The New Nation - Internet Edition

Bangladesh Red team beat Green team by 1 run

UNB, Dhaka

The national cricketers, now attending a camp for their ensuing Australia tour, played a practice match Tuesday at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium (SBNS).

In the 25-over per side match, Alok Kapali-led Bangladesh Red team earned a one-run victory over Mohammad Ashraful-led Bangladesh Green team.

Batting first after winning the toss, Bangladesh Red team scored 131 for 6 in 25 overs with skipper Kapali contributing team highest 37 runs off 49 balls that featured four fours and a six. Left-handed opener Mehrab Hossain Jr. made 36 off 71 balls with one boundary.

Right-arm off spinner Mahmudullah Riyadh and Shahadat Hossain Razib captured three wickets each for 17 and 25 runs respectively.

In reply, Bangladesh Green team fell one run short, as they were restricted to 130 for 3 in 25 overs with Riyadh top scoring 67 runs off 74 balls that included nine fours.

Ashraful opened the innings to score 34 runs, while former skipper Habibul Bashar made 16. Abdur Razzak Raj remained not out on 1.

Mehrab Hossain Jr. and Kamrul took one wicket each.

The national cricketers will play few more practice matches with the next scheduled for Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Canada Cup 4-nation 20/20 tournament, scheduled to be held in Toronto on August 14-17, has now been deferred until October 2008.

The organizers of the event informed the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) about the deferment through an e-mail message.

Bangladesh were due to feature in the tournament along with the West Indies, Pakistan and hosts Canada.

India, England fight over T20 Champions League

AFP, New Delhi

India and England were Tuesday embroiled in an acrimonious tug-of-war over the inaugural Twenty20 Champions League, with both wanting to host it with or without each other.

The lucrative football-style League, featuring top Twenty20 domestic sides from around the world, is scheduled to be played between September 29 and October 8.

India insists it will host the tournament while England, which opposes the terms and conditions laid down by the Indians, wants to stage its own version in the United Arab Emirates on the same dates.

Utter chaos prevailed in cricket circles on Tuesday as both sides claimed that teams from Australia and South Africa will take part in their respective tournaments.

India, buoyed by the success of the Indian Premier League earlier this year, said it will finalise details of its tournament at a meeting in Mumbai on Wednesday with Australian and South African chiefs.

The northern cities of New Delhi, Mohali and Jaipur have already been announced as the possible venues in the 10-million dollar event, with half that amount going to the winners.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said the Abu Dhabi royal family had agreed to bankroll their tournament to be held in the UAE capital and the adjoining emirate of Sharjah.

"At the moment we are progressing with our plans and we have no plans to travel to Mumbai and attend Wednesday's meeting," an ECB spokesman said in London on Monday.

Who plays where is undecided, although the original plans had the top two Twenty20 teams from Australia, England, South Africa and India taking part.

Local media reports on Tuesday said India had turned down England's offer to send two teams for their event in the Gulf-and also does not expect English sides to feature in their own tournament.

In a letter to the ECB, the Indian board wrote it "wished the ECB all the best" with its tournament but "unfortunately, we cannot accept" the invitation, reports said.

Talks between the Indian board and the ECB failed to resolve the issues of tournament rights and the availability of players who took part in the unauthorised Indian Cricket League (ICL).

India, the sport's financial powerhouse, wanted to retain a 50 percent stake in the tournament and would not allow teams that fielded ICL players from taking part.

Kent, one of the two teams set to represent England in the Champions League, has two ICL players in Pakistan's Azhar Mahmood and Justin Kemp of South Africa.

Indian official Lalit Modi had said last week the Champions League was being put off to a later date, but appeared to change his mind after being told England were going ahead with their own tournament.

The tournament is sandwiched in the short 11-day gap between the Champions Trophy final in Pakistan on September 28 and the first Test between Australia and India in Bangalore from October 9.

India's batting pride at stake in Murali's den

AFP, Galle

India's batting reputation will be at stake when they attempt to solve Sri Lanka's spin puzzle in the second Test starting here on Thursday.

The tourists collapsed twice in the opening match of the three-Test series in Colombo, losing by an innings and 239 runs on Saturday.

Sri Lankan spinners Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mandis did the damage, sharing 19 wickets.

Muralithan's wizardry has always shone especially bright at the Galle International Stadium, where he has taken 91 of his world-record 746 wickets in 12 Tests.

This time out there will be no respite for the visitors as he has found an able partner in Mendis, an unorthodox spinner.

Mendis made an impressive debut in Colombo, grabbing eight wickets, and the pair are expected to make merry again.

"The pitch here is basically spin-friendly," said curator and former Sri Lankan bowler Jayananda Warnaweera.

"Murali has always bowled well here and I think Mendis will also succeed because he has variations. It has always been a lucky ground for Sri Lanka."

Sri Lanka have lost just one of their last nine Tests at Galle since July 2000, the lone defeat coming against Australia four years ago.

While India have talented batsmen in Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag and Venkatsai Laxman, but failed to match Sri Lanka's batting prowess in the first match.

Four Sri Lankan batsmen-skipper Mahela Jayawardene, Malinda Warnapura, Thilan Samaraweera and Tillakaratne Dilshan-scored centuries, while Laxman was India's top-scorer with 56.

Opener Gautam Gambhir said India were confident of putting in an improved batting performance in the second Test.

"We will look to be more positive against Mendis and Murali as both of them are quality spinners. But we are going to put up a much better show as the guys are really positive," he said.

Muralitharan troubled the Indian batsmen in the lone Test played between the two countries at Galle, taking eight wickets to fashion his team's 10-wicket win in 2001.

He has bagged five or more wickets in a Test innings 10 times here and 10 or more in a match on four occasions, his best being 13-171 against South Africa eight years ago.

No Test was held at this venue for nearly three years after it was devastated by the 2004 tsunami. Test cricket resumed in 2007 with a visit from England.

Aussie swimmers ready for Beijing smog test

AFP, Kuala Lumpur

Australia's world record- breaking swim team are going to extraordinary lengths to ensure they are not affected by Beijing's chronic pollution, team officials said today.

Many of the squad suffer from respiratory ailments, mainly asthma, but head coach Alan Thompson said they were fully prepared for whatever greets them in the Chinese capital. "We're seeing the pictures like you are and we're taking all the precautions that we can to assist us," Thompson said here where the team are acclimatising.

A haze of pollution has cut visibility across Beijing to a few hundred metres in recent days, jeopardising China's promise of a "Green Games".

Last week Beijing ordered more than a million of the city's 3.3 million cars from the roads and closed dozens of polluting factories. Authorities in the capital today said the situation was easing, with strong winds helping to clear the air overnight. Thompson said his team was fortunate because most of their activities were indoors, but nevertheless no stone has been left unturned.

"Training is indoors and so is eating and sleeping, so we will probably be one of the lucky ones if there is an issue," he said.

"But we've heeded a lot of advice. All of our guys have participated in the Olympic committee's vaccination programme. We've taken precautions on flights by using the humidifiers, we're using saline eye-drops and saline nasal sprays to maintain clear passages. All the guys have been issued with a prevention pack and anyone who has any pre-dispositions like respiratory issues have been tested and appropriate medication issued."

Reports in Australia on Tuesday said Australian Olympic officials have told athletes they can withdraw from events in Beijing with no repercussions if they are concerned about pollution levels.

Australian Olympic team chief John Coates, who arrived in Beijing on Monday, was quoted by Australian media as saying that there has been no improvement in Beijing's air quality from when he was last there five months ago.

Office Handball: Refles-Police final today

Sports Reporter

Reigning champions Bangladesh Rifles and Bangladesh Police moved into the final of the Design Zone Second Office Handball League on Tuesday.

In the day's lone match, Bangladesh Police eliminated Bangladesh Jail team by 44-13 goals after completing the first session 23-8 goals lead at the Handball Ground in Paltan Maidan.

Helal of Bangladesh Police top-scored with 10 goals and his teammates Hunmayun and Gopal netted eight each.

On the other hand, Apu of Bangladesh Jail team pulled of five.

Today Bangladesh Rifles will take on Bangladesh Police in the final at 3.00 PM at the same venue.

Women Kabaddi: Ansar face Rajshahi in final today

Sports Reporter

Bangladesh Ansar and Rajshahi District team reached the final of the Spectra Group National Women Kabaddi Competition on Tuesday.

In the day's first match, Bangladesh Ansar outplayed Faridpur District team by 38-12 points including two lonas at the Kabaddi Stadium.

In the day's second match, Rajshahi District team defeated Narail District team by 24-12 points with one lona at the same venue.

Faridpur and Narail jointly finished third as per by-laws. Secretary General of Bangladesh District and Divisional Sports Organisers Council Ashiqur Rahman Miku distributed the prizes to the third place winners.

Today Bangladesh Ansar will face Rajshahi District team in the final at 4.00 PM at the same venue. President of Bangladesh Kabaddi Federation and Inspector General of Bangladesh Police Nur Mohammed will distribute the prizes among the winners as the chief guest.

Pioneer Football: Mir Hajirbagh, Moghbazar win

Sports Reporter

Mir Hajirbagh KC eased past Arambagh Krira Sangha (Junior) 2-0 in the day's first match of the Pioneer Football League at the Kamalapur Bir Sreshtha Shaheed Sepoy Mohammad Mostafa Stadium on Tuesday.

Bishu of Mir Hajirbagh scored all the two goals.

In the day's second match, Moghbazar KC defeated Mansoor Sporting Club by two goals to nil at the same venue.

Waliul and Hossain scored one goal each for the winners.

Today Bangladesh Sporting Club will take on Nababpur KC while Mugdapara Samaj Kalyan and Krira Sangha will face Surjoshena SC at the same venue.

Bangladesh A team play Lancashire in first one-day match on today

UNB, Dhaka

Touring Bangladesh A team will play the first one-day match against English county side Lancashire today (Wednesday) at Alderley Edge.

In the other two one-day matches, the second string Bangladesh side will meet Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) at Durham on August 1 and face another English county Durham on August 3 at Chester-le-street.

The visiting Bangladesh A team so far remained unbeaten in the England tour playing five three-day matches.

Bangladesh beat English county Derbyshire by one-wicket in the 4th three-day match. Earlier, in the four three-day matches, they drew with England Under-19 team, Warwickshire, Leicestershire and South Africa.

BFF forms two standing committees

UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh Football Federation Tuesday formed two standing committees -- Development Committee and Women's Football Committee.

BFF Vice-President Kazi Nabil Ahmed has been made the chairman of Development Committee, while BFF member Sirajul Islam Bachchu retained as chairman of the Women's Football Committee.

Development Committee:

Chairman - Kazi Nabil Ahmed, Deputy Chairman - Golam Rabbani Helal, Members - Anwarul Haque Helal, Mohammad Shafiquzzaman, Shamsul Haque Chowdhury, Satyajit Das Rupu and Mohammad Mohsin.

Women's Football Committee:

Chairman - Sirajul Islam Bachchu, Deputy Chairman - Mahfuza Akhter Kiran, Members - Hamida Begum, ASM Alam, Shamima Sattar Mimo, Mahbuba Karim Mini, Farhad Jesmin Lity, Nasrin Akhter Baby and Rashida Afzalunessa.

Japan beat Argentina 2-0 in Olympic tune up

AFP, Tokyo

Forwards Shinobu Ono and Yuki Nagasato scored one goal each to give Japan a 2-0 win over Argentina on Tuesday in a women's tune-up match for the Beijing Olympics.

Midfielder Aya Miyama sent a perfect cross from the left into the area, where Ono slided to hit the ball into the net in the 33rd minute to open Japan's scoring.

Three minutes later, defender Kozue Ando's header hit the left post, but Ono quickly collected the rebound for Nagasato's goal to make it two up.

"Although we won today, I was disappointed that we couldn't play our usual, active play. We tried to score a goal as soon as possible and it made us rush a little bit," said Japan coach Norio Sasaki.

"I used players who hadn't played for a while, but the combination with them was not so good. Overall, everybody couldn't play her game except (Homare) Sawa."

Japan dominated the first half hitting more than 10 shots on goal, while Argentina managed to hit only one long, blunt shot.

Japan had a chance to make it 3-0 shortly after the break, but Ando's shot again hit the left post in the 49th minute.

Summer Open Badminton begins August 23

Sports Reporter

Saadat Smriti Summer Open (Ranking) Badminton Competition starts at the Mirpur Shaheed Suhrawardy Indoor Stadium from August 23. Bangladesh Badminton Federation will arrange the badminton meet under auspices of Saadat Smriti Sadan.

The events of the competition are: Men's singles, men's doubles, women's singles and women's doubles.

Interested players have been requested to send their entries by August 20.

Titas upazila emerge champions in Comilla DC Cup Football

UNB, Comilla

Titas Upazila emerged champions in the Comilla DC Cup Football Tournament beating Chowddagram Upazila by a solitary goal in the final at the local stadium Tuesday.

Francis scored the all-important goal for the winners in the second half.

After the final match, Chittagong Divisional Commissioner and Divisional Sports Association president Hossain Jamil distributed the trophies as chief guest.

Deputy Commissioner of Comilla and DSA president Mohammad Manzurur Rahman and Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) vice president Badal Roy were, among others, present on the occasion.