The New Nation - Internet Edition

Ireland A scores 114/6 in 40 overs on the 1st day against Bangladesh A

UNB, Dhaka

Ireland A were struggling on the first day of the three-day opener against Bangladesh A team as the hosts were 114 for 6 in 40 overs at College Park in Dublin Monday, till last report came in at 8-40pm.

The match was continuing and is likely to end the day's proceedings at midnight.

Opener R Strydom contributed 41 while another opener P Stirling made 24. R Haire 10, A Poynter 9 were the other notable scorers while G Thompson and F McAllister remained at the crease with 7 and 4 runs respectively.

Pacer Mahbubul Alam Robin was the pick among the tourists claiming four wickets while spinner Suhrawardi Shuvo and Arafat Sunny took one wicket each.

After the three-day affair, Bangladesh A will face Ireland in a twenty20 clash on June 27 at Eglington Cricket Club also in Dublin.

Bangladesh A will also play a one-day match against Ireland at Bangor on June 29 while the tourists wrap up their Ireland campaign of the UK Tour with another 50 over fixture against Ireland A at Stormont on July 1.

The Bangladeshi side will then head towards England on July 3 to play another five three-day and three one-day matches before returning home on August 4.

Bangladesh A will find England Under-19's in the first three-day match (July 6-8), the 2nd three-day match against Warwickshire (July 11-13), the 3rd three-day match against Leicestershire (July 16-18), the 4th three-day match against Derbyshire (July 21-23) and the last three-day match against South Africans (July 25-27).

Then, the Bangladesh A team opponents for the three one-day matches are Lancashire (July 30), Marylebone Cricket Club (August 1) and Durham (August 3).

Bangladesh faces UAE in their first match of the Asia Cup today

UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh faces UAE Tuesday in its first encounter of Asia Cup at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan.

The match will commence at 4:00pm (Bangladesh time) and ESPN will telecast live the match.

After having a seven match losing streak, the Bangladeshi cricketers will expect nothing less than a big win to reverse the trend and make the second round.

On the other hand, the UAE side might face some difficulty as they played their last International match four years ago in the 2004 Asia Cup. Their solitary ODI win came 12 years ago, against Netherlands in their maiden World Cup appearance.

According to website report from Lahore on Monday, Bangladesh skipper Mohammad Ashraful hoped of winning against UAE. "We will take it one game at a time. We are definitely stronger than UAE and we know that a win on Tuesday would take us into the next round. We are very confident."

Coach Jamie Siddons drew positives from his team's recent losing streak saying, "We have been beaten but against the likes of India, Pakistan and South Africa who are very, very good sides. Players like Roqibul (Hassan) and Ashraful and others who are following the team rule are playing better and we are on track I believe. We are probably not bowling as well as we can."

"We have to be mindful of the fact though that they would also go out there trying to win. We want to get past UAE and then plan for the next opponent." added the Australian coach of Bangladesh.

On the other hand UAE coach Vasbert Drakes said, "I have confidence in the team. A coach can make a strategy and plan but the players have to execute in the ground which was important."

The Tiger's are likely to stick to the same line-up as in their previous game at the Kitply Cup against India in Dhaka.

Placed in group A of the Asia Cup, the Tigers will play their 2nd match against Sri Lanka on June 25 also at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

India, Hong Kong and hosts Pakistan are the other three teams in the meet.

Bangladesh (probable): Tamim Iqbal, Shahriar Nafees, Mohammad Ashraful (capt), Roqibul Hasan, Alok Kapali, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mahmudullah Riyad, Farhad Reza, Mashrafe Mortaza, Abdur Razzak, Dolar Mahmud

UAE (From) Saqib Ali (capt), Fahad Alhashmi, Alawi Shukri, Aman Ali, Amjad Ali (wk), Amjad Javed, Arshad Ali, Indika Batuwitarachchi, Nizel Fernandes, Khurram Khan, Mohammad Tauqir, Salman Farooq, Shadeep Silva, Vikrant Shetty, Zahid Shah

AHF Cup champions Bangladesh team return home today

UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh national hockey team, which emerged unbeaten champions in the nine-team 3rd Men's AHF Cup Hockey in Singapore, returns home today (Tuesday).

Bangladesh clinched the AHF cup title crushing gulf nation Oman by 6-1 goals in the final at the Delta Sports Complex in Singapore on Sunday to reach the Asia Cup Hockey finals.

Six top-seeded Asian countries--India, Pakistan, South Korea, China, Malaysia and Japan--will play in the final round of the Asia Cup Hockey with AHF Cup champions Bangladesh and runners-up Oman.

Despite facing a lot of problems ahead of Singapore tour, including fund crisis, insufficient preparations, delay of getting visa and Biman flight, Bangladesh hockey team fulfilled their dream of clinching Men's AHF Cup title.

With the feat, Bangladesh not only kept their 7th position in the Asian Hockey intact made in the Doha Asian Games Hockey behind six top-seeded Asian nations, but also won their first-ever International Hockey title outside the country.

Earlier, Bangladesh booked a seat for the final eliminating their South Asian rivals Sri Lanka 2-1 in a hard-fought first semifinal last Saturday.

They ensured their semifinal berth with an empathic 8-3 victory over Uzbekistan, 6-1 victory over Brunei Darussalam, 3-2 win over Chinese Taipei and 1-1 draw with hosts Singapore in Pool-A encounters.

Abahani meets former champions Regar-Tadaz of Tajikistan today

UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh champions Abahani Limited will play their 2nd group match of the AFC President's Cup Football today (Tuesday) against Regar-Tadaz Club of Tajikistan, the champions of 2005, at the MPPJ Stadium in Kuala Lumpur.

Nepal Police Club meets Pakistan WADPA in the other Group A fixture today (Tuesday).

Bangladesh's Professional League champions Abahani Limited made a frustrating start conceding a 0-4 defeat against Nepal Police Club after trailing by 0-2 goals during the first half in the inaugural match Sunday and remained at the bottom in the four-team group.

Ju Manu Rai made a hattrick for Nepal Police Club against Bangladesh champions Abahani scoring three goals in a row in the 18th, 56th and 70th minutes after Anant Raj Thapa's first strike in 15th minute.

With this well-merited victory, last runners-up Nepal Police Club (former Mahendra Police Club) dominated the Group A securing full three points with the advantage of goals.

Former champions Regar-Tadaz from Tajikistan, which managed a 2-1 victory over Pakistan WAPDA in the other opening day match Sunday, followed the Nepal Police Club, also collecting three points each.

Abahani Limited, placed in Group A with Pakistan WAPDA, Nepal Police Club and Regar-Tadaz of Tajikistan, will play their 3rd and last group match against Pakistan WAPDA on June 26 at the MPPJ Stadium.

Matuail Milon Sangsad outclasses Manik Nagar Samity 92-29

UNB, Dhaka

Matuail Milon Sangsad outclassed Manik Nagar Unnayan Samity by 92-29 points with seven creditable lonas' in the Metropolis First Division Kabaddi League at the Kabaddi Stadium here Monday.

The winners enjoyed a 51-09 first half lead.

In the day's other match, Dhaka Wanderers Club crushed Ali Sporting Club by 45-29 points after having a 22-12 first half lead.

Beijing to take government cars off the road for Olympics

AP, Beijing

The Beijing city government said Monday it had ordered half of its cars off the road leading up to the Olympics in an early effort to clean up the air for the games and save energy.

Half of all government and Communist Party cars will not be used starting Monday until July 19, the city said in a notice on its Web site.

From July 20, another regulation kicks in that will allow vehicles on the road only on odd or even days, depending on their license plate number.

"To meet the air quality standards and to realize safe and smooth traffic is our solemn promise to the international community," the Beijing government notice said.

New sports venues and US$40 billion spent to improve China's infrastructure have not disguised the fact that Beijing's air quality remains a contentious issue for the games.

Organizers announced details last week of a plan to pull half of Beijing's 3.3 million vehicles off the roads during the Olympics to help clean the city's noxious air for the games.Under one plan, vehicles will be allowed on the roads on alternate days - according to even or odd car registration numbers - from July 20 until Sept. 20.

In addition, 300,000 heavy polluting vehicles - aging industrial trucks, many of which operate only at night - will be banned from July 1.

The order also follows a meeting last week of China's State Council that urged government departments to cut their oil use, as part of China's plans to create a more energy efficient society.

They were urged to cut the oil consumption of public vehicles by 20 percent, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

Glenn McGrath wants wife Jane's death to be used as inspiration for breast cancer sufferers

AP, Sydney

Retired cricketer Glenn McGrath says he wants the memory of his wife Jane, who died after a decade-long battle with breast cancer, to be used as inspiration for women suffering from the disease.

"Jane would want those women who are battling breast cancer to stay strong," McGrath said Monday in a statement.

"She would want them to draw strength from the fact she didn't only 'survive' breast cancer for 11 years, but during that time she lived life to the fullest and found pleasure in the simple things so many people take for granted."

The English-born Jane McGrath, 42, died Sunday.

"It is with deep sadness that the family and friends of Jane McGrath, beloved wife of former Australian cricketer Glenn and loving mother of James and Holly, must announce she passed away at her home this morning," a Cricket Australia statement said.

"With Glenn and their two children by her side, Jane's wonderful life ended peacefully after a sudden decline in her health over the past week."

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said in Parliament on Monday that Jane McGrath was an inspiration to all Australians.

"In particular to those personally affected by cancer," Rudd said. "She will be remembered with great fondness for her work to help women and their families, and that work will continue."

Jane McGrath had surgery earlier this year and was recovering before complications set in, the statement said. She began treatment in February 2006 for a third bout of breast cancer which included secondary cancer in her hip in 2003.

Glenn McGrath, the most successful fast bowler in cricket history, played his last test match in early January of 2006, the fifth and last test of the Ashes series that Australia swept 5-0. He took 542 wickets in 119 test matches.

The retired cricketer said he was devastated by his wife's death, and called her his "best friend."

"I would like to think Jane will be remembered as an extraordinary person whose courage and determination humbled me and inspired so many people," McGrath said.

Australia cricket captain Ricky Ponting, with the team in the West Indies, said Jane McGrath "maintained grace and dignity during her long-term illness."

"She was an exceptionally friendly and lovely person who displayed great courage and stoicism during her illness," Ponting said. "Jane will be very fondly remembered by all of us."

All Australian players will wear a pink ribbon in honor of her breast cancer charity, the McGrath Foundation, and use bats with pink grips in Tuesday's opening limited-overs match against the West Indies.

"This gesture by the players is one they were all very keen to do," said team manager Steve Bernard.

A memorial service has been scheduled for the Garrison Church in Sydney on Wednesday. It was the church where the couple was married.