Sports
Bangamata Football: Cox’s Bazar moves to group final eliminating Feni
Cox’s Bazar District moved to the Group A final of the Bangamata National Women’s Football Championship eliminating hosts Feni District by 4-1 goal in tie-breaker at the Bir Shreshto Shaheed Shipahi Mohammad Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur on Tuesday.
Read:Fed Cup Football: Dhaka Abahani moves into semifinal eliminating Sheikh Jamal DC 6-0
The group semifinal between two teams ended in a goalless position in the stipulated period.
Cox’s Bazar will play group final on Wednesday (Jan 5) at 2 pm against Rangamati District, which eliminated Khagrachhari District by 2-1 goal in the group semis on Monday.
BCL Final: Mithun hits maiden double ton
Right-handed batter Mohammad Mithun has notched up his maiden double hundred in the First class cricket on Tuesday at the final of the Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL) 2021 for Walton Central Zone at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
To reply to BCB South Zone’s first innings total of 387, Central Zone lost four wickets inside 16 runs. Mithun and Shuvagata Hom guided Central Zone to 299 without any loss.
Read: BCL Final: Farhad flourishes with ball after Zakir, Mithun smash ton
Central Zone eventually ended up on 438, and along the way, Mithun smashed 206 off 306 balls with 27 fours and three sixes, and Shuvagata posted 116. In the fifth wicket stand, they put up 283 on the board.
206 is now the highest by Mithun in First-class cricket. His previous best was 186.
After the stand was broken by Mahedi Hasan, Jaker Ali scored a fifty for them, and helped them to come out well from their early damage.
Read: BCL final: Central Zone's Hasan Murad shines on Day 1
For South Zone, Farhar Reza and Kamrul Islam Rabbi bagged four wickets each.
At the end of day three, South Zone are trailing by eight runs with nine wickets in hand.
BPL 2022: The Favourites, Outsiders and Underdogs
The 2022 season of the Bangladesh Premier League will begin on January 21 (Friday). The final match of the eighth season of the BPL will be contested at the SBNCS in Mirpur on February 18 (Friday). The defending champion Rajshahi Royals and the 2017 champion Rangpur Riders will not compete this season, while the Barishal franchise has returned to the competition. This year's BPL will feature a total of six teams. Let's take a look at the BPL 2022 favorites, underdogs, and outsiders.
The Front Runners of BPL 2022
Based on their respective strengths, Cumilla Victorians and Fortune Barishal are the two front-runners in the upcoming T20 competition.
Cumilla Victorians
Cumilla are perhaps the best team in the competition, and their coach Mohammad Salauddin is one of the most successful in tournament history. Cumilla won the BPL 2016 under his guidance. Therefore, Salauddin will be expected to lead Cumilla to their third Championship. Cumilla can expect to capture the title in the eighth edition of the BPL final, thanks to the presence of Mustafizur, Liton, Imrul Kayes, and other notable T20 players from across the world.
Also read: NZ-BAN First Test draw can give Bangladesh the pleasure of victory
Top five players of Cumilla Victorians:
Faf du Plessis (batter), Moeen Ali (all-rounder), Sunil Narine (all-rounder), Mustafizur Rahman (Left-arm pacer), Liton Das (batter)
Fortune Barishal
Ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan will lead the Fortune Barishal side in the forthcoming tournament. Barishal have featured some effective players in their lineup, all of whom have widespread T20 experience. The Universe Boss Chris Gayle and Danushka Gunathilaka are among them. Young Afghani off-spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman will be one of Barishal's main strike bowlers. Overall, the Barishal team has the right balance in their quest for the BPL 2022.
Top five players of Fortune Barishal:
Shakib Al Hasan (all-rounder), Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Off-spinner), Chris Gayle (batter), Danushka Gunathilaka (all-rounder), Alzarri Joseph (Pacer)
Read South Africa Dominate as KL Rahul-led India Struggle Day 1 of 2nd Test
The Outsiders of BPL 2022
Dhaka and the Sylhet Sunrisers can be regarded as outsiders in the tournament.
Dhaka
Mahmudullah Riyad is the captain of Dhaka team. They also selected veteran Mashrafe Mortaza and Bangladesh ODI skipper Tamim Iqbal from the players’ draft. However, Dhaka's squad lacks quality backup players, which might limit their chance to perform well in the later stages of the competition. Dhaka's key players must remain fit throughout the campaign in order to advance to the knockout stage.
Top five players of Dhaka:
Mahmudullah Riyad (all-rounder), Mashrafe Mortaza (bowler), Tamim Iqbal (batter), Rubel Hossain (pacer), Mohammad Shahzad (batter)
Read BPL 2022: Five Promising Young Players to Watch
Sylhet Sunrisers
Sylhet Sunrisers will field some of Bangladesh's most well-known cricketers in the forthcoming BPL 2020 tournament. However, finding the right combination may be a huge challenge for the Sylhet side. Players like Taskin, Mithun Ali, and Ravi Bopara would be crucial for Sylhet in the later stages of the tournament. With their present lineup, Sylhet can only be regarded as an outsider to win the tournament.
Top five players of Sylhet Sunrisers:
Taskin Ahmed (pacer), Kesrick Williams (pacer), Ravi Bopara (all-rounder), Dinesh Chandimal (batter), Mosaddek Hossain (all-rounder)
Read ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2022: SWOT Analysis of Bangladesh Team
The Underdogs of BPL 2022
The Khulna Tigers and Chattogram Challengers are the two underdogs of the forthcoming competition, based on the strength of their respective squads.
Khulna Tigers
Mr. dependable Mushfiqur Rahim will lead Khulna in this season's Bangladesh Premier League. Khulna don’t have a big squad and as a result, they do not have enough quality players to put up a serious fight against stronger opponents. The success of Khulna's BPL 8 campaign will be determined by how they manage their team throughout the main tournament. They must devise a winning combination for a successful season. However, Khulna are one of the underdogs in this year's competition.
Top five players of Khulna Tigers:
Mushfiqur Rahim (batter), Thisara Perera (all-rounder), Bhanuka Rajapaksa (batter), Soumya Sarkar (all-rounder, Farhad Reza (all-rounder)
Read ICC U19 World Cup 2022 Fixtures: Bangladesh to Face England in Group Phase
Chattogram Challengers
Chattogram Challengers will field some of Bangladesh's rising superstars in the Bangladesh Premier League 2022. That’s why everyone is interested in the Chattogram franchise. Will this youthful team be able to make it all the way to the final? From a realistic point of view, this Chattogram squad can’t be regarded as one of the favorites, given the team lacks experience. However, they will be one of the most intriguing teams to watch in the forthcoming BPL 2022.
Top five players of Chattogram Challengers:
Nasum Ahmed (left-arm spinner), Benny Howell (all-rounder), Afif Hossain (all-rounder), Shoriful Islam (pacer), Chadwick Walton (wicket-keeper, batter)
Read BPL 2022: SWOT Analysis of all Six Teams
Verdict
After a short assessment of the teams' strengths to determine the tournament's favorites, underdogs, and outsiders, it is evident that the Cumilla Victorians have the best team among the participants. Cumilla Victorians along with Shakib Al Hasan's Fortune Barishal will be the hot favorites this season. Both Dhaka and Sylhet have several national stars in their teams, but neither Chattogram nor Khulna have strong squads. Therefore, Dhaka and Sylhet Sunrisers have an outside chance of winning the BPL 2022. On the other hand, Chattogram and Khulna have some young players in their squads. Both sides will need to find a suitable combination in order to fight hard against the stronger opponents. Hopefully, the best team in the competition will take home the championship.
Read NZ vs BAN Test Series 2022: Five Bangladesh Players to keep an eye on
Ebadot’s late strike strengthens Bangladesh’s command
After an incredible day of a Test match with the help of Ebadot Hossain’s late strike, Bangladesh are hoping for something big in the ongoing Test against New Zealand at Mount Maunganui.
At the end of day four, New Zealand are leading only by 17 runs with five wickets in hand. If Bangladesh can produce another morning session as they did on day two— scalping five New Zealand wickets inside 70 runs— the visitors can hope big from this match, probably, the biggest Test win ever for them.
Ebadot, who averaged more than 80 among the bowlers who scalped at least 10 wickets in Tests, emerged largely on the fourth day afternoon taking three wickets in two consecutive overs and bringing New Zealand down to 136 from two to 136 for five, which eventually kept Bangladesh on the race of winning this match.
Bangladesh sent back Tom Latham early in the second innings as well, when Taskin Ahmed bowled a delivery outside off stumps, and Latham went to drive but only managed an inside edge which shattered his stumps. Devon Conway fell prey as Ebadto’s first wicket when New Zealand were at 63.
Also read: Bangladesh hold firm after imperious batting display
After that, it did seem like a boring draw was coming up. Will Young and Ross Taylor added 73 off 175 balls at the third wicket stand. But when Ebadot managed to trick Young for 69, it seemed the floodgate had opened as the pacer ran a riot after that taking the wickets of Nicholls and Blundell too.
Bangladesh could have taken Taylor too if they had not missed two easy chances— a catch by Shadman Islam and an easy-looking run-out.
New Zealand ended day four at 147 for five in 63 overs, with Ross Taylor and Rachin Ravindra for 37 and six respectively.
For Bangladesh, Ebadot bagged four wickets conceding 39 runs— his best bowling in Tests so far. And the other wicket was taken by Taskin.
Earlier, Bangladesh ended up on 458 in their first innings in 176.2 overs— the most overs played by any team in New Zealand after Pakistan’s 193.2 in 2009. In reply to New Zealand’s first innings total of 328, Bangladesh secured a 130-run lead.
In the first innings, Conway hit a ton for the hosts. And for Bangladesh, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Mominul Haque and Liton Das hit a fifty each while Mehidy Hasan Miraz scored 47 for Bangladesh in Bangladesh’s first innings.
Also read: Mahmudul uncertain for rest of New Zealand series
Meanwhile, Mahmudul is uncertain for the remainder of this series as he suffered a blow on his right hand that required three stitches. Bangladesh’s physio Bayejidul Islam said that the batter will undergo a seven to 10-day observation now, which eventually, made his chance to take any further part in this series lean.
Mahmudul uncertain for rest of New Zealand series
Top-order batter Mahmudul Hasan Joy suffered a nasty blow in his hand which needed three stitches on his right hand, and thus, the batter looks uncertain to take part in the remainder of the series against New Zealand.
While the first Test will end on January 5, the second Test will begin on January 9.
Mahmudul suffered the blow on the fourth day of the ongoing Test while fielding in the second innings of the hosts.
Also read: Unfazed by names, I played deliveries, Mahmudul says after his maiden fifty vs NZ
“His injury is in between third and fourth finger, it needed three stitches,” Bangladesh physio Bayzidul Islam said in a video message from New Zealand. “Mahmudul will now be under observation for seven to 10 days. He’s already given the required medication.”
Mahmudul registered 78 runs in the first innings of the ongoing Test in Mount Maunganui— his maiden Test fifty in the second match.
Also read: NZ-BAN First Test draw can give Bangladesh the pleasure of victory
The 21-year-old batter got his Test cap in the second Test against Pakistan at home where he failed to impress— a duck and six in two innings. He, however, did not take much time to prove his mettle.
South Africa Dominate as KL Rahul-led India Struggle Day 1 of 2nd Test
India’s regular Test captain Virat Kohli is not taking part in the second match of the ongoing Test series against the host South Africa. KL Rahul is leading India in this Test against the Proteas at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg in place of Virat Kohli. As per the acting Indian captain, Virat has an upper back spasm but he will be available for the final Test match of the series. Meanwhile, India have had a poor start to the second Test after being asked to bat first. Let's look at the match scenario at the end of the first day of South Africa vs India 2nd Test 2022.
SA vs IND 2nd Test 2022: Match Scenario
Opener KL Rahul became India's 34th Test captain in this match. So, this is an important milestone in his cricket career. Rahul chose to bat first in the hope of putting up a big first-inning total. However, the Indian batters failed to shine with the bat, as they were all out for only 202 runs just after the Tea break.
Read NZ-BAN First Test draw can give Bangladesh the pleasure of victory
India Struggle in the First Innings
KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal got India off to a good start. They made 36 runs stand between them in the first hour of day one's first session. However, Marco Jansen and Duanne Olivier put the Indian top order under pressure by taking three key wickets in the second hour of the opening session. India were down to 53/3 at lunch, but Rahul stayed at the crease.
India had performed well and kept the scoreboard moving in the first hour of the post-lunch session. However, India lost its momentum once more in the second hour of the session. Two more wickets were lost, including leading scorer KL Rahul (50). India scored 146/5 in the second session. The South African dressing room was optimistic that they could wrap up the Indian innings under 200 runs as they had failed to cope with the Proteas pacers.
Read NZ vs BAN 1st Test 2021: Bangladesh Sustains Hope Till the End of Day 2
Marco Jansen struck again for the hosts in the third session, taking wicket-keeper Rishab Pant in the third over. In fact, South Africa bowled India out within the first hour of the post-Tea session.
Left-arm pacer Marco Jansen was the most successful bowler for South Africa in this innings. He took four wickets for 31 runs in his 17 overs spell. In addition, Kagiso Rabada and Duanne Oliver each took three wickets.
South Africa’s ongoing first innings
In response, South Africa scored 35 runs on day 1 for the loss of Aiden Markram. Medium-pacer Mohammad Shami removed the right-hander through Ibw. Captain Dean Elgar (11*) and Keegan Petersen (14*) have remained undefeated at the crease.
Read BPL 2022: Five Promising Young Players to Watch
South Africa will surely aim for a lead of over 100 runs, which will be a real challenge at the Wanderers cricket ground.
Verdict
South Africa may seize control of the second Test if they bat all day on day two. South African batters must perform well in order to achieve that, and they should be wary of an inspiring Indian bowling unit. On the other hand, India must come out with a lot of aggression in order to gain early wickets on the second day. The match would be evenly matched if South Africa failed to take a big lead in the first innings. Therefore, the second Test between South Africa and India will be quite exciting to watch on day two.
Read ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2022: SWOT Analysis of Bangladesh Team
Fed Cup Football: Dhaka Abahani moves into semifinal eliminating Sheikh Jamal DC 6-0
Dhaka Abahani Limited smartly moved into the semifinals of the Bashundhara Group Federation Cup Football Tournament ’21 crushing Sheikh Jamal DC by 6-0 goals in the last quarter-finals at Bir Shreshta Shaheed Shipahi Mohammad Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur Monday evening.
Former champions Dhaka Abahani Limited will play Saif SC in the semifinal on Thursday (Jan 6) while Mohammedan SC will face Rahmatganj MFS in the other semis on the same day.
In the day’s last quarterfinal, Brazilian striker Dorielton Gomes and local forward Nabib Newas Jibon struck two goals each while captain Raphael Augusto of Brazil and Daniel Colindres of Costa Rica netted one goal each for the popular sky-blue Dhanmondi outfit Abahani, which dominated the first half by 2-0 goals.
Earlier, Rahmatganj Muslim Friends Society reached the semifinal shocking Sheikh Russel KC by 4-3 goals in the extra time as the 3rd quarter-final match between them was locked in 3-3 goals in the stipulated period at the same venue.
Later, the fate of the match was decided in the extra session and local striker Ashraful Islam guided them team to the semifinal scoring match winner in the 119th minute with the frustration formidable Russel KC.
READ: Bangamata Football: Nilphamari emerge group champions beating Rangpur
In the day’s match, Ghanian forward Philip Tettey struck twice in the 28th and 45+3 minutes, Nigerian striker Sunday Chizoba and local forward Ashraful Islam netted one goal each for the old Dhaka outfit Rahmatganj MFS in the 89th and 119th minutes respectively.
On other hand, Brazilian medio Thiago Amaral, Kyrgyz defender Aizar Akmatov and Brazilian forward Ailton Rosa scored one each for the Sheikh Russel KC in the 63rd, 82nd and 84th minutes respectively.
READ: Fed Cup Football: Rahmatganj reach semis eliminating Sheikh Russel 4-3
45th National Athletics: Imranur, Sumaiya emerge as fastest man, woman
Imranur Rahman of Bangladesh Army emerged as the new fasted man of Bangladesh by clinching men’s 100-meter sprint title with new national record in the Sheikh Kamal 45th National Athletics Championship’ 2021 that began on Monday at Bangladesh Army Stadium in Banani here.
Bangladesh Athletics Federation has organized the national meet marking the Birth Centenary of Bangabandhu and the Silver Jubilee of the country’s Independence,
State Minister for Social Welfare Ministry M Ashraf Ali Khan Khasru inaugurated the three-day meet Monday afternoon.
READ: 3-day Bangabandhu 44th National Athletics commences
Imranur, a 28-year-old dual citizen of the UK and Bangladesh, clinched the men’s 100-meter gold with a time of 10.50 seconds breaking late Mahbub Alam’s 22-year old event record of 10.54 seconds set in 1999.
Sumaiya Dewan of BKSP emerged as the new fastest woman of the country by clinching women’s 100-meter sprint title clocking 12;30 seconds.
They dethroned Mohammad Ismail and Shirin Akhter, both of whom finished second to bag silver in their respective event this time.
READ: Bangabandhu 44th National Athletics begins Friday
Fed Cup Football: Rahmatganj reach semis eliminating Sheikh Russel 4-3
Rahmatganj Muslim Friends Society reached the semifinals of the Bashundhara Group Federation Cup Football Tournament ’21 eliminating Sheikh Russel KC by 4-3 goals in the 3rd quarter-finals at the Bir Shreshta Shaheed Shipahi Mohammad Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur on Monday.
They will play Dhaka Mohammedan SC in the first semifinal on January 6 at the same venue while Saif Sporting Club will play in the other semifinal, also on January 6, against the winners of Sheikh Jamal DC and Dhaka Abahani Limited.
The day’s match between Sheikh Russel KC and Rahmatganj MFS was locked in 3-3 goals in the stipulated period.
Also read: Fed Cup Football: Saif, Mohammedan reach semifinals
Later, the fate of the match was decided in extra time as local striker Ashraful Islam guided Rahmatganj to the semifinal scoring match winner in the 119th minute to the frustration of formidable Russel KC.
In the day’s match, Ghanaian forward Philip Tettey struck twice in the 28th minute and first half injury time, and Nigerian striker Sunday Chizoba and local forward Ashraful Islam netted one goal each for the old Dhaka outfit Rahmatganj MFS in the 89th and 119th minute respectively.
On other hand, Brazilian medio Thiago Amaral, Kyrgyz defender Aizar Akmatov and Brazilian forward Ailton Rosa scored one each for the Sheikh Russel KC in the 63rd, 82nd and 84th minutes respectively.
Also read: Fed Cup Football: Mohammedan reach semifinal eliminating Ctg Abahani
Bangamata Football: Nilphamari emerge group champions beating Rangpur
Nilphamari District emerged Group F champions in the Bangamata National Women’s Football Championship defeating Rangpur District by 2-0 goals in the final at the Bir Muktijoddha Shirajul Islam Stadium in Panchagarh on Monday.
After a barren first half, Sabita scored first for Nilphamari in the 49th minute (1-0) while Mitu confirmed the winners’ victory scoring one more goal in the 59th minute (2-0).
In Group A, Rangmati District moved into the final beating Khagrachhari District by 2-1 goals at the Bhasha Shaheed Abdus Salam Stadium in Feni on Monday.
Also read: Fed Cup Football: Saif, Mohammedan reach semifinals
After a goalless first half, Crowching put Khagrachhari team ahead in the 56th minute (1-0) while Julekha leveled the margin for Rangamati District in the 66th minute (1-1) .
Malini scored the match-winner for Rangmati in the 77th minute (2-1) .
In the day’s other Group A match, Cox’s Bazar District reachedthe semifinal eliminating Lakshipur District by 6-0 goals at the same venue.
Also read: Fed Cup Football: Mohammedan reach semifinal eliminating Ctg Abahani
Maria made a hattrick scoring three goals in the 36th, 40th nd 51st minutes, Sumaiya struck two in the 56th and 82nd minutes while Salma scored the remaining goal for Cox’s Bazar in the 13th minute.