The New Nation - Internet Edition

England-India 1st ODI today

AP, New Delhi

England's record of winning all its one-day internationals under new captain Kevin Pietersen will be severely tested as the tourists fight poor form and injury concerns going into Friday's opener of a seven-game series against India.

Arriving in India after an embarrassing 10-wicket defeat by the West Indies-based Stanford Superstars in a one-off $20 million Twenty20 match, England was bowled out for just 98 runs in its tour warm-up game Tuesday against a Mumbai XI.

Pietersen, who led England to wins in all four one-dayers since taking over the captaincy, says his batsmen need to greater focus for the coming games, and must learn from the tour match debacle.

"It has taught us a few quick lessons, I don't see that as a bad thing," Pietersen said.

England is also seeking an effective bowling combination, including paceman Jimmy Andersen and lone spinner Samit Patel in the lineup for the first one-dayer.Paceman Stuart Broad passed a fitness test and was included, after fast bowler Ryan Sidebottom was ruled unfit.

England is ranked third in the one-day rankings and India is placed fifth, but India has been buoyed and hardened by a just-completed series win over Australia while England was relatively short of competitive cricket.

After the opener in Rajkot, the series will continue on to Indore (Nov. 17), Kanpur (Nov. 20), Bangalore (Nov. 23), Cuttack (Nov. 26), Gauhati (Nov. 29) and New Delhi (Dec. 2). The one-dayers will be followed by two tests.

England last won a limited-overs series in India in 1984-85 when it prevailed 4-1. It drew limited-overs series in 1992-93 and 2001-02 but was hammered 5-1 when it last toured India in 2006.

Rejuvenated after new skipper Mahendra Dhoni took over India's one-day captaincy last year, the hosts will be looking to avenge a 4-3 series defeat in one-dayers when it toured England last year.

Dhoni lost his first one-day series to Australia at home last year, but went on to lead India to a tri-series triumph in Australia this year, followed by another win in Sri Lanka.

India goes into the contest against England fresh from a 2-0 test series victory over Australia, but Dhoni said switching to the one-day format so quickly would be difficult.

"Playing back to back series is never easy, and we've just had three days between five-day tests to one-dayers," Dhoni said.

Star batsman Sachin Tendulkar is being rested from the initial three one-dayers, while paceman Ishant Sharma was left out after spraining his ankle in the final test against Australia.

Bangladesh Cricket team announced for two Tests against South Africa

Sports Reporter

Bangladesh Cricket Board announced on Thursday the 15-member Bangladesh National Cricket team which will play two Test matches against South Africa National Cricket team in South Africa. Bangladesh Cricket team conceded a 2-0 defeat by South Africa in the three-match ODI series. Bangladsh started their ODI campaign with a meagre start as the tigers lost to the Proteas by 61 runs in the first ODI on November 7.

Bangladesh tasted a formidable 128-run defeat by their counterpart South Africa in the second ODI on November 9.

Later, the third ODI match between Bangladesh and South Africa was washed out by rain on November 12.

Bangladesh will face South Africa in the first Test match, which starts on November 19.

The Tigers will meet the Proteas in the second Test match, which begins on November 26.

Their is no change in the ODI squad of Bangladesh team, which are now touring in South Africa.

The players of the 15- member squad, which will take part in the two-Test match series against the hosts South Africa, are : Mohammad Ashraful (captain), Mashrafe Bin Mortaza (vice-captain), Tamim Iqbal, Zunaed Siddique, Shakib Al Hasan, Mehrab Hossain (Junior), Shahadat Hossain, Mahbubul Alam Robin, Abdur Razzak, Imrul Kayes, Roqibul Hassan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Naeem Islam, Syed Rasel and Nazmul Hossain.

Maradona could resign as Argentina coach

Reuters, Buenos Aires

Diego Maradona, appointed Argentina coach last week, could quit if he does not get his way over his choice of assistant, Argentine media said on Wednesday.

Maradona, one of soccer's greatest players and one of its most volatile, has reportedly run into a deadlock with Argentina Football Association (AFA) president Julio Grondona over his choice of assistant.

Maradona, due to make his debut in next Wednesday's friendly away to Scotland, has said he wants to appoint former team mate Oscar Ruggeri, a personal rival of Grondona.

Grondona, who has voiced his opposition to the idea, refused to comment on the situation on Wednesday but admitted outside AFA headquarters that he was not on good terms with Ruggeri.

"I don't like his face," said Grondona as he forced his way through a crowd of reporters to his car. "It's a personal thing."

Div II Football: Bangladesh Boys edge past East End

Sports Reporter

Bangladesh Boys Club edged past East End Club 1-0 in the day's lone match of the Second Division Football League at the Kamalapur Bir Sreshtha Shaheed Sepoy Mohammad Mostafa Stadium on Thursday.

After a barren first half Alam of Bangladesh Boys Club scored the all-important goal in the 70th minute of the game.

After yesterday's outcome, Bangladesh Boys Club secured 24 points from 13 matches while East End Club collected 22 points from as many matches.

Today Sadharan Bima KS will take on Gazir Chat SC while Police Ac will face Friends Social Welfare Organisation.

DMP team emerge champions in Police Kabaddi Competition

UNB, Dhaka

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) team emerged champions in the Bangladesh Police Kabaddi Competition beating APBN team by 59-24 points in the final match at the Rajarbag Police Lines ground here on Thursday.

Bazlur Rashid of DMP team was adjudged the best player of the match.

IGP Nur Mohammad witnessed the final match as chief guest and later distributed prizes among the participants. Other high officials of police were also present on the occasion.

Bangladesh beaten 2-0 by Indonesia

UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh seemed crashing out of the 3rd Grand Royal Challenge Cup tournament after conceding a 2-0 goal defeat to Indonesia in their crucial second group A match at the Thuawana Youth Training Football Stadium in Yangon on Thursday.

They conceded both the goals in the first half, according to a message received here in the evening.

It was a must-win situation for Bangladesh in their match against Indonesia to keep the semifinal berth alive. Bangladesh earlier held strong Myanmar to a goalless draw in their opening Group match.

Mohammedan CA registers 7-wicket win over Pallabi Imperial

UNB, Dhaka

Mohammedan Cricket Academy registered a seven-wicket win over Pallabi Imperial in a super league match of the 3rd Division qualifying cricket at Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium.

Opted to bat first, Pallabi Imperial scored 135 runs for all in 37.3 overs with Saiful scoring 38 runs. Masud grabbed three wickets for 37 runs.

In reply, Mohammedan Cricket Academy reached the target making 139 runs in 26 overs for the loss of three wickets with Ruman contributing 50 runs. Saifuzzaman bagged two wickets for 34 runs.

Results of the day's other matches: Winning Run (116/5) beat Mirpur Dream Boys (115/10) by five wickets at Dhaka University ground; Rare Cricket Club (243/9) defeated Lutfar Rahman KS (176/10) by 67 runs at Gulshan Youth Club ground and BKSP (Green) (138/9) edged past Heritage Cricketers (137/10) by one wicket at City Club ground.

Big wins for Bachelors, Victoria

Sports Reporter

Bachelors SC and Victoria SC posted massive victories in the Green Delta Insurance First Division Hockey League on Thursday.

In the day's first match, Bachelors SC blanked Shishu Kishore Sangha 6-0 at the Moulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium on Thursday.

Taleb, Azam of Bachelors scored two goals and their teammates Maruf, Roman successfully struck one time each on the board.

In the day's other match, Victoria SC drubbed Uttara Hockey Club by five goals to nil at the same venue.

Yousuf, Iftekhar of Victoria netted two each and their teammate Rashed scored one.

Akmal blows carry Pakistan to thrilling victory

Reuters, Abu Dhabi

Big-hitting from Kamran Akmal in the final over carried Pakistan to a four-wicket win over West Indies with one ball to spare in the first one-day international at the Sheikh Zayed stadium on Wednesday.

Akmal smashed pacer Jerome Taylor for successive sixes and took a three off a misfield to settle the issue as Pakistan overhauled their target of 294. Chris Gayle hit 113, his 17th ODI hundred, in a total of 294 for nine but it was overshadowed as allrounder Fawad Alam (26) and wicketkeeper Akmal (24), who came together with 33 required from 17 balls, got Pakistan home.

Debutant fast bowler Lionel Baker took three wickets for West Indies but the hosts were boosted by half-centuries from Khurrum Manzoor (69), Younis Khan (56) and captain Shoaib Malik (66).

Malik hit six fours and one six after opener Salman Butt struggled for 53 balls to score 24 runs in an opening stand of 64 with Manzoor.

Earlier, Gayle bludgeoned his 113 in 106 balls with 11 fours and five sixes as his side took full advantage of a good batting track after winning the toss.

Pakistan, though, pegged West Indies back by grabbing six wickets in the final 10 overs.

Four more national records set up on day two in national swimming

UNB, Dhaka

Four more national records were bettered on the 2nd day of the four-day 23rd Mercantile Bank National Swimming Championship at the National Swimming Complex in Mirpur on Thursday.

BKSP swimmer Sonia Akhter, who made two national records in the women's 200-meter butterfly and 400-meter Individual medley on the first day (Wednesday), created another national mark on Thursday clocking 1:13.85 seconds in the 100-meter butterfly. She bettered the event's old record of 1:14.66 made by Laboni Akhter Jui.

Mahfuzur Rahman, also from BKSP, made the day's second record in the men's 200 meter freestyle with a timing of 2:00.58 seconds to improve upon his previous record of 2:02.09.

Army swimmer Shahjahan Ali Ronny made the day's third record in the 100 meter breaststroke clocking 1:07.76 seconds. He bettered the event's old record of 1:07.78 made by celebrated swimmer Karar Samedul Islam.

Bangladesh Ansar team comprising Sabura, Dolly, Lovely and Laboni made the day's 4th and last record in the women's 4x100m freestyle relay with a timing of 4:37.25 seconds, bettering the old mark of 4:41.99 seconds.

A total of six new national records were made on the first two days with the day's four new national marks.

After the 2nd day's swimming competitions, BKSP dominate the medals table securing seven gold, six silver and three bronze medals. Bangladesh Army followed with five gold, five silver and three bronzes while Bangladesh Navy are a distant third with two gold, two silver and four bronzes.

In the diving competition, Bangladesh Army top the list securing two gold and two silvers. BKSP bagged one silver medal, while Jessore DSA won a lone bronze medal.

Daily Star emerge as champions

Sports Reporter

Daily Star emerged as the champions of the Pepsi-DRU Inter-House Cricket Tournament when they defeated the runners-up Bhorer Kagoj by 13 runs in the final at the Moulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium on Thursday.

Coin-favoured Daily Star made 81 for the loss of three wickets and then they restricted Bhorer Kagoj to 68 runs for the loss of four wickets. AK Azad of Daily Star was adjudged the Man of the Match.

In the day's semi-final, Daily Star (88/1) eliminated Independent (47/2) by 41 runs. Jasim Uddin of Daily Star earned the prize of the Man of the Match.

In the day's other semi-final, Bhorer Kagoj (49/1) outplayed Channel i (48/1) by four wickets. Rakibur Rahman of Bhorer Kagoj was adjudged the Man of the Match.

After the final match Country Manager of Pepsi Cola International Tejinder Khurana distributed the prizes among the winners as the chief guest while Executive Director and CEO of Transcom Beverages Limited Golam Quddus Chowdhury, General Manager Khurshid Erfan Chowdhury were along with him as the special guest.

Vice-President of DRU Parvez Khan, General Secretary Elias Khan, Sports Secretary AKM Kamruzzaman Hiru, former sports secretary of DRU Monwar Haque, General Secretary of Bangladesh Handball Federation Asaduzzaman Kohinoor were present at the time.

A total of 32 media including five print media took part in the knock-out basis cricket tournament for the reporters.