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Barisal, Chittagong divisions also earn win: Rajshahi Division posts 4th consecutive wins

UNB, Dhaka

Rajshahi Division posted fourth consecutive wins while Barisal Division earned the third and Chittagong Division registered the second win in the one-day matches of the Ispahani Mirzapore Tea 10th National Cricket League at separate city venues on Wednesday.

A five-wicket haul by Abul Bashar guided Barisal Division to earn a four-wicket victory over Dhaka Division at BKSP in Savar, Rajshahi Division managed a three-wicket win over Khulna Division at Narayanganj Osmani Stadium and a six-wicket haul by Kamrul Islam enabled Chittagong Division to post 27 runs win over Sylhet Division at Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium.

Barisal Division vs Dhaka Division:

Sent into bat first, Dhaka Division scored 187 for all in stipulated 50 overs with Samsur Rahman contributing 56 runs. Abul Bashar grabbed five wickets for 46 runs.

In reply, Barisal reached the target of 188 runs in 48.4 overs for the loss of six wickets with Nasir Hossain scoring unbeaten 73 runs and Shaheen Hossain adding 65 runs. Mohammad Azim hauled two wickets for 48 runs.

Nasir Hossain of Barisal Division was adjudged man of the match.

Rajshahi Division vs Khulna Division:

Put to bat first, Khulna Division were cheaply dismissed for 161 runs in 43.3 overs with Tushar Imran scoring 51 runs.

Sanjamul Islam grabbed three wickets for 15 runs while Alamgir Kabir and Delwar Hossain bagged two wickets each for 37 and 42 runs respectively.

In reply, Rajshahi Division reached the target making 165 runs in 36.3 overs for the loss of seven wickets with Hamidul Islam contributing 47 runs.

Murad Khan hauled four wickets for 38 runs while Dollar Mahmud took two for 30.

Sanjamul Islam of Rajshahi Division was adjudged the best player of the match for his all round performance.

Chittagong Division vs Sylhet Division

Forced to bat first, Chittagong Division made 207 runs for six wickets in reduced 30 overs with Ashraful Hossain contributing 66 runs.

In reply, Sylhet Division were folded their innings for 180 runs in 26.5 overs with Saikat Ali making 33 runs. Kamrul Islam grabbed six wickets for 47 runs.

Australia claim consolation win

BBC Online, Sydney

Australia dismissed South Africa for 272 with only 10 balls remaining to win an entertaining third and final Test and avoid a series whitewash. Graeme Smith, returning to the crease with a broken finger, fell to Mitchell Johnson to hand the hosts victory.

The tourists started the day needing 314 to pull off an unlikely result but lost Neil McKenzie, Jacques Kallis and Hashim Amla in the opening session.

Peter Siddle was man of the match with Smith named man of the series.

Australia's victory meant that they retained their position at the top of the ICC's official Test rankings.

The South Africans had already clinched the three-match series after winning the first two Tests in Perth and Melbourne and began the fifth day on 62 having lost Morne Morkel on Tuesday.

The first session did not go as planned for the tourists with McKenzie falling with the total only moving forward by six runs. Kallis then fell for just four and Hashim Amla went for 59.

AB de Villiers showed some resistance with a solid 56 but was eventually bowled by Siddle, leaving his side on a precarious 193-7 at the tea interval.

Makhaya Ntini held out for over 17 overs, adding a fabulous 50 runs for the ninth wicket, before Dale Steyn was removed lbw by Andrew McDonald for 28.

This set up a dramatic finale as South Africa tried to cling on for the draw with Smith, not having played since retiring hurt with a broken finger and troublesome left elbow in the first innings, deciding to bat.

Smith entered the arena with 7.2 overs left to a standing ovation from the SCG crowd and survived for 17 balls before falling for three to Mitchell.

Man of the match paceman Siddle ended with match figures of eight for 113.

3-dayer vs Zimbabwe: BCB-GP Academy struggle

Sports Reporter

BCB-GP National Cricket Academy struggled to save from almost confirm defeat when they scored 107 for the loss of eight wickets in the second innings against Zimbabwe on the second day of the practice three-dayer at the Shaheed Chandu Stadium in Bogra on Wednesday.

Earlier, Zimbabwe resumed their second innings with the overnight score of 133 for the loss of two wickets and then they added more 140 runs losing rest of the eight wickets.

Electing to bat first, Zimbabwe scored 89 in the first innings on the first day.

Later, BCB-GP National Cricket Academy were bundled out for just 59 runs in the first innings on the first day.

Hamilton Masakadza (55) and Tatenda Taibu (19) resumed their second innings on the second day and Masakadza returned to the pavilion adding more 11 runs.

Tatenda Taibu hit a marvellous 70 facing 90 deliveries. He struck seven shots beyond the ropes.

Ray Price remained undefeated with 27 off 31 balls including four fours and a six and Zimbabwe piled up 273 in their second innings.

Nazmul Hossain bowled extremely well and finished as 16-4-43-4.

Saqlain Sajib claimed three wickets at the cost of 62 runs while Rayhanuddin Arafat took two wickets conceding 41 runs.

Naeem Islam and Kamrul Islam were the two batsmen of the hosts who could reach double-digit figures in their second innings.

Naeem Islam knocked 36 off 103 balls amid five fours while Kamrul Islam hit 31 using 73 deliveries with three fours.

Three of Academy batsmen dismissed for ducks.

BCB-GP National Academy need 197 runs to win and they have just two wickets in hand.

Ray Price grabbed four wickets in the space of 21 runs while Tawanda Mupariwa bagged three wickets at the cost of 21 runs.

Emily scores hattrick: Dhaka Ahabani drub Khulna Abahani 6-0

UNB, Dhaka

Striker Zahid Hasan Emily scored brilliant hattrick guiding holders Dhaka Abahani to earn a massive 6-0 win over Khulna Abahani in the lone second phase match of the Citycell 2nd B. League at the Banganandhu National Stadium (BNS) Wednesday.

With this win, Dhaka Abahani maintained their supremacy in the point table with 29 points while bottom-ranked Khulna Abahani remained at three points, both playing 13 matches.

In the day's match, Emily scored hattrick with four goals in the 12th, 31st, 37th and 46th minutes respectively, while Emeka Christian Ibe struck twice in the 48th and 53rd minutes for Dhaka Abahani.

Today's match: Sheikh Russell KC vs Chittagong Abahani (BNS, 4 pm).

National Kite Festival on January 13 & 14

Sports Reporter

Bangladsh Kite Federation will arange a two-day long National Kite Festival on January 13 & 14 at the Sugandha Saikat in Cox's Bazar.

The organisers hope that thousands of people will take part in the festival.

The budget of the festival has been estimated at Tk twelve lakh while Destiny Group, the sponsor of the festival has given Tk five lakh to the federation. The federation will bear rest of the expenditure.

Marking the ensuing festival, a press conference was held at the confeence room of National Sports Council on Wedneday.

President of Bangladesh Kite Federation Dr AR Khan, Vice-Presidents of the fderation M Hamid, Md Kazi Siraj, General Secretary of the federation Md Shahjahan Mridha Benu, General Manager of the Destiny Group Saifur Rahman Chowdhury Tipu were present at the conference.

A number of five competitions will be held in the festival. They are : Workshop of kite making, modern kite making and flying kites, thread cutting competition, kite flying for women, mural making.

Benu told the reporters that different kinds of kites would be displayed in the festival.

They are : Dragon kites, Delta kites, Box kites, Kingfisher kites, Eagle kites, Dolphin kites, Octopus kites, Snake kites, Frog kites, Phoenix kites Jamini kites, Vessel kites, National Flag kites, Giant Balloons kites etc.

Pakistan award new contracts, retain Malik as captain

Reuters, Karachi

Pakistan awarded new central contracts to 26 players on Tuesday. Saleem Altaf, chief operating officer of the Pakistan Cricket Board, told a news conference in Lahore that all the players had been recommended for the annual contracts by the national selection committee.

"They have been picked on the basis of seniority and performances in the last 12 months," said Altaf while also confirming Shoaib Malik had been retained as captain.

"But if the selectors believe some other player is performing and deserves to be on the contracted list he can also be included."

The board named uncapped batsmen Umar Amin and Azhar Ali on the list of contracted players as a reward for good performances in domestic cricket.

In the past, central contracts were only awarded to players who had been capped by Pakistan.

Altaf also said test match fees had risen to 350,000 rupees ($4,400). That money is paid in addition to the players' monthly salaries.

List of centrally contracted players:

Category A (250,000 rupees per month) - Shoaib Malik, Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, Danish Kaneria, Salman Butt, Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Shahid Afridi

Category B (175,000 rupees) - Yasir Hameed, Mohammad Hafeez, Sohail Tanvir, Faisal Iqbal

Category C (100,000) - Yasir Arafat, Abdul Rehman, Fawad Alam, Rao Iftikhar, Sohail Khan, Nasir Jamshed, Sarfraz Ahmed, Khurrum Manzoor, Saeed Ajmal, Wahab Riaz, Umar Amin, Samiullah Niazi, Azhar Ali.

New Zealand thrash West Indies by seven wickets

Reuters, Sydney

New Zealand crushed West Indies by seven wickets in their third limited-overs one-day international at Wellington on Wednesday.

The Kiwis cruised past the West Indian total of 128 with almost 30 overs to spare to level the five-game series at 1-1 with two games to go after the first match was washed out.

New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori was named man of the match after capturing four wickets as the West Indian batting crumbled.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul top scored with 45 but only three other players made double figures.

New Zealand had no real problems reaching their victory target of 129 with Ross Taylor helping himself to a half-century with an unbeaten 51 off 50 balls.

Beckham makes Milan debut in friendly

Reuters, Dubai

David Beckham made his AC Milan debut with a steady first-half run-out against Hamburg SV in a friendly on Tuesday won 4-3 on penalties by the Italians after the match finished 1-1.

Beckham, 33, has joined the Serie A club on a short loan spell from Los Angeles Galaxy to keep up his fitness and stay in contention for the England team during the U.S. close season.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder was soon involved, sending a long ball into the Hamburg penalty area and seeking out Andriy Shevchenko.

He later set up Alexandre Pato to shoot straight at the Hamburg keeper before being substituted at halftime.

Ronaldinho broke the deadlock for Milan, scoring from the penalty spot in the 61st minute, but Hamburg were quick to equalise with a close-range effort from Collin Benjamin in the 66th minute.

"I'm still part of the national team now," Beckham told reporters. "When I'm playing and when I'm fit the manager has always said there's a chance he'll pick me."

"I've never played in the Italian league before so it's going to be exciting for me."

"To me he gave a very good impression," said Milan's coach Carlo Ancelotti. "Dynamic quality and also he is an intelligent player."

"Obviously he is not at his maximum because for two months he didn't do anything but he had a good week with us and now he is in a good condition and can make a good contribution to the team."

Messi treble gives Barca Cup win over Atletico

Reuters, Madrid

A superb Lionel Messi hat-trick gave Barcelona a 3-1 win over 10-man Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their last 16 King's Cup tie on Tuesday.

The Argentine forward, playing for the first time since the Christmas break, also hit the crossbar and many of the Atletico fans stood and applauded him when he was replaced near the end.

Barcelona made most of the early running at a chilly Vicente Calderon despite resting key players from the team who beat Real Mallorca at the weekend, including Xavi and Samuel Eto'o.

A deft piece of skill from Daniel Alves unlocked the Atletico defence for Messi's opening goal on 12 minutes.

The Argentine international played the ball inside and Alves sent a clever backheel through for him to run on and place a low shot past Gregory Coupet.

Atletico had to play with 10 men for most of the second half after defender John Heitinga felled Messi in the penalty area as he was racing to meet an Alves cross.

The referee showed the Dutchman a red card and Messi sent Coupet the wrong way to double Barca's lead before substitute Tomas Ujfalusi pulled a goal back just over 10 minutes later with a header from Simao Sabrosa's corner. Messi completed his hat-trick on 80 minutes when he picked the ball up in the area, wrong-footed Coupet and lifted the ball into the roof of the net.

Seconds earlier, he had weaved his way through the Atletico defences and crashed a shot against the bar.

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said his side, who lead the Primera Liga by 11 points, had made a big step towards the quarter-finals ahead of next week's second leg.

"I am very satisfied with the effort the players made tonight," he told a news conference. "We kept up a good level of intensity and Messi was magnificent."

EXTRAORDINARY LEVEL

Guardiola's counterpart at Atletico, Javier Aguirre, also paid tribute to Messi.

"He's playing at an extraordinary level. He also has a lot of confidence and that's very positive for his team," Aguirre said.

"We were never really in the game in the first half but in the second half we came out much more brightly.

"But going two down and also down to 10 men against Barca is very complicated. Let's see what happens next week."

There are five more Cup first legs on Wednesday, including holders Valencia's trip to face Racing Santander and 2007 winners Sevilla's match at home to Deportivo Coruna.

The only remaining non-Primera Liga clubs Real Union and Poli Ejido of the Segunda B (third tier) are at home to Real Betis and Espanyol respectively.

The northern derby between the Primera Liga's bottom club Osasuna and 23-times winners Athletic Bilbao is on Thursday, when Mallorca host Hugo Sanchez's Almeria.

The second legs take place on Jan. 14 and 15.