The New Nation - Internet Edition

Bangladesh face Australia in third ODI today

Sports Reporter

Bangladesh will face Australia today in the third and last One Day International (ODI) match in Darwin of Australia. The match starts at 6.00 AM (Bangladesh Standard Time).

Star Cricket and Super Sports will telecast the match live.

Australia have already clinched the three match ODI series 2-0.

Bangladesh started their ODI campaign with a massive 180-run defeat by Australia in the first ODI in Darwin on August 30.

Later, Bangladesh tasted a huge eight-wicket defeat by mighty Australia in the second ODI on September 3.

Bangladesh and Australia faced 15 times each other. Of them, world champions Australia posted 14 victories while Bangladesh won only one clash against Australia, the powerhouse of world cricket.

Bangladesh beat Australia in Cardiff in 2005.

Stuart Clark, the Australian fast bowler said, "I'd like to see if we could do another number on them and hopefully get them out for not many, or if we bat first, get a lot of runs."

On the other hand, Ashraful, the skipper of Bangladesh team said, "Whatever we are practicing and whatever we are planning, we are just not being able to implement those in the games, out there in the middle."

The weather of Darwin will be hot and sunny, with a top temperature of 34 degrees.

The cricket viewers of the country do not want to watch poor cricket from their side any more. They want to watch fighting cricket from the Tigers. We are also waiting for that.

Div II Football: Bassabo beat Friends

Social Welfare

Sports Reporter

Bassabo Tarun Sangha beat Friends Social Welfare Organisation by a solitary goal in the day's first match of the Second Division Football League at the Kamalapur Bir Sreshtha Shaheed Sepoy Mahammad Mostafa Stadium on Friday.

After a barren first half Kari scored the all-important goal for the winners.

Meanwhile, the match between Sadharan Bima KS and Kadamtala Sangsad ended in a goalless draw at the same venue on the same day.

Today Gazir Chat SC will face Matuail Udayan Sangsad at 2.00 PM while Dhanmondi Club will meet Euro Famous Club at 3.45 PM at the same venue.

Olympic marathon champ sets sights on world record

AFP, Tokyo

Beijing Olympic marathon champion Samuel Wanjiru of Kenya vowed here Friday to go for a world record in the Berlin Marathon next year and retain his title at the 2012 London Games.

"I managed to win the gold medal with the patience which I have learned in Japan," the Japan-based 21-year-old told a news conference in Osaka.

"I want to aim for a world record in the Berlin Marathon next year. I want to be number one at any Olympics," he said in fluent Japanese.

Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie set a world record of 2hr 4min 26sec in the Berlin Marathon in September last year but skipped last month's Beijing Olympic marathon citing health concerns over air pollution in the Chinese capital.

Wanjiru clocked 2:06.32 in Beijing, breaking the 24-year-old Olympic record set by Carlos Lopes, to become the first Kenyan to win the Olympic men's marathon gold.

But he stopped short of his personal best of 2:05:24, which he set in the London Marathon in April.

Wanjiru came to marathon-mad Japan at the age of 15 to be enrolled at Sendai Ikuei, one of the private Japanese high schools which have cultivated athletically gifted students including those from African nations.

He was most recently employed by an affiliate of Toyota Motor Corp., which like many Japanese firms offers day jobs to Olympic athletes.

Wanjiru said he quit Toyota Motor Kyushu in July to run full- time, thanks to company sponsors in Japan and abroad.

"I want to thank all of you in Japan for supporting me. I will base myself in both Japan and Kenya," he said.

Banned Barton to miss six matches

BBC Online

Newcastle's Joey Barton has been banned for six games by the Football Association, with another six suspended, for assaulting Ousmane Dabo.

Barton, 26, had previously admitted the charge of violent conduct and was fined £25,000 at the personal hearing.

He will be banned for another six games if he is found guilty in the future.

In July Barton received a four-month suspended prison sentence for the assault in May 2007, when the pair were team-mates at Manchester City.

The discplinary panel revealed its findings at a the three-hour hearing at the Football Association's headquarters in Soho Square, London.

Former Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan, who quit on Thursday, faxed his support but did not appear in person as a character witness for Barton.

Barton will miss the next six Newcastle games against Hull, West Ham, Tottenham (in the Carling Cup), Blackburn, Everton and Manchester City.

If fit and ready, he could return at Sunderland on 25 October.

Since the training ground assault on Dabo, who now plays for Lazio, Barton has been jailed for a drunken attack on revellers in Liverpool city centre.

Federer, Djokovic book US Open rematch in semi-final

AFP, New York

For Roger Federer to win his fifth US Open title in a row, the Swiss second seed must prove he still has what it takes to beat Novak Djokovic, this time in a semi-final rematch of last year's final.

Twelve-time Grand Slam winner Federer and Serbian third seed Djokovic, the reigning Australian Open champion, advanced to a Saturday semi-final replay of their 2007 title showdown with impressive quarter-final triumphs Thursday.

Federer advanced to his 18th consecutive Grand Slam semi- final and stretched his US Open win streak to 32 matches by defeating 130th-ranked qualifier Gilles Muller 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 7- 6 (7/5) to end the Luxembourg left-hander's dream run.

"I'm happy to keep the semi-final streak alive. That's a huge streak for a long time," Federer said. "I'm really happy with my mindset going into the semi-finals. I'm happy to take it to the final four one more time."

Federer, who last missed a Slam semi-final at the 2004 French Open, has a 6-2 career record against Djokovic, including a 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 victory in last year's final. "He's an absolute favorite in that match," Djokovic said. "I lost to him last year. For him it's a big challenge to go back to number one. For sure it's going to be a great match."

Djokovic eliminated US eighth seed Andy Roddick 6-2, 6-3, 3- 6, 7-6 (7/5) in Thursday's other Arthur Ashe Stadium quarter- final, the Serbian spurred on by Roddick's jokes to the crowd two nights earlier about Djokovic claiming several injuries.

"Andy said I have 16 injuries. Obviously I don't," Djokovic said, drawing boos from a crowd dominated by Roddick supporters.

"Like it or not, it's like that. They are already against me because they think I'm faking everything. That was not nice to say in front of this crowd that I have 16 injuries and I'm faking it."

It will be the first healthy meeting of Federer and Djokovic since last year at Flushing Meadows.

Djokovic beat Federer in straight sets in the Australian Open semi-finals on the way to his first Slam title, but Federer said he was ill, and Djokovic retired against Federer in an April semi-final on Monte Carlo clay.

Saturday's other semi-final will send British sixth seed Andy Murray against Spanish world number one Rafael Nadal, who seeks his third Slam crown in a row after beating Federer in the French Open and Wimbledon finals.

"Hopefully I can take it one more step than I did at the French Open and Wimbledon," Federer said.

The Swiss ruled the rankings for 237 weeks until last month, when Nadal ended his reign before capturing singles gold at the Beijing Olympics.

"You could see why he was number one," Muller said. "Every time the score was tight he came up with the better shot."

Federer won the only break of the match in the ninth game of the second set on a forehand winner. Muller denied Federer on three break points in the third set on the way to a tie- break, then grabbed a 4-1 edge before Federer rallied.

"I'm happy I was able to come back and pull it out because it looked like it was going to go four," Federer said. "When you are down you try to fight and that's what I tried to do out there."

Muller, who twice rallied to win here after losing the first two sets, upset Russian fifth seed Nikolay Davydenko in the fourth round to become the second qualifier in the US Open final eight after France's Nicolas Escude in 1999. "A lot of people think I should be happy but I'm disappointed because I feel like I had my chances and I didn't take advantage of them," Muller said.

Djokovic made the most of his chances to down Roddick, who was two points from forcing a fifth set until he double faulted twice to give the Serbian his only break point of the set, which Djokovic converted on a backhand lob winner.

"I doubled twice but I don't feel like they were super- tight doubles. I just missed them. I'd probably go for them again. That's what got me back in the match."

Each man held once more to set up the tie-breaker, which went to 5-5 before Roddick netted a backhand volley to give Djokovic match point. The Serbian smacked a service winner and Roddick wass done after two hours and 34 minutes.

Djokovic broke Roddick in four of his first eight service games, providing the margin for claiming the first two sets, but Roddick held serve his next nine chances to set up the fourth-set drama.

"There's not a whole lot of regret about how I played those last two sets," Roddick said. "I dug myself a hole and I gave myself a chance to get out of it but it was too little too late."

Roddick's fifth loss in seven US Open quarter-finals ensured American men would equal their longest Slam title drought at 21 events, matching a five-year hex that the late Arthur Ashe ended by winning the 1968 Wimbledon title.

Chappell sees club franchises as future of cricket

AFP, Singapore

Former India coach Greg Chappell believes cricket's future lies in privately-owned Twenty20 club franchises around the world with Tests taking a back seat.

Chappell, who was this week appointed as the new head coach of the Cricket Australia Centre of Excellence, said he could envisage cricket being organised along the lines of European football clubs.

"I can see a future where a Mumbai club plays New York, plays London, plays Singapore," the former Test batsman told the Straits Times here.

"There'll be club teams based all over the world and I think that's a good development.

"We're going to get to the stage where it is like soccer - the players will play for their clubs and occasionally for their country. So there's always the possibility of conflict, like we see in soccer."

The recent boom in Twenty20 cricket, sparked by the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) this year, has led to concern in some quarters about the future of traditional Test cricket.

There are fears that the riches on offer to players in

Twenty20 tournaments will make the next generation focus on the big-hitting need to flourish in the 20-over game rather than the more disciplined style of five-day Tests.

Chappell said that if the game was to grow beyond its traditional borders, then Twenty20 was the format.

"The relevance of five-day cricket to people in China, the United States and Europe just hasn't been there," he was quoted as saying.

"But they can see the excitement of the short format."

Chappell, a former captain of Australia, played 87 Tests and 74 one-day internationals for his country.

Newcastle begin hunt for new boss

BBC Online

Newcastle have begun their search for a sixth manager in four years after the resignation of Kevin Keegan.

Everton boss David Moyes and former Juventus coach Didier Deschamps are among the names being considered, BBC 5 Live's Jonathan Legard understands.

Moyes was previously mentioned as a possible successor to Sam Allardyce when he left Newcastle in January.

Deschamps, a former Chelsea team-mate of Magpies executive director Dennis Wise, is available at present.

But Legard believes a link-up between Wise and another former Chelsea team-mate, Gus Poyet - currently assistant manager at Tottenham and the bookmakers' early favourite for the job - is not on the cards.

Keegan confirmed he was leaving St James' Park on Thursday evening after days of speculation about his future.

It leaves Magpies owner Mike Ashley looking for his third manager since taking over in June 2007 - and the club's eighth in 11 years since Keegan's first reign ended in 1997.

Moyes, who has yet to sign a new contract with Everton, was among those considered before Keegan returned to St James' Park in January.

Legard said: "Sources in the North-East claim Moyes' name is again in the frame, particularly as his new Everton contract remains unsigned, although I am told that is set to change imminently.

"Whether Moyes would want to work in tandem with Newcastle's director of football Dennis Wise is another matter.

"And whatever his frustrations with Everton's transfer budget, he'll have seen that Newcastle's recent spending power has been flyweight by comparison."

Deschamps, who has also coached Monaco and has previously declared his interest in a job in the Premier League, would fit the club's continental coaching structure.

"Significantly, he's readily available and keen to work in the Premier League," Legard added.

Keegan said his lack of control over Newcastle's transfer policy had been a key factor in his departure and Richard Bevan, chief executive of the League Managers' Association, said the club has to resolve the issue before they appoint a new manager.

"Newcastle failed to create a structure where Kevin Keegan could flourish," Bevan told BBC Radio 4.

"You can't have an orchestra with three conductors. You won't be very successful and people will leave," he said.

"The director of football issue is a broad one.

"If you are going to work with a director of football, what's really important is not whether or not you have one person in charge or not but there is a common purpose and a shared vision and a structure where the manager can actually flourish."

Reports suggest Keegan could be liable to pay Newcastle £2m compensation for resigning just eight months into a three-and-a-half-year contract.

"The dispute between Kevin and the club is in the hands of the lawyers but at no time in our discussions did Kevin talk about compensation," Bevan added.

Keegan's departure has created unrest among the club's fans, who idolise the man who helped them regain their top-flight status as a player and took them to within a whisker of the Premier League title in his first spell as manager.

About 200 angry fans gathered outside St James' Park on Thursday to protest after hearing of his departure, and some were seen scaling the walls attempting to get into the ground.

Since the end of Keegan's first spell as boss in 1997, six other managers have tried to bring a trophy to Newcastle.

Only Sir Bobby Robson, who spent five years at the helm between September 1999 and August 2004, has come close to success.

Robson's side finished fourth, third and fifth in successive seasons and reached the second phase of the Champions League, and the semi-finals of the Uefa and FA Cups.

Kenny Dalglish and Ruud Gullit both guided their teams to FA Cup final defeats, while under Glenn Roeder, they won the derided Intertoto Cup.

But no Newcastle manager has landed meaningful silverware since Joe Harvey's men were victorious in the Fairs Cup in 1969.

Beijing awaits Paralympic launch

BBC Online

Four thousand disabled athletes are making last-minute preparations in Beijing for the Paralympics, two weeks after the end of the Olympic Games.

The Paralympic torch reached Beijing on Friday ahead of Saturday's three-hour opening ceremony at the Bird's Nest, which will feature 6,000 performers.

Almost 150 countries are taking part, with Britain sending 206 competitors.

"We present two Games of equal splendour as a solemn commitment to the entire world," said organiser Wang Wei.

Athens 800m gold medallist Danny Crates will carry the British flag at the ceremony.

The opening spectacular will feature a number of disabled actors and actresses, and focus on themes of space, time and life.

The Games are expected to be declared open at 1300 BST on Saturday and run until Wednesday, 17 September, with athletes competing in 20 events.

The majority of sports take place in Beijing, but Qingdao and Hong Kong reprise their Olympic roles as sailing and equestrian venues respectively.

China, which has entered 332 athletes for the Paralympics, is nearly certain to top the medal table.

British chief Phil Lane has urged his team to "scrap for the top three" on the back of their second place in Athens, where the team won 94 medals, including 35 golds.

Wheelchair athlete Dave Weir, who won silver and bronze in 2004, has vowed to claim victory in at least one of his five events - the 400m, 800m, 1500m, 5000m and marathon.

"This is the most important event in the world to me," said Weir ahead of Saturday's ceremony. "I'm just happy to get one gold, I don't care what it's in."

For the first time in 20 years the British team is missing Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson.

The Paralympic legend won 11 gold medals in five Games before retiring in 2005, handing Welsh compatriot Dave Roberts the chance to overhaul her formidable career tally.

The 28-year-old swimmer has won seven Paralympic gold medals in two Games to date, and enters five races at the Water Cube. "It is an honour to be mentioned in the same breath, but I'm here to focus on me," said Roberts. "If the record comes, it comes."

At the Laoshan Velodrome, British cyclist Jody Cundy is hoping to emulate Chris Hoy's historic Olympic achievement.

"Every time I get on the bike I seem to be going faster and faster," said Cundy, who trains alongside Hoy in Manchester.

"I'm a bit worried about when it's going to plateau but, if it keeps going the way it's going, then I'm really looking forward to how fast I can go."

South African double amputee Oscar Pistorius - dubbed "Blade Runner" due to the carbon fibre blades with which he has won a host of track titles - is expected to star at the Games.

Pistorius, who overturned a ban on his competing in able-bodied sports earlier in the year but failed to reach the Olympic qualifying time, remains one of the best-known figures in disability sport.

His compatriot Natalie du Toit, who finished 16th in the women's 10km marathon swim in last month's Olympics, is expected to dominate in the pool.

The South African, who lost her lower left leg in a scooter accident seven years ago, won five golds and one silver in Athens.

Beijing has made a big effort to become more disabled-friendly ahead of the Paralympics.

Big projects have included disabled access to the capital's subway network, China's first fleet of easy-access taxis, and accessibility for tourist destinations like the Great Wall.

However, some local residents say plans have been flawed - with grooved pavements placed as walking guides for blind people rendered useless, as cars are allowed to park over them.

"We are trying to put in place a social atmosphere that cares about the handicapped and this is a challenge," said organiser Jiang Xiaoyu.

Officials say they expect more than two million tickets to be sold for Paralympic events.