United News of Bangladesh

Steve Smith hit his 36th test century and shared an unbeaten 239-run partnership with Alex Carey as Australia powered to 330-3 at stumps on day two of the second cricket test against Sri Lanka in Galle on Friday. With a lead of 73 runs and seven first-innings wickets in hand, the tourists are in control. Smith anchored the innings with a sublime 120 not out off 239 balls, while Carey took the attack to Sri Lanka with a fluent 139 not out off 156. It was Smith's second ton of the series, while Carey notched up only his second test hundred in style. Australia had slumped to 37-2 before Smith and Usman Khawaja (36) steadied the innings with a crucial 54-run stand for the third wicket. Khawaja, who got a double hundred in Australia's huge win in the first test of the two-match series, looked solid against spin. However, an ill-judged pull shot saw him trapped leg before wicket to off-spinner Nishan Peiris, (2-70 off 21 overs) cutting short his promising start. BPL final: Fortune Barishal need 195 to win 2nd title Smith, too, took time to settle and had a nervy moment on 24, given out lbw before successfully overturning the decision on review. Once past that, he shifted gears and put the Sri Lankan bowlers under pressure. Carey remained a picture of confidence, stroking elegant shots on both sides of the wicket. His sweeps were particularly effective, while Smith, in contrast, relied on his trademark pulls and drives. Smith reached his century with a controlled pull to mid-wicket, while Carey brought up his ton with yet another assured sweep shot. Though Carey outscored Smith and looked the more fluent batter, Smith was ready to grind it out for the long haul. Cricket great Sachin Tendulkar tops the most test tons list with 51. Smith moved into a three-way tie for fifth with England's Joe Root and India's Rahul Dravid. “We know that Steve Smith is someone who has scored runs all over the world,” said Sri Lanka's Kusal Mendis. “His numbers in Asia are unbelievable.” Carey was pushed up to No. 5 as Josh Inglis was unable to bat, having spent time off the field unwell. The wicketkeeper-batter seized the opportunity, smashing 13 fours and two sixes in his knock, while Smith’s patient effort included nine boundaries and a six. Earlier, Sri Lanka had been dismissed for 257 after opting to bat first, a total that looked below par on a decent surface. Kusal Mendis hit a fighting 85 not out. With the new ball due in the morning, Sri Lanka’s bowlers will be fresh and desperate Saturday to make an early breakthrough. “The new ball is around the corner and we need to nullify that and then go on and get as much as possible,” Carey said. “The quality of a player like Steve Smith is that he is a problem solver. He played some risky shots and executed them well.”

Fortune Barishal lifted the title of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) for the second consecutive time beating Chittagong Kings by three wickets on Friday at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. Tamim Iqbal, who led Barishal last year to their maiden title, hit a fifty in the final and led from the front in another final. Barishal now became the third team after Dhaka Gladiators and Comilla Victorians (none of the teams is part of this year’s BPL) to win the BPL title for two consecutive times. Tamim hit 54 off 29 balls with nine fours and one six. In the opening stand, Tamim and Towhid Hridoy forged a stand of 76 runs, which was a good foundation for them to chase a big total of 194 runs. BPL final: Fortune Barishal need 195 to win 2nd title Kyle Mayers scored 46 to lead Barishal after Tamim’s dismissal. Hit three fours and three sixes. In the last 30 balls, Barishal needed 44 runs. In the 16th and 17th over, Barishal scored a total of 19 runs. In the 18th over, they lost two wickets to Shoriful Islam. The left-arm pacer sent Kyle Mayers and Mahmudullah Riyad back, turning the table to Chittagong’s favour. Off the last 12 balls, Barishal needed 20 runs. Rishad Hossain hit Binura Fernando a six and scored a three to bring the target down to eight runs in the last over. Rishad hit another six off the first ball of the last over bowled by Hussain Talat. In the last five balls, Barishal needed only two runs which they scored easily to reach 195 with three balls to play. For Chittagong, Shoriful Islam bagged four wickets for 34 runs, but his effort went in vain he ended up being on the losing side.

Chittagong Kings openers laid a solid partnership of 121 runs while batting first in the final of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) on Friday in Dhaka, and riding on their foundation, the Kings posted a challenging total of 194 for three vs Fortune Barishal. Fortune Barishal won the toss and opted to bowl first. Their plan did not work as the Kings' openers, Khawaja Nafay and Parvez Hossain Emon, laid a strong foundation.

Fortune Barishal won the toss and elected to field first in the final of the Bangladesh Premier League against Chittagong Kings at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Friday. Fortune Barishal Team: Tamim Iqbal (c), Towhid Hridoy, Dawid Malan, Kyle Mayers, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mohammad Nabi, Rishad Hossain, Ebadot Hossain, Tanvir Islam, Mohammad Ali BPL 2025 final: Watch out for these 4 key players  Chittagong Kings Team: Parvez Emon, Khawaja Nafay, Graham Clark, Naeem Islam, Husaain Talat, Shamim Hossain, Mohammad Mithun (c), Binura Fernando, Arafat Sunny, Shoriful Islam, Khaled Ahmed More to follow…..

Finally, the grand finale of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is about to reach its climax, with the defending champions Fortune Barishal and Chittagong Kings set to lock horns at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Friday evening. The final match is always a stage to showcase the best cricketing prowess, and all the players of both teams are set to make their mark. Tamim Iqbal to be accorded formal farewell by BCB during BPL final Whether you are at the gallery of the Sher-e-Bangla, in the comfort of your living room with your eyes glued to the TV screen, or if you are on the go with your tiny mobile screen in your hands, keep your eyes on these four players who can make the final special for their respective teams. Tamim Iqbal: Tamim Iqbal led Barishal to their maiden title last year, and this year, too, he is at the helm and led the team to the final. They now stand just one victory away from back-to-back championships. Tamim’s leadership and impact as a batter have been the guiding light for Barishal throughout the event. En route to the final, Tamim scored more than 350 runs in this edition of the BPL, the most by a Barishal batter this season. If he can continue as their best batter in the final, Barishal can enjoy their second title. Chittagong Kings edge out Khulna to reach BPL final in a nail-biting finish Shamim Hossain: Shamim Hossain played a superb knock of 79 runs in just 47 balls in two matches before the final. He has a name for being a good batter in the crunch moment, and he can score runs quickly, unlike many others. Shamim’s good show can write the fate in favour of the Chittagong Kings in the final. He scored 350 runs in this season of BPL—the most by a local player of the Kings. Towhid Hridoy: Despite having shown promise at the national level in limited-overs cricket, Towhid Hridoy has had a relatively quiet BPL season so far. In the 13 matches he played, he just scored one fifty— far less than what is expected of him. But Hridoy can turn the tide at any moment, and that is why the Barishal fans can keep their eyes on him in the final. A good innings from Hridoy can guide Barishal home. Chittagong Kings need 164 to book a place in BPL final  Khaled Ahmed: Right-arm pacer Khaled Ahmed bagged 20 wickets in 13 matches—the most by a local bowler after Taskin Ahmed. He is the most-wicket taker for his team, and in the final, he can be the x-factor for the Kings on the low and slow wicket of Mirpur. An impactful spell, especially early in the innings or in the crucial death overs, could give the Kings a decisive edge and help them achieve their elusive BPL title.//

Following his double century in the first Test, Usman Khawaja once again demonstrated why he is Australia’s premier batsman in Asian conditions, guiding the visitors past an early setback to reach 85-2 at lunch on Day 2 of the second Test against Sri Lanka, reports AP. At the interval on Friday, Khawaja remained unbeaten on 34, with Steve Smith on 23, as Australia trailed Sri Lanka by 172 runs. Tamim Iqbal to be accorded formal farewell by BCB during BPL final The 38-year-old veteran, appearing in his 80th Test, had showcased his brilliance last week by scoring his first-ever double hundred. He appeared just as composed against spin this time, facing little difficulty from Sri Lanka’s slow bowlers, who had struck early to dismiss Travis Head (21) and Marnus Labuschagne (4). From a precarious 37-2, Australia steadied their innings as Khawaja and Smith put together an unbroken 48-run partnership for the third wicket, positioning the tourists well at lunch. Although Smith experienced some nervous moments, Khawaja remained the epitome of calm. He played with soft hands, used his footwork skilfully, and effectively deployed the reverse sweep once again. With the pitch offering sharp turn, Australia will require a significant contribution from their in-form opener to gain the upper hand. Sri Lanka wins the toss and bats in second cricket test against Australia Earlier, Sri Lanka were dismissed for 257 after resuming from their overnight total of 229-9. Kusal Mendis top-scored for the hosts with an impressive unbeaten 85 but eventually ran out of partners when Lahiru Kumara (2) became Matt Kuhnemann’s (3-63) third wicket of the innings.

Cricket legend  Tamim Iqbal, arguably the greatest batsman Bangladesh has produced, will be given an official farewell from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) during the showpiece final of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) on Friday. Tamim Iqbal-led Fortune Barisal, which is gunning for its 2nd consecutive BPL title, will play Mohammad Mithun’s maiden finalists Chittagong Kings in the title deciding match Friday (Feb 7) evening at the home of Bangladesh Cricket-- Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur. Tamim Iqbal, who was actively considering for the Bangladesh national squad for the Champions Trophy’ 2025, suddenly announced his retirement from international cricket on January 10 this year and also withdrew his name from  BCB’s central contract just before the announcement of the national squad. Star cricketer Tamim Iqbal, who did not retired from international cricket officially on field, so the BCB decided to give farewell him on field presenting co commemorative crest at a function just before the closing ceremony of the ensuing BPL final.    Earlier in July 2023, Tamim suddenly announced his retirement from international cricket with the frustrating of his huge fans, but he changed his decision within a couple days following request of former Prime Minister. Tamim Iqbal made debut in international cricket in 2007 and played the country’s 2nd highest 387 matches (448 innings) to score 15,192 runs across three formats, second-highest for the country next to only Mushfiqur Rahim, including 25 centuries and 94 half centuries.     

Fortune Barishal captain Tamim Iqbal said they are looking forward to winning another title of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) when they take on Chittagong Kings on Friday in Dhaka. Barishal won last year’s title—the first in BPL history. Tamim said they are confident of lifting the title again. Ahead of the final, Barishal are the top team in the points table, meaning they are stepping to the final as the favourite to win the trophy. Chittagong Kings edge out Khulna to reach BPL final in a nail-biting finish In the pre-final press conference, Tamim was delighted with the supporter base the Barishal team has enjoyed throughout the event. “Wherever we played—in Dhaka, Chattogram or Sylhet—we get a lot of support,” Tamim said. “Barishal has been very successful in garnering a great support base.” Chittagong Kings need 164 to book a place in BPL final  While Barishal has been at the top places of the points table, Chittagong have also done well so far. They beat Khulna Tigers to book a place in the final, and they proved that they can be a tough opponent for Barishal in the final. The final will take place at 6:30pm (Dhaka time). And the tickets for the final are already out and on sale.

Dimuth Karunaratne strode to the crease to start his 100th and last test match after Sri Lanka won the toss Thursday and elected to bat against Australia. After an embarrassing defeat by an innings and 242 runs in the first test – Sri Lanka’s worst loss in test cricket – the hosts made three lineup changes in a bid to bounce back in Galle and level the two-match series. Australia made one lineup change, giving a test debut to 21-year-old Cooper Connolly, a batting allrounder from Western Australia who bowls left-arm orthodox spin, at the expense of Todd Murphy. Tickets for ICC Champions Trophy UAE matches on sale The game holds special significance as it marks the farewell test for 36-year-old opener Karunaratne, who amassed 7,172 runs in his first 99 test matches.

Chittagong Kings edged out Khulna Tigers in the last ball of the second qualifier to march to the final of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) on Wednesday in Dhaka. Chittagong won the match by two wickets in the last ball of the innings. In the final set for February 7 at the same venue, Chittagong will now take on Fortune Barishal who won the first qualifier to advance to the final. Chittagong won the toss in their final attempt to make the final and opted to bowl first. They picked up quick wickets early in the innings. But Khulna managed to build their innings slowly. In the last five overs, Khulna posted 76 runs which helped them pass the 150-run mark, and ended up on 163. While Hetmyer smashed 63, Mahidul Islam Ankon was their second-best run scorer with 41 off 32 balls with one four and three sixes. For Chittagong, Binura Fernando, a Sri Lankan left-arm pacer, took two wickets. In response, Chittagong's innings was anchored by opener Khawaja Nafay, who scored a solid 57 from 46 deliveries. Hussain Talat also scored 40 off 25 balls to keep the Kings alive in the contest. Chittagong Kings need 164 to book a place in BPL final  In the last over of the innings, the Kings needed 15 runs to seal the game. They scored exactly this run and marched to the final. Alis Al Islam hit two fours including one in the last ball, and Shoriful Islam also scored a four to seal the game for them. Musfik Hasan bowled the last over, but failed to contain 14 runs. Kings ended the match scoring 164 for eight. For Khulna, Hasan Mahmud and Musfik took three wickets each, but their efforts went in vain. While Barishal won the title once, it will be Kings’ first title if they can beat Barishal in the final on February 7.