The New Nation - Internet Edition

Tigers reach South Africa after 16-hour journey

BSS, Dhaka

The Bangladesh cricket team reached South African shores virtually unnoticed on Monday after completing a 16-hour journey for a challenging month-long tour.

Officials of Bangladesh High Commission and Cricket South Africa received the team at the Oliver Tambo Airport at 8:35am local time (12:35pm BST) and there was no media in attendance, according to reports on BCB website today.

As the players came out of the terminal, the odd clap and 'welcome to South Africa' chants from locals in the waiting area was the closest to a sporting reception for the tourists who headed straight for the team hotel, the Palazzo Montecasino. However, the coach ride, which would normally take 40 minutes at most, lasted two hours due to a traffic jam.

With no training scheduled for the day, the squad had lunch inside the sprawling Montecasino entertainment complex adjacent to the hotel before settling in. Montecasino is a major recreational centre in Johannesburg and boasts the biggest movie screen in Africa called the "Il Grande".

It also has a casino and a skate park, restaurants, a 135 meter high baloon ride and a birds sanctuary. Built to look like an old Italian castle the complex even has a fascinating artificial sky inside.

The Bangladesh side will begin their preparation from tomorrow when they train at the Wanderers in the morning. There is gym and swimming scheduled for the afternoon. The weather has been a sunny and comfortable mid-20 degrees.

The tour gets underway on Wednesday with a T20 international against the hosts.

Another reports received in Dhaka from Johannesburg said that the South African fast bowler Dale Steyn is set to make his return after illness in a Twenty20 international against Bangladesh at the Wanderers Stadium here on Wednesday.

Steyn, the International Cricket Council's Test player of the year, missed the two-match series against Kenya which ended on Sunday after suffering from a virus.

South African captain Graeme Smith, who is also recovering from a tennis elbow injury, will not play in the Twenty20 international but is hoping to be in action in the first one-day international in Potchefstroom on Friday.

Bangladesh will play three one-day internationals and two Test matches on their month-long tour. The first Test starts in Bloemfontein on November 19.

South Africa have a flattering record against Bangladesh, who were beaten by heavy margins in all three one-day internationals and lost both Tests by an innings on their only previous tour in 2002/03.

They have also won all four Test matches and six one-day internationals on two tours to Bangladesh - but Bangladesh caused an upset in the 2007 World Cup when they beat the Proteas in Providence, Guyana.

Fixtures:

Nov 5: Twenty20 international, Johannesburg.

Nov 7: First one-day international, Potchefstroom.

Nov 9: Second one-day international, Benoni.

Nov 12: Third one-day international, East London.

Nov 15-16: Two-day match v SA Airways XI, Kimberley.

Nov 19-23: First Test, Bloemfontein.

Nov 26-30: Second Test, Centurion.

Radcliffe romps to New York win

BBC Online

Defending champion Paula Radcliffe stormed to victory in the New York Marathon ahead of Ludmila Petrova and Kara Goucher of the United States.

She became the second woman to win the race three times, but unlike her 2004 and 2007 wins this was by a big margin.

Radcliffe finished in two hours, 23 minutes, 56 seconds, nearly two minutes ahead of the 40-year-old Petrova.

The Russian became the oldest woman to finish in the top two since Britain's Priscilla Welch, 42, won in 1987.

Goucher, making her marathon debut, become the first American on the podium since Anne Marie Letko was third in 1994.

Petrova, who won the race in 2000, clocked a time of 2:25:43, just ahead of Goucher (2:25:53).

Radcliffe's success came after a year marred by injury which prevented her from preparing properly for the Beijing Olympics.

In 2004, her victory over Susan Chepkemei in a close finish came nine weeks after her failure to finish the Olympic marathon in Athens.

And last year's equally hard-fought win over Gete Wami marked her return to racing following the birth of her first child Isla 10 months earlier.

"It was tough out there because of the wind - everybody wanted to run behind me," said the 34-year-old after her latest triumph.

"This year I was determined to feel comfortable at the halfway point. The last two times it's been a really close finish, so it was nice to make it a little easier on my husband (Gary Lough).

"I definitely think I could have run a course record on a calm day but the conditions are what they are on the day and you can't go guessing what times might have been.

"The most important thing for me was to come here and win the race but I do believe women should be able to run under 2:20 on this course. We definitely threw a minute away in the first mile."

Radcliffe has only ever run 10 marathons, winning eight of them. Her only failures have come in the last two Olympics.

She added: "It does make it frustrating because you think, 'Why can I get it right all the time in New York and I can't get it right there?' But sometimes you have to take what life gives you."

Britain's Hayley Haining finished 12th in 2:35:11, just under four seconds ahead of compatriot Lucy Macalister (2:39:25).

Brazil's Marilson Gomes dos Santos won the men's race, with Abderrahim Goumri of Morocco second, followed by Kenyan Daniel Rono.

Dos Santos fell off Goumri's pace in the 20th mile but surged ahead in Central Park to win in an unofficial time of 2:06:43, with Goumri runner-up for the second year in a row in 2:07:08.

Dhaka takes overall 271 run lead against Khulna Division

UNB, Dhaka

Hosts Dhaka Division took an overall 271 runs lead against Khulna Division on the 2nd day of the 4th round four-day match of the Ispahani Mirzapore Tea 10th National Cricket League at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium (SBNS) here on Monday.

After having a 141-run first innings lead, Dhaka Division began their 2nd innings to score 130 for 3 in 47 overs when the bails were drawn for the 2nd day.

National discard Mahmudullah Riyad and Marshall Ayub were batting on 30 and 10 runs respectively. Number three Shamsur Rahman contributed 46 runs off 70 balls with five fours while skipper cum opener Javed Omar made 32.

Nazmus Sadat and Dollar Mahmud took one wicket apiece.

Earlier, replying to Dhaka Division's 1st innings total of 251/9 dec., Khulna Division were bundled out today for a paltry first innings score of 110 in 44.1 overs after resuming with overnight 18 for none.

Skipper Tushar Imran remained unbeaten on 50 off 102 balls with six fours and a six while Sahagir Hossain Pavel was the other batsman to reach the double figure making 13.

Arafat Sunny picked up four wickets for 45 runs while Riyad and Emon Ahmed took two wickets each.

Brief score:

Dhaka Division 1st innings - 251/9, 2nd innings 130/3 in 47 overs, Javed 32, Elias 9, Shamsur 46, Riyad batting 30, Marshal 10, Sadat 1/25, Dollar 1/28.

Khulna Division 1st innings - 110 for all in 44.1 overs, Tushar not out 50, Sahagir 13, Sadat 9, Raihan 9, extras 11, Sunny 4/45, Riyad 2/4, Emon 2/21.

Solaiman-Shaheen Parishad sweep swimming federation poll

UNB, Dhaka

Solaiman-Shaheen Parishad swept the Bangladesh Swimming Federation election with full panel at the voting held at the National Sports Council (NSC) Monday.

The four elected vice presidents are Alhaz Mohammd Solaiman 60, Hakiul Islam, 57, Mojibor Rahman, 54, and Emranur Reza Chowdhury, 44, backed by the district forum, club and services organizations.

Jasim Uddin, 50, and Golam Mostafa, 47, have been elected joint secretaries.

Of the 77 councilors, 69 cast their votes in the election.

Earlier, Bangladesh Navy chief vice admiral Sarwar Jahan Nizam as president, Mahbubur Rahman Shaheen as general secretary, SM Alam as treasurer and 16 executive members were elected unopposed.

Shishu Kishore beat Uttara Hockey Club 3-1

UNB, Dhaka

Shishu Kishore Sangha came from behind to beat Uttara Hockey Club by 3-1 goals in the only match of the Green Delta Metropolis First Division Hockey League at the Maulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium today (Monday).

Masud Rana put Uttara Hockey Club ahead in the 7th minute. But Nahidul Hasan soon restored parity for Shishu Kishore with a goal in the 9th minute.

Omar Faruk scored in the 42nd minute to put Shishu Kishore in the lead, while Nahidul Hasan netted his second goal in the 64th minute to seal the fate of the match.

Today's matches: Police AC vs Mukta Bihanga Tarun Sangha (1:15 pm), and Bachelors Club vs Dhaka wanderers Club (3 pm).