladesh began disastrously losing seven wickets for just 49 runs, but a confident batting by skipper Suhrawardi Shuvo pairing with Dollar Maumud, enabled Bangladesh to score 149 for all in 42 overs.

Skipper Suhrawardi Shuvo and Dollar Mahumud contributed 81 runs in the 8th wicket stand to salvage Bangladesh from an awkward situation and was adjudged man of the match.

Shuvo who made not out 56 off 100 balls with six fours was later adjudged man of the match, while Dollar Mahmud added useful 36 runs off 77 balls with two fours.

JAR Harris caused early damage to Bangladesh innings claiming five wickets for 29 runs.

In reply, England was dismissed for 136 runs in 47.4 overs against disciplined bowling attacks by the young tigers.

DJ Redferm scored 26 runs while JWA made 24 for England U-19 team. D Westley (21) and AG Wakely (10) were the other notable scorers for the side.

Nasir Hossain grabbed two wickets for 20 runs while Mahmudul Hasan, Subhashish Roy, Suhrawardi Shuvo and Rubel Hossain took one wicket each for 16, 17, 21 and 26 runs respectively.

Brief score: Bangladesh - 149 all out in 42 overs; Suhrawardi Shuvo not out 56, Dollar Mahmud 36, Ashiqul Islam 16, Mithun Ali 10, extras 21, Harris 5/29, Woakes 1/15, Lee 1/26 and Westley 1/36.

England - 136 all out in 47.4 overs; Redfern 26, Taylor 24, Westley 21, Brown 10, Wakely 10, Nasir Hossain 2/20, Mahmudul Hasan 1/16, Shubashish Roy 1/17, Suhrawardy Shuvo 1/21, Rubel Hossain 1/26.

Ton-up Kohli crushes West Indian hopes

AFP, Kuala Lumpur

India captain Virat Kohli struck a century on a day dominated by bowlers to eliminate the West Indies from cricket's under-19 World Cup on Friday.

Kohli struck a breezy 100 with 10 boundaries and four sixes and Taruwar Kohli and Tanmay Srivastava hit half-centuries as India piled up 265-5 after being sent in to bat at the Kinrara Oval here.

The West Indies, who needed a win to force a three-way tie at the top of group B, were bowled out for 215 in the 48th over to lose the crucial match by 50 runs.

Darren Bravo top-scored with 43 and Devon Thomas made 32 but India were never in danger of losing their grip on the match with wickets at regular intervals.

Siddarth Kaul was the pick of the bowlers with 3-37, while Ravindra Jadeja and Ajitesh Argal claimed two wickets each.

India and South Africa took the two quarter-final places from the group as the line-ups were finalised for the next round.

India take on England in Sunday's quarter-final, while South Africa meet group D champions Bangladesh the same day.

In the remaining two quarter-finals on Monday, defending champions Pakistan clash with Australia, while group C winners Sri Lanka face New Zealand.

Pakistan overcame a stuttering start to defeat Zimbabwe by 87 runs in Johor and top group A with three consecutive wins. New Zealand took the second spot in the group.

Sri Lanka topped group C with a fluent five-wicket win over fellow- qualifiers Australia in Penang.

Bangladesh stunned England by 13 runs to finish ahead in group D, giving all four South Asian Test nations a place in the quarter-finals.

Pakistan recovered from 21-4 to post 173-8 in their 50 overs against Zimbabwe with wicketkeeper Ali Asad making an unbeaten 76 and captain Imad Wasim a valuable 22.

Zimbabwe, who earlier lost to unseeded Malaysia, were shot out for 86 in 29 overs to suffer their third successive defeat.

Seamer Mohammad Rameez finished as Pakistan's most successful bowler with 3-26 while Adil Raza, Imad Wasim and Ahmad Shahzad chipped in with two wickets each.

Sri Lanka's five-man spin attack, led by left-armer Navin Kavikara (3-20), bowled out Australia for 172 with only captain Michael Hill (34) and Steve Smith (36) making useful contributions.

The Islanders passed the modest target in the 38th over with Dilshan Munaweera, Kusal Perera and captain Ashan Subasinghe making identical scores of 43.

Bangladesh, sent in to bat in overcast conditions, slipped to 27-6 against England before captain Sohrawardi Shuvro hit an unbeaten 56 batting at number eight to lift his team to 149.

The total was far from adequate but England messed up their chase with three run outs and were bowled out for 136 in the 48th over to hand Bangladesh their third win.

Daniel Redfern top-scored for England with 26 while Nasir Hossain and Mahmudul Hasan claimed two wickets apiece.

All knock-out matches will be played in three venues in the Malaysian capital.