e_Paper_Thursday_December 30, 2016

DT
26
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2016
Mohammedan finish 10th
in top-flight football
Sport
• Tribune Report
Local giant Mohammedan Sporting
Club finished their Bangladesh Premier
League 2016-17 campaign at
a disappointing 10th position after
they were held to a goalless draw
by Uttar Baridhara Club at Bangabandhu
National Stadium yesterday.
The traditional Black and Whites
got a golden opportunity to break
the deadlock in the ninth minute
but Cameroonian defender Pouemi
Landry’s shot from a Masuj Miah
Jony chip hit the crosspiece.
The Motijheel outfit got another
chance to take the lead moments
later but Aminur Rahman Sajib
failed to tap in from a Ismael Bangoura
through pass.
Baridhara also went close to taking
the lead in the 22nd minute but
Guinean defender Sylla Mansa’s
header from a Khalekuzzaman Sabuj
corner hit the crosspost.
Mohammedan concluded their
campaign with 20 points from 22
matches while Baridhara finished
second from bottom in the 12-team
standings with 18 points from the
same number of outings as the former.
Meanwhile in the other game of
the day at the same venue, Sheikh
Russel Krira Chakra and Sheikh Jamal
Dhanmondi Club played out a
1-1 draw.
Sheikh Jamal finished third with
32 points from 22 outings while
Sheikh Russel ended a disappointing
eighth with 25 points from 22
games.•
Action from the Bangladesh Premier League game between Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra and Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club at
Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday
MD MANIK
SAFF WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP 2016
Women hit Afghanistan for six
• Tribune Report
The dominant Bangladesh women’s
football team reached the semi-final
of the South Asian Football Federation
Championship after thrashing
Afghanistan 6-0 in Siliguri’s
Kanchanjonga Stadium yesterday.
In Group B, India had earlier
defeated the Afghans 5-1 and Bangladesh’s
huge victory meant it was
them, alongside the hosts, who
made it to the last four.
Captain Sabina Khatun scored
four times for Bangladesh in the
sixth, 15th, 40th and 44th minute.
The women in red and green
will now face India tomorrow to
Double ton-up Nasir shines in run-filled NCL day three
• Tribune Report
All-rounder Nasir Hossain provided
the perfect answer to his critics
after smashing his maiden firstclass
double hundred as Rangpur
took the first-innings lead against
Sylhet in the third day of the ongoing
18th Walton National Cricket
League’s fifth round yesterday.
Chittagong are in the driving
seat and heading towards a huge
target against Rajshahi while Dhaka
will look to stretch their lead
against Khulna.
Dhaka Metropolis, meanwhile,
managed a first-innings lead
against Barisal, despite the former
posting a modest total.
Dhaka Metro v Barisal, BKSP 3
Dhaka Metro took the all-important
first-innings lead after Barisal were
all out for 280 having resumed the
see who finish as group champions.
Bangladesh had also defeated
Afghanistan 6-1 in the last edition
of the tournament in Pakistan two
years ago with the then young sensation
Krishna Rani Sarkar scoring
a hattrick and Sabina netting one.
With that said, Afghanistan are
not the same side they used to be
before as they have improved in
bits and pieces under their American
head coach. They lost 11-0 and
12-0 against three-time champions
India in the last two editions.
This is the fourth edition of the
Saff Women’s Championship, a
tournament in which Bangladesh
have never reached the final.
third and penultimate day’s play
on 165/5. Overnight batsman Al
Amin was the highest scorer with
89 while Salman Hossain added 55.
Fast bowler Abu Haider Rony
and left-arm spinner Elias Sunny
bagged four wickets each for the
bowling side. Dhaka Metro will resume
the fourth day today on 138/4
and will look to extend their 150-
run lead with six wickets in hand.
Dhaka v Khulna, Fatullah
Dhaka concluded yesterday on
103/3 and are leading by 127 runs
in their second innings after Khulna
were dismissed for 342. Veteran
batsman Tushar Imran struck yet
another century and was eventually
dismissed after scoring 141 off
240 balls with 19 fours.
However, Khulna were 24 runs
shy after Dhaka posted 366. Pace
bowler Dewan Sabbir picked up
Prior to the tournament, forward
Sabina wanted to concentrate firmly
on their first game before eventually
setting their sights on the last four.
No doubt yesterday’s performance
will satisfy her a great deal.
This time around, Bangladesh
women’s team are more confident
with their prospects after the under-16
girls’ immense success in
the Asian Football Confederation’s
U-16 Women’s Championship qualifiers
in September this year. Meanwhile,
Group A comprises Nepal,
Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka.
Nepal thrashed Bhutan 8-0 while
Maldives thumped Sri Lanka 5-2 in
the opening day on Monday. •
five wickets for the bowling side.
Sylhet v Rangpur, Sylhet
It was rather a one-man show in
the tier two game where Nasir remained
unbeaten after blasting a
double ton. The right-hander was
finally dismissed for 201 off 343
balls with the help of 24 fours and
three sixes as Rangpur took their
first-innings lead to 126 runs. They
posted 398 in reply to Sylhet’s 272.
Fast bowler Abu Jayed took
five wickets while Khaled Ahmed
picked up four for the bowling
side. However, Sylhet once against
struggled with the bat in the second
innings and will resume the
fourth day on 43/3 with opening
batsman Imtiaz Hossain still at the
crease on 20.
Chittagong v Rajshahi, Chittagong
Chittagong are in the driving seat
Ivanovic retires at age 29
• Reuters, Belgrade
Former French Open champion
Ana Ivanovic announced her retirement
from tennis at the age of
29 on Wednesday because she no
longer feels fit enough to compete
at the highest level.
Ivanovic became the first Serbian
woman to win a grand slam
tournament when she beat Russian
Dinara Safina in the 2008 French
Open final.
“There is no other way to say it. I
have decided to retire from professional
tennis. It has been a difficult
decision but there is so much to
celebrate,” Belgrade-born Ivanovic
said on Facebook.
“I was the world number one
and won Roland Garros in 2008,
after Rajshahi were bundled out for
230. Left-arm spinner Kazi Kamrul
Islam bagged four wickets for the
bowling side.
In reply, Chittagong finished the
third day on 229/3 with Yasir Ali not
out on 78 while centurion of the
first innings, Tasamul Haque, will
resume the fourth day on 59. •
I have seen the heights I never
dreamt of achieving”.
“I played so many memorable
matches. But staying at those
heights in any professional sport
requires top physical form and it’s
well-known that I have been hampered
by injuries,” Ivanovic said.
“I can only play if I perform up
to my own high standards. I can no
longer do that so it’s time to move
on.”•
18TH NCL, RD 5,
DAY 3
DHAKA METROPOLIS 292 & 138/4 in
42 overs (Marshall 54, Mehrab Jr 30*)
lead BARISAL 280 in 81.2 overs (Al
Amin 89, Rony 4/81) by 150 runs
DHAKA 366 & 103/3 in 32 overs (Saif
26, Raqibul 23) lead KHULNA 342 in
96 overs (Tushar 141, Sabbir 5/58) by
127 runs
CHITTAGONG 315 & 229/3 in 83
overs (Yasir 78*, Tasamul 59*) lead
RAJSHAHI 230 in 72.2 overs (Jahurul
90, Kamrul 4/74) by 314 runs
SYLHET 272 & 44/3 in 15 overs (Imtiaz
20*, Kapali 11*) trail RANGPUR 398 in
119 overs (Nasir 201, Jayed 5/112) by 82
runs