Main Page «
Front Page «
Metro «
Business «
International «
National «
Editorial «
Op-Ed «
Home «
Timeout «
Letters «

Archive «
Launch Supplement «
Special Supplements «

England captain Michael Vaughan was a relieved man after seeing his side thrash Bangladesh by an innings and 261 runs inside three days to win the first Test at Lord’s here Saturday.
   ‘It was a good performance,’ Vaughan told reporters after England completed the tenth biggest innings win in Test history.
   ‘Before the game I mentioned the word banana-skin and it always is a banana-skin when you come into a game like this.
   ‘But after our first 10 overs where we weren’t quite at our best in the field I thought we were excellent throughout the whole of the match.
   ‘It was nice to get it over with fast. I thought we were ruthless in the field and very dominant with the bat,’ said Vaughan ahead of an additional extra hour’s fielding practice ordered by coach Duncan Fletcher
   England face Australia, the world’s best side, in an Ashes Test series starting at Lord’s in July and Vaughan added: ‘We are going to be playing a very important game here in a few months’ time and it’s nice to have bowlers bowling at their end and batsmen getting used to the slope.
   ‘It was good for Ian Bell (65 not out) to spend a couple of hours at the crease in his first Test at Lord’s and should show its rewards later on.
   ‘Overall it was a great performance and we must do exactly the same at Durham next week (where the second and final Test of the Bangladesh series starts on Friday).
   Bangladesh’s latest defeat left them with just one win from 37 Tests and yet again raised questions about their right to be playing Test cricket even though the International Cricket Council (ICC) have repeatedly insisted there is no question of revoking their status.
   And when the point was put to Vaughan he said: ‘It’s up to ICC to make that decision not me.’
   Asked if he’d prefer a tougher contest before the Ashes, Vaughan replied: ‘Players can only play against what’s in front of them. We expected to win and we expected to win well and I think we’ve done exactly that. Players don’t set out the schedules we just turn up and play.
   ‘You are under pressure everyone expects you to get hundred. There’s been harder Test hundreds and you can lose your shot selection. I thought we were pretty good in that respect.’
   During the course of the game veteran middle-order batsman Graham Thorpe - set to appear in his 100th Test next week - announced he’d be playing and coaching in New South Wales from January, ruling himself out of England’s tour of India.
   Thorpe’s announcement increased speculation that the Surrey left-hander, 36 in August, was set to announce his international retirement after the Ashes.
   But Vaughan insisted that Thorpe’s decision had not changed anything as far as the remainder of the current season was concerned.
   ‘There are still six Test matches to play and I’m sure they are six Test matches he’ll want to be available for.
   ‘It’s now down to the selectors to decide if they feel he’s good enough to get in the England team.
   ‘We’ve known for a couple of years that he’s quite old so that doesn’t change a lot,’ added Vaughan jokingly after a Test where Thorpe scored an unbeaten 42.
   ‘He’s brought a lot to a relatively young team. I just want the best England team, the best players out there and probably at the moment Graham Thorpe is in that XI.
   ‘Simon was excellent in the first innings, he got the ball swinging and that’s not something we’ve seen him do too many times before, swinging the ball away from the right-hander and that bodes well for the future,’ Vaughan said.
   England’s victory, with more than two whole days to spare, meant Vaughan, a Sheffield Wednesday fan, could now see his beloved soccer club play in Sunday’s League One play-off final against Hartlepool in Cardiff.
   ‘I’ll be going and hopefully they (Wednesday) will go well,’ Vaughan said.

Michael William Gatting, the legendary batsman and former captain of England, who led England to Ashes series win in 1986-87. The cricketer personally invited Bangladeshi journalists to a party at Lord’s on Saturday. In an interview, the man talked about the prospect of England in the Ashes series, current world cricket situation and of course, about Bangladesh cricket.
   New Age: Another Ashes series is looming, would you like to predict the outcome?
   Mike Gatting: I think this year we have got a great chance to beat Australia because the current England squad is well-organised. So, if they can stay fit, there is a good chance to win the series.
   NA: England may be an organised side now, but don’t you think there is a lack of real talent in the side?
   MG: I don’t think so. There are some very good players in the team at the moment and a lot of talented players will be coming up in the future. I think the future of England cricket is very bright.
   NA: What about the Bangladesh team? What was their problem at Lord’s?
   MG: I think Bangladesh batsmen enjoy batting. The wicket of Lord’s is bouncy, so it was not very easy to bat here for many teams. So it was natural for them to get out cheaply. In addition, I think they were very nervous too. They tried to play like one-dayers in the first innings, which was a sign of their nervousness. However, it is interesting to see that some Bangladesh batsmen realised their faults and tried to stay in the middle during the second innings.
   NA: Would you like to help Bangladesh team?
   MG: Bangladesh have got a very good coach in Dav Whatmore. I think Bangladesh did a nice job recruiting him.
   NA: Who is your favourite Bangladeshi player?
   MG: I like the guy (Mushfiqur Rahim) who scored a century here against Northamptonshire. I think he is very brave and ready to fight against any country.
   NA: Do you have any advice for Bangladesh cricket?
   MG: I know, in Bangladesh, there are two very good cricket venues in Dhaka and Chittagong along with, a nice sports facility at the BKSP. So to do well you have to increase the cricket facilities and reorganise the cricket structure. The more you play cricket the more you earn experience.
   NA: Who are the best bowler and batsman in the world right now?
   MG: A difficult question to answer.  I think it is Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath. Both deserve to be the best bowlers in the world. And the best batsman is from among Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara and Jack Kallis.
   NA: Who will win the next World Cup?
   MG: I think, it will be an open tournament. West Indies, Pakistan and India are playing good cricket and have some young talented players. Australia will be missing some of their main players by the time the World Cup starts. Surely, it will be an open tournament for all.

West Indies (345 & 168/4) lead Pakistan (144) by 369 runs at stumps, day 2
   Pacers Fidel Edwards (5-38) and Corey Collymore (3-20) bowled out Pakistan for 144 runs to put West Indies in the driving seat at the close on the second day of the first Test in Barbados on Friday.
   After deciding against enforcing the follow on when Pakistan were bowled out 201 runs short of their first innings target of 345, West Indies had progressed to 168 for four at stumps to extend their overall lead to 369 runs.
   Pakistan did well to remove first innings centurion Brian Lara (48), who had seemed in sublime form, as they took four wickets in the final session with Devon Smith (10), Ramnaresh Sarwan (1) and Chris Gayle (50) falling in successive overs.
   Lara again dominated the bowling with some superb strokes in a 52 ball innings that included five fours and a six before being smartly stumped by Kamran Akmal beaten by Shahid Afridi outside off-stump. His wicket with West Indies on 137 gave Pakistan hope of a fightback as Lara had threatened to take the game away from them hitting a big six off leg spinner Danish Kaneria over long-off.
   West Indies, who were given their best opening stand of the season (59) by Gayle, reaching his 19th Test 50 from only 57 balls, and Smith still appear to have their best chance of scoring their first win of the season.
   Smith was the first to go, caught behind by Akmal off Abdul Razzaq after a dour innings of 45 balls. Afridi than struck in the next over to have Sarwan caught behind off an inside edge, while Gayle was caught bat and pad at short leg in Kaneria’s first over.
   The home side were put in a dominating position due to big-hearted and disciplined bowling performances from Edwards and Collymore who ran through the visitors batting either side of lunch.

Twenty20 at Lord’s!
   According to former England captain Graham Gooch, Bangladesh played Twenty20 cricket against England at Lord’s. Gooch was astonished to see at the way Bangladesh lost the match quickly giving him an early chance to have lunch on the third day of the match.
   ‘This is not a Test match. The way Bangladesh played it looked like they were playing Twenty20 cricket here. They didn’t impress me at all,’ Gooch told New Age during lunch.
   ‘Bangladesh should play more cricket and gather experience to do better in Test matches. They should play against the A teams of the other countries before playing a Test match,’ advised the former England captain.
   
   Bangladesh get all the support
   Bangladesh got full support of the England fans on the third day of the first Test at Lord’s. It was interesting to see thousands of English cricket lovers coming to watch the third day’s proceedings when the match had been expected to finish within half an hour.
   However, Bangladesh did not frustrate the England supporters surviving till almost lunch. During the time of play they got cheers from the English supporters when a run was scored. An official of Lord’s informed more than 17,000 tickets were sold for the match and the third day saw a better attendance than the first day. Around 15,000 tickets were sold on the first day.
   On the second day, more than 22,000 tickets were sold, the highest number in three days. ‘We are happy with the sale of tickets. We did not expect to sell so many tickets,’ added the official, smiling.

Russia’s position as the superpower of women’s tennis was hammered home on Saturday as Maria Sharapova, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Nadia Petrova and Elena Bovina all reached the French Open last 16.
   Second seed Sharapova, a quarter-finalist here in 2004, reached the last 16 with a 6-1, 6-4 win over another Russian Anna Chakvetadze, sixth seed Kuznetsova defeated America’s Marissa Irvin 6-1, 2-6, 6-0, Petrova, seeded seven, eased past Shahar Peer of Israel 6-3, 6-1 with 12th seed Bovina beating French 17th seed Tatiana Golovin 6-3, 7-5. Russia are already guaranteed two quarter-finalists with Petrova and Bovina drawn to face each other in the fourth round while fourth seed Dementieva faces Likhovtseva, seeded 16, on Sunday for a place in the last eight.
   Russia’s only major setback here came when Myskina was knocked out in the first round, the earliest exit by a defending champion in the history of the French Open.
   Meanwhile, Justine Henin-Hardenne of Belgium reached the last 16 of the French Open on Saturday by defeating Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. She will next play sixth seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia for a place in the quarters.

Reigning champions Brothers Union started their campaign with a lacklustre 2-1 win over promoted Dipali Jubo Sangha in the inaugural match of the Premier Bank Premier Football League at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Saturday.
   Newcomers Diapali had a lively start and came close to scoring before their superior opponents found the rhythm. Rubel fired from a close range in the 20th minute which the Brothers Union custodian Tarek saved for a corner.
   Khokon scored the first goal of the league in the 25th minute off a Parvez Babu cross and in the 31st minute Russian striker Victor Edwards slid into the net with the ball from an Abul through pass to score the second. In the 54th minute Khokon dodged past the Dipali custodian but astonishingly shot over the bar. In the first of the two-minute injury time Tajul netted a goal to reduce the margin for the losers.

Australia drew 3-3 with South Korea in a topsy-turvy match at the 14th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup on Friday, having nearly snatched an improbable victory after fighting back from two goals down.
   In an earlier game, India were also forced to haul themselves back from a two-goal deficit as they salvaged a 2-2 draw with New Zealand.
   Hosts Malaysia and South Africa completed Friday’s programme by winning their first points of the tournament after battling to a 1-1 draw.
   Olympic gold medallists and defending champions Australia found themselves 2-0 down at half-time after South Koreas sharp-shooting Eun Seong-hong scored a double.
   The Australians hit back after the break when Luke Doerner converted a 50th-minute penalty corner and Michael McCann hit the equaliser two minutes later.
   Travis Brooks scored what Australia thought was the winning goal with four minutes left but South Korea, third here last year, forced a draw when Hyo Sik-yiu scored in the final minute.
   ‘It was a very tough match,’ said Australian coach Barry Dancer. ‘We always knew Korea were a strong team.
   ‘We just couldn’t do anything in the first half. We couldn’t even get into the D but after that we fought back very well and did a good job to get a draw.’
   It was South Koreas first match of the tournament and they showed that they are among the teams capable of challenging for honours.
   Australia, coming off a 3-1 victory over hosts Malaysia their first match on Thursday, next face rivals New Zealand on Sunday.
   The South Koreans meet Pakistan on Saturday in the second match for both teams.
   India, trailing 2-0 at half-time to goals from Darren Smith and Bevan Hari, turned on the style in the second half as substitute Rajpal Singh pulled one back in the 42nd minute and Prahbjot Singh completed his teams comeback with five minutes left.
   India’s draw follows a 2-1 victory over South Africa in the opening match on Thursday.
   They were New Zealand’s first points of the tournament after losing to Pakistan 2-1 on Thursday.
   ‘I do believe that the team played well and if we had capitalised on the three or four chances we had, we would have had a equal first half too,’ said Indian coach Rajinder Singh.
   Smith gave the Kiwis the lead with a field goal on 21 minutes after a mistake in the Indian defence and Hari tapped in to extend their advantage just four minutes later.
   India came out with renew vigour after the break and the addition of Rajpal Singh to the midfield allowed India to control the game.
   The ineffective upfield flicks in the first half were replaced by direct hits and Rajpal put India back in the match just seven minutes after the interval. India were helped by a yellow card given to New Zealand’s Dean Couzins, sent off for rough play.
   The Indians piled on the pressure and were unable to convert a succession of penalty corners. Prabhjot finally earned his side a deserved draw when he fired home in the 65th minute.

American 11th seed Venus Williams was sensationally dumped out of the French Open on Friday by 15-year-old Bulgarian Sesil Karatantcheva who won their third round tie 6-3, 1-6, 6-1.
   The Bulgarian, the reigning French Open junior champion, now goes on to face either France’s Emilie Loit or Italy’s Emmanuelle Gagliardi for a place in the quarter-finals.
   Playing in just her fifth tour event of the season, Karatantcheva refused to be overawed by her four-time Grand Slam title winning oppenent even managing to hold her nerve after being blown away in the second set.
   In an error strewn first set, where there were six breaks of serve, it was Karatantcheva who eventually settled the quicker and gained a decisive break in the seventh game to lead 5-2.
   She then handed the break back but kept her cool to take the set when Williams served up a fifth double fault.
   However, it was like the Venus of old in the second set as she threatened to crush the spirit of the teenager levelling the tie with three breaks.
   In a nervy finale, Karatantcheva broke to lead 1-0 before Williams hit back straightaway to level at 1-1.
   The Bulgarian, with steely character, then edged ahead on another break to go 2-1 and repeated the dose to go 4-1.
   She secured the match in the seventh game when Williams hit a lacklustre volley wide.
   Meanwhile, Spain’s Rafael Nadal won the battle of the boy-wonders in the French Open on Friday despatching home hope Richard Gasquet in straight sets to reach the last 16.
   The fourth seed won comfortably 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 in just 1hr 49 mins to set up a tie against French 23rd seed Sebastien Grosjean who beat Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic 6-1, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 with a place in the quarter-finals beckoning.
   It was a huge disappointment for the Roland Garros crowd who see Gasquet as a future world champion, but it once again underlined that Nadal, playing in his first French Open, is the big threat to Roger Federer for the title.
   The showdown between the two 18-year-olds, who have catapulted to the fore in men’s tennis over the last few months, had been hotly-anticipated since last week’s draw left them on a third round collision course.
   Nadal went into the match having won 19 clay-court matches in a row including title wins at Barcelona, Monte Carlo and Rome.
   But the ultra-talented shotmaker Gasquet was thought to represent a real danger having taken on and beaten the imposing Nadal when they were dominating the boys’ tournaments a few years back.
   He is also just one of two players to have beaten Federer in 2005.
   Elsewhere, Title-holder and No. 5 seed Gaston Gaudio of Argentina reached the last 16 of the French Open on Friday by defeating Felix Mantilla of Spain 6-4, 6-4, 6-3.
   He next plays 20th seeded David Ferrer of Spain for a place in the quarter-finals.
   Former champion Mary Pierce of France reached the last 16 of the French Open on Friday by defeating ninth seeded Russian Vera Zvonareva.
   Pierce, the winner in 2000, won 7-6, (7/2), 7-5 and next plays eighth-seeded Patty Schnyder of Switzerland who defeated Flavia Pennetta of Italy 4-6, 6-0, 6-1 for a place in the quarter-finals.
   Russian fourth seed Elena Dementieva beat Japan’s Akiko Morigami 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 to reach the French Open last 16 on Friday.
   Dementieva, the runner-up in 2004, now faces fellow Russian Elena Likhovtseva, the 16th seed, for a place in the quarter-finals.

India’s new cricket coach Greg Chappell has identified dashing opener Virender Sehwag as a potential captain even as he marked out a core group for the near future.
   Chappell made the observations last week during his presentation to an elite panel that selected him as coach till the 2007 World Cup, The Hindu newspaper reported.
   ‘With Sehwag expressing future captaincy aspirations, the learning process for future leadership roles needs to be viewed as critical,’ Chappell is reported to have told the panel.
   Chappell named skipper Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sehwag, Venkatsai Laxman, Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh as the core group of the national team.
   He also classified spinners Kumble and Harbhajan as match-winning bowlers.
   ‘World class and complementary spinners, they have carried the workload admirably for a number of years,’ said the former Australian captain.
   Chappell praised his predecessor John Wright of New Zealand for taking the team to a good level in the international arena.
   ‘The highlight of this period (with Wright as coach) was the greatly improved performance of India away from home,’ he said.
   Chappell was, however, concerned about India’s pace attack.
   ‘(Ashish) Nehra and (Zaheer) Khan have struggled to provide the penetration to get early wickets. They have also been injury prone which has meant the balance of the attack has been negatively affected.
   ‘Young (Irfan) Pathan is still learning and his recent problems (loss of ability to swing the ball) needs to be corrected as soon as possible. Balaji displays promise as confirmed recently in discussion with Kapil Dev.’
   Chappell, who played the last of his 87 Tests in 1984, scored 7,110 runs at an average of 53.86 with 24 centuries. He also played 74 one-dayers, scoring 2,331 runs at 40.18.

Glamorgan batsman Matthew Maynard has been appointed as a full time assistant coach with the England set-up, ending his first-class playing career.
   The 39-year-old will work with England’s Test and one-day squads, as well as players selected for England’s National Academy and age-group teams.
   ‘I have spent 20 years with Glamorgan and leaving Sophia Gardens behind will be a big wrench,’ Maynard said.
   ‘But this is a terrific opportunity for me and I am very excited.’
   Maynard took on a part-time role as England’s assistant coach for the one-day series in Zimbabwe and South Africa last winter.
   ‘I really enjoyed being a part of the England management team during the winter, and am very pleased that I am now going to be involved with England’s elite cricketers on a longer-term basis,’ Maynard added.
   Maynard will now begin his new coaching duties on 9 June, ready for matches with Bangladesh and Australia, on an initial contract going through until the end of the 2006 domestic season.
   He had originally intended to return to complete his 21st and final season at Glamorgan, but his record-breaking career has now come to a premature end.
   A bout of bronchial pneumonia has restricted Maynard to just one County Championship appearance this season.
   Glamorgan chief executive Mike Fatkin said: ‘It’s disappointing to be losing a player of Matthew’s calibre but he had indicated his intention to retire at the end of the season anyway.
   ‘As opportunities such as these don’t come up too often we’re happy to help in any way we can.
   ‘Matthew has made a terrific contribution to cricket in Wales, both on and off the field, for more than 20 years and his will be substantial shoes to fill.
   ‘But we’re delighted that he’s been identified for such an important role and we’ve no doubt that he will be a great success in his new position.’
   Maynard has scored nearly 25,000 first-class runs, and last season broke Glamorgan’s record for first-class centuries.
   He won four England Test caps and played in 14 one-day internationals.

World number one Roger Federer insists he fears nobody as he sets his sights on a first French Open title.
   ‘I’m number one. I have beaten everyone. Why should I fear anyone?’ said the Swiss after moving into a fourth round clash against 1998 champion Carlos Moya with a 7-6 (11/9), 7-5, 6-2 win over Chilean Fernando Gonzalez.
   ‘I haven’t lost a set. There is a possibility for me here and I don’t see why I should be worried by anything. I have played less on clay than Rafael Nadal and Guillermo Coria, but that doesn’t mean anything.’
   Moya, the 14th seed, has been struggling at Roland Garros this year and needed five sets to see off Spanish compatriot Fernando Vicente 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (3/7), 0-6, 6-4 to make his date with Federer.
   Ominously for the Spaniard, he has never beaten the top seed in five career meetings.
   Last year, Federer’s French Open campaign came up short against triple champion Gustavo Kuerten in a morale-sapping third round defeat, a loss which followed two consecutive first round exits in 2002 and 2003.
   Despite his two Wimbledon titles and Australian and US Open victories, Federer has never made it beyond the quarter-finals here before this year, but confidence isn’t a problem.
   ‘Moya is a great champion and I appreciate him very much. He has has some difficulty in his recent matches and this might show that he isn’t feeling as fit as previous years.
   ‘But that doesn’t mean anything. He has won this tournament before, he knows how to do it.’
   Tony Roche also knows how to win here, taking the title in 1966 and the Australian has been brought on board by Federer to help him in his title push.
   ‘Tony joined me a few days before the last tournament in Hamburg but I have played a lot of points with a lot of players to get used to the balls, to get used to the centre court,’ said Federer.
   ‘So we have been talking rather than training just as we did in Australia. We have been talking about the game on clay, his vision of the game and my vision.’
   Federer also believes that his comparatively gentle service will stand him in good stead for his final Roland Garros push.
   ‘It’s true that it’s not the fastest serve on the tour but it’s an important weapon for me and I’ve got a good second serve which I can count on. That is why I can take risks on my first serve.
   ‘I think it’s a job well done so far. I haven’t lost a set, through to the fourth round. I am where I want to be, fit and through to the second week.’
   Moya needed treatment on an injured shoulder during his win over Vicente but he believes that having won the title here, that will give him a psychological edge going into Sunday’s match.
   ‘I have won here which he hasn’t, that might have some influence,’ said Moya.
   ‘He doesn’t have many doubts. He has only lost twice all year and is very confident. His serve is better than me right now, better forehand, better backhand, better volley.
   ‘But I will try and use the circumstances to my advantage.’

Batsman Kevin Pietersen will get an early chance to prove his worth against Australia after being named in a Twenty20 side to face the tourists.
   The 24-year-old, an Ashes hopeful, will play for the Professional Cricketers’ Association at Arundel Castle on 9 June - Australia’s first tour game.
   The PCA XI will be captained by Stephen Fleming and also includes Devon Malcolm and ex-Kiwi all-rounder Chris Cairns.
   ‘I’m really excited to be playing this game,’ Hampshire’s Pietersen said.
   ‘Australia are currently leading the way in world cricket and I’m relishing the opportunity to compete against them.
   ‘It should be a great day, and the 20-over format is sure to produce some fireworks.’
   England and Durham all-rounder Paul Collingwood, who was also named in the XI, added: ‘The game presents a chance to have a first crack at the Aussies on their Ashes tour.
   ‘Walking out onto the field alongside the likes of Stephen Fleming and Chris Cairns will be a great thrill and it’s sure to be a cracker of a game.
   ‘Arundel will be packed to the rafters.’
   Money raised from the game will go towards the PCA and the Australian Cricketers’ Association, for education, community and benevolence projects.
   The PCA will also make a donation towards Hampshire and Sussex youth cricket funds.

Nottinghamshire on Friday returned to the top of the English county championship division one table with a an innings and 27-run win over Gloucestershire.
   Resuming on three for two, Gloucestershire then crashed to 36 for five in the 22nd over.
   James Pearson and Mark Hardinges produced some resistance but it proved futile as swing bowlers Ryan Sidebottom and Mark Ealham took seven wickets between them for the second time in the match as Gloucestershire were dismissed for 192 shortly before tea.
   England hopeful Robert Key and South African Martin Van Jaarsveld put on a record-breaking stand of 323 as Kent set Surrey a difficult final-day target at Tunbridge Wells.
   The pair shared the stand for the third wicket as the hosts rattled up a score of 454 for four declared, which left Surrey a target of 406 to win.
   A sixth-wicket stand of 140 in 27 overs between Jamie Dalrymple and Paul Weekes boosted Middlesex in a day of fluctuating fortunes against Sussex at Hove.
   The visitors were indebted to the pair after being reduced to 72 for five having earlier gained a first innings lead of 69.
   But both Dalrymple (65) and Weekes (71) were dismissed shortly before stumps as Middlesex closed on 222 for eight to lead overall by 291.
   Somerset managed their first championship Division Two win of the season, demolishing sorry Northamptonshire on the third morning to set up a six-wicket victory at Wantage Road.
   Gareth Andrew was the pick of the bowlers with three for 31 as the home side collapsed from 25 for one overnight to a dismal 99 for nine at lunch.
   A partnership of 112 from Somerset batsmen Mike Burns (48) and John Francis (55) after the interval eased the visitors home.
   Yorkshire fought back courageously at Headingley but Essex remain in a good position to enforce the follow on on the final day.
   Although Yorkshire closed on 336 for eight they were still 286 runs in arrears and a further 137 are needed to avoid the follow on.
   Derbyshire will look to take advantage of Leicestershire’s erratic batting performance after the visitors failed to capitalise on a promising start to their first innings.
   A grafting century from Darren Robinson (110) should have provided the platform for a healthy first-innings lead but his team crumbled from 188 for two to 279 all out.

English county Surrey have been deducted eight points for tampering with a match ball, ECB chairman Gerard Elias QC announced on Friday.
   The club has been punished after an incident during the match against Northampton on May 6-9, after which the umpires submitted a report claiming the team had tampered with the ball.
   They have been deducted eight championship points with a further nine suspended over the next year.
   That points deduction would come into effect if Surrey were found guilty of another tampering offence before May 31, 2006.
   The umpires report claimed that even after the Surrey captain had acknowledged the ball appeared to have been tampered with, further ball tampering occurred.
   But no one has admitted responsibility.
   A statement from Mr Elias QC said: ‘The report submitted to me (which I accept) indicated that despite their (the umpires) best efforts, no individual had accepted responsibility and they were unable to identify the culprits.’
   Surrey County Cricket Club accepted the accusations and launched an internal inquiry with the view to applying its own disciplinary procedures and has apologised for the action of the player or players involved.

Three-time FIFA Player of the Year Ronaldo could be replaced on the Brazilian national team if he refuses to play in the Confederations Cup.
   Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira said Friday that all Brazilian players must be willing to make personal sacrifices if they want to play in the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Otherwise, he’ll find someone else.
   ‘No one is irreplaceable,’ Parreira said Friday.
   The warning was seen as a response to Ronaldo, who complained this week that he wants to rest this summer instead of playing in the Confederations Cup on June 15-29 in Germany.
   ‘It would be very prejudicial to me,’ the Real Madrid striker said in an interview Wednesday with the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S Paulo. ‘There will be a World Cup next year. That means I’ll be without vacation for two years.’
   But the argument doesn’t sway Parreira.
   ‘I don’t accept “rest” as an excuse,’ he said. ‘If you want to be world champion, you have to go through all this sacrifice.’
   Parreira knows what it takes to win a World Cup. In 1994, he coached Brazil to their fourth Cup title, the first since the Pele era ended in 1970.
   The 1994 squad also featured Ronaldo, a 17-year-old phenomenon making his World Cup debut. Ronaldo went on to star for Dutch side PSV Eindhoven, Italy’s Internazionale and Spain’s Real Madrid, and was the World Cup’s highest scorer when Brazil won their fifth title in Japan in 2002.
   But he also needed two operations for a serious knee injury that sidelined him for nearly two years. Many Brazilians thought his career was over until his triumphant return at the 2002 World Cup.
   The 28-year-old striker thinks he’s entitled to a summer vacation after the Spanish league season, which is played in the winter. And he’s not the only Brazilian player looking for time off.
   Inter Milan striker Adriano reportedly asked to be released from the Confederations Cup, and striker Ricardo Oliveira of Spain’s Betis could be tied up in tournament play until the eve of the Cup.
   Some players think Ronaldo deserves a rest.
   ‘Ronaldo had a demanding season and needs to rest so he doesn’t run the risk of injury,’ team-mate Roberto Carlos said in an interview with the Rio daily o Globo on Friday. ‘I’ll try to talk to Parreira ... to give him a rest.’
   Unlike Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and team captain Cafu weren’t called for the Confederations Cup. Parreira said it wasn’t a question of favoritism, but a search for eventual replacements for the aging wingers.
   ‘Nobody asked for anything,’ he said. ‘We decided to take advantage of the Confederations Cup to observe in competition two players we have to decide on for the World Cup. It was a technical and tactical decision. It has nothing to do with what a player wants.’
   Brazilian soccer officials don’t want to repeat the disastrous showing in the 2003 Confederations Cup, when Brazil fielded a mixed squad and was eliminated in the first round. And Parreira says it’s simply one more hurdle on the long road to the World Cup.
   ‘It would be great to want to play just in the World Cup. I’d like to be national team coach just for the World Cup,’ Parreira said. ‘We wouldn’t have to go through these friendly games, or the Cup qualifiers. It’s really grueling.’
   Brazil is in second place in the South American qualifying race for a spot in the 2006 World Cup. The top four teams qualify for Germany, and the fifth-place team faces the Oceania champion for another spot.
   Parreira said he understands Ronaldo’s physical and emotional condition, following a messy separation from Brazilian TV announcer Daniela Cicarelli. But that doesn’t excuse him from the team.
   ‘We’re human, we understand. Ronaldo is coming off a series of personal situations, but “rest” is not an excuse,’ he said. ‘If you want to play, fine. If you don’t, stay home.’

Liverpool’s campaign for a Champions League place next season has received heavyweight backing from Europe’s top clubs.
   On Friday, G14, the group of elite European clubs, threw its weight behind Liverpool’s bid to defend their title.
   G14 was the body that forced UEFA to expand the Champions League in 1998 by threatening to set up a breakaway competition and now they have thrown their weight behind Liverpool, one of their founder members.
   A G14 spokesman said, ‘We support the desire to see Liverpool defend their trophy and the matter will be raised at our management board meeting next month. We believe UEFA should look at ways of allowing this to happen.’
   The organisation is made up of 18 powerful clubs including Real Madrid, AC Milan and Bayern Munich – as well as Manchester United and Arsenal – and a formal approach will be made to UEFA after the
   G14 meeting in Amsterdam on June 9.
   Meanwhile, the FA’s chairman Geoff Thompson, who is also a UEFA vice-president, has continued lobbying for five English clubs to be allowed in the Champions League so Liverpool can defend their crown.
   His main argument is that nearly all the 52 UEFA member countries would be given an extra place in the Champions League in similar circumstances – apart from England, Spain and Italy because they are already allowed four teams in the competition.
   The FA believes that is an inconsistency in the regulations and that even if UEFA are not convinced on this occasion they should change the rules for the future.
   Thompson said, ‘Our basic concern is to ensure that all 52 countries have the same opportunity. There is an additional place guaranteed should the champions come from 49 countries in Europe but not for the other three – England, Italy and Spain.
   ‘We are saying that there should be a level playing field and that every country should have the same opportunity.’
   Liverpool will have to wait three weeks before they will know one way or another when the issue will be decided by UEFA’s 15-man executive committee at their meeting in Manchester on June 17.
   There is some hope for Liverpool because UEFA president Lennart Johansson is understood to be broadly supportive, and his influence is extremely important though not necessarily decisive.
   Mario Lefkaritis, a Cypriot member of UEFA’s executive committee, said he would approach the meeting with an open mind.
   He told the Press Association, ‘It is very dangerous to pre-judge anything. If the issue is raised in Manchester we have to listen to all sides and then make a decision.’

Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry has vowed to support Rafael Benitez with a multi-million pound summer spending spree as he bids to make the club a force at home as well as abroad.
   Parry insists there is no reason why Liverpool cannot successfully defend the Champions League if they are allowed to take part in the competition again next season by UEFA.
   However, both he and Benitez recognise that the squad needs to be strengthened in the next couple of months after finishing fifth in the Premiership.
   Up to 30 million pound (55 million dollar) looks set to be made available to the Liverpool boss, with the club’s coffers boosted by their success in Istanbul, as well as a lucrative new sponsorship deal.
   Benitez could raise further funds by selling or releasing a host of current players, including the likes of Vladimir Smicer, Milan Baros, Jerzy Dudek and El-Hadji Diouf.
   Parry declared, ‘Being European champions will help enormously in persuading new players to come and there is no way that we will be resting on our laurels.
   ‘There is rebuilding to do as, however magnificent it was to beat Milan, it doesn’t take away from the fact that we fell short in the Premier League. It’s a real priority for us to get that right.
   ‘We’ve got a plan and we’re working on it. There’s a very long list of players that we’re refining downwards.
   ‘Rafa and I have been talking every day for the last week and more, even on the morning after the final. We know what we’d like to do and we will look to get there.’
   Benitez is already close to his first signing of the summer, with Villarreal goalkeeper Jose Reina having revealed that a deal is almost done to bring him to Anfield.
   Further targets could include Crystal Palace’s Andrew Johnson, Real Zaragoza’s Argentinian defender Gabriel Milito and Feyenoord’s free-scoring striker Dirk Kuyt.
   Luis Figo, Owen Hargreaves, Peter Crouch, Matthew Upson and Albacete midfielder Mark Gonzalez have been linked, along with Pablo Aimar, Ruben Baraja and David Albelda from Benitez’s former club Valencia.
   But while a lucrative new deal is set to be agreed with Steven Gerrard, Benitez will waste little time in trimming his existing squad – even after their Champions League success.
   Those who have been out on loan are likely to be either sold or freed, and that could mean the end for Diouf, Salif Diao, Carl Medjani, Gregory Vignal, Bruno Cheyrou and Alou Diarra.
   Liverpool could also raise funds by selling Harry Kewell, Dudek, Baros, Neil Mellor and Anthony Le Tallec.
   Patrice Luzi, Jon Otsemobor, Paul Harrison, Ritchie Partridge and Mark Smyth have already been released, while Smicer, Igor Biscan, Dietmar Hamann and Mauricio Pellegrino are out of contract.

Petr Cech has dismissed newly-crowned European champions Liverpool’s hopes of wresting the Premiership title away from Stamford Bridge next season.
   Rafael Benitez’s team will go into the 2005/06 campaign full of confidence after a remarkable Champions League final victory over AC Milan in Istanbul on Wednesday.
   They fought back from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 after extra-time before winning on penalties.
   But Chelsea goalkeeper Cech said Liverpool, who finished fifth and 37 points behind the champions, have a long way to go to challenge Chelsea or even Arsenal and Manchester United.
   ‘The Premiership is different from the Champions League, and Liverpool lacked consistency last season,’ he said.
   ‘They played some fantastic games, but then they lost others because they played very poorly.
   ‘They have to improve this aspect of their performances if they are to challenge, and at this stage I am not worried about them.’
   Cech, whose Czech international team-mates Vladimir Smicer and Milan Baros play for Liverpool, was supporting the Reds on Wednesday night and was delighted they prevailed.
   But the 23-year-old revealed he had considered switching off his television when Milan charged into a 3-0 half-time lead.
   ‘I was watching the first half and AC Milan totally dominated.
   ‘I told myself at half-time that I would watch only another 15 or 20 minutes, and if Liverpool didn’t score in that period I wouldn’t watch any more.
   ‘I was upset for Milan Baros and Vladimir Smicer, because they are good mates.
   ‘But fortunately what happened meant I watched the rest of the game. It was unbelievable.
   ‘And when (Milan striker) Andriy Shevchenko missed his chance near the end of extra-time, I thought that Milan would be punished for not taking it.’
   Shevchenko was denied by a remarkable double-save from Reds’ keeper Jerzy Dudek.
   And the Polish keeper completed Shevchenko’s misery by saving the former Dynamo Kiev man’s penalty in the shoot-out to ensure Liverpool won the trophy.
   Cech paid tribute to his fellow goalkeeper, ‘Jerzy Dudek will remember that save until his dying day.
   ‘It was incredible: to make a save like that at the end of extra-time in a Champions League final is amazing.
   ‘And Steven Gerrard has been the leader and the best player for Liverpool all season, so I wasn’t surprised to see him play as well as he did.’

Forget the Special One - Liverpool have the Magician.
   That was the message on Friday night from Anfield chairman David Moores, who claims that boss Rafael Benitez outstrips all his managerial rivals when it comes to tactical awareness.
   Benitez has taken a side that could finish only fifth in the Premiership to the pinnacle of the European game. And Moores believes the Spaniard has cast a spell not just on the Liverpool players but on the Anfield fans too.
   Taking a sideswipe at Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, Moores revealed his excitement for the future under Benitez when he said, ‘We have heard about the Special One this season but what about Rafa? He must be a magician.
   ‘He is a master tactician but what makes him so special is that in just one year he has developed a real feel for this club. He has a passion that has created a unique bond with the fans.
   ‘He has been here only one season and yet you see the affection the supporters have for him, the banners, the songs. He is up there already with the greats in my view. The hairs on the back of your neck stand up at some of the little things you see and hear and you think that this is the beginning of something special.
   ‘It was a huge coup for the club to get him last summer. The first thing that struck me about him when we met was that he already had a deep knowledge of Liverpool. But there are so many things I like about him. His honesty, his hunger and his vision for this club.’
   Moores shares that vision. Over the past two years he has come close to quitting after pressure to find outside investment took its toll. The chairman was on the verge of selling his controlling interest in Liverpool to building tycoon Steve Morgan last year but couldn’t bear to let go of his beloved club.
   The miracle of Istanbul, where Liverpool lifted their fifth European Cup, made all that turmoil worthwhile.
   Moores is still looking for new investors so he can give Benitez the funds needed to bring the Premiership trophy to Anfield.
   The £15 million bid for Manchester City’s Shaun Wright-Phillips is just the start of a serious assault on the transfer market, aimed at giving the European champions the quality of squad to compete with Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United for the Premiership.
   Liverpool struggled domestically this season as the Spanish coach came to terms with the ferocity of the English game. Benitez also conceded that the squad he inherited didn’t have the strength in depth to compete for more than one major trophy.
   But now he knows exactly what is required, and knows the type of player he needs to bring the title back to Anfield.
   And Moores is determined to provide the funds required for a serious assault. ‘Wednesday was the pinnacle. It topped everything,’ the Anfield chairman said. ‘The European Cup is the one you want. Yes, there is the Premiership too but we will win that as well. Rafa is the man to do that.
   ‘It has been an amazing few days - the best experience of my football life.
   ‘People know my love for this club and I will do everything I can to take this on with Rafa.’
   Benitez will be given at least £30 million to spend in the summer, when he will also be handed details of a new stadium.
   There will also be a new face on the Liverpool board as Moores moves closer to finding a new investor who will take a 30 per cent share in exchange for a £60 million cash injection.
   Mourinho v Benitez
   Tactics
   Mourinho has it all at Chelsea, great players and cohesion. When stocked full of their world-class attacking talent they were exhilarating 10
   Benitez has helped Liverpool take a giant stride forward on limited resources and will surely look to buy more battle-ready players this summer 8
   
   Intelligence
   Learned his trade from a master, Sir Bobby Robson. Wins verbal spats with ease 9
   Benitez took a year out of the game to study coaches. The lessons have paid dividends 9
   
   Unflappability
   Unflappable? Yes. Because of course, Jose’s always right. Behaviour in Anders Frisk affair was not becoming of a gentleman though 7
   Myth that Benitez is never riled. But seems incapable of making enemies, which is more than can be said for one particular manager 8
   
   Organisation
   Chelsea’s players respect Mourinho and show great affection for him and that’s a winning combination 10
   Took a mixed bag of players, some great, others hopeless and make them kings of Europe 8
   
   Buying record
   Paulo Ferreira and Ricardo Carvalho were expensive, but they both helped deliver the title. We’ll know more about his buys when he has less to spend 8
   Josemi. Antonio Nunez. Mauricio Pellegrino. Enough said. Just as well big-money buys Xabi Alonso and Luis Garcia have been big hits 6
   Total points score: Mourinho 44/50, Benitez: 39/50
   — Daily Mirror

Real Madrid coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo’s relationship with Luis Figo has cooled since he dropped the Portuguese winger, the Brazilian said on Friday.
   ‘We used to talk to each other but since he has been out of the team he has stopped greeting me. I speak with him on a professional basis but on a personal level it is something different,’ Luxemburgo told a news conference.
   Figo has not started a game for Real since being relegated to the bench in early April, prompting speculation that the 32-year-old could be on his way out of the club in the close season.
   ‘If he returns next year I will have no problems working with him. I am the boss and he is my player and he has to respect that, but I don’t have any problems with him or anyone,’ Luxemburgo said.
   ‘His reaction to being dropped is understandable. He has been professional, but on a personal level I would have reacted differently.’
   Figo’s contract at Real expires in June 2006.

Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is being lined up by Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson for a big-money move to Old Trafford.
   After ditching Roy Carroll on Friday, Fergie is stepping up his bid to land a new first-choice and is prepared to splash out a staggering £35 million for Buffon, says The Sun.
   The Italy No1 is regarded as the best keeper in the world and has also courted interest from Real Madrid this season. Buffon is committed to Juve, but has admitted he’d like to play in a foreign league before he retires.

Liverpool’s Czech Republic striker Milan Baros has confirmed he is a target for Spanish first division club Valencia.
   The 23-year-old, who started for Liverpool in their Champions League final victory over AC Milan, is one of a number of players from that team who may move on this summer, and Valencia look to be favourites for his signature.
   Baros told Czech newspaper Sport, ‘There is an offer from Valencia, some other clubs are also interested and there is also a possibility that I will stay in Liverpool.
   ‘To tell the truth, I would be glad to go to Valencia, but equally glad to stay in Liverpool. So we will see.’

French football legend Michel Platini on Saturday reacted firmly to Belgian press which criticised his behaviour during and after the Heysel tragedy.
   As Liverpool and Juventus were preparing to contest the 1984 European Cup final in Brussels, a wall collapsed killing 39 people as Juventus fans tried to escape a surging mass of Liverpool fans.
   The Belgian press criticised Platini for celebrating his goal and for not breaking his silence in the two decades since the disaster.
   Platini said in a statement sent to AFP, ‘The criticism is misplaced and I am very surprised by the attacks (...) I promised never to return to the scene of the drama and I will not go back on this promise.
   ‘Out of decency, I refused numerous media interviews and I was virtually the only person there on May 29 1985 to be courted in this way. I will be staying true to myself. But that will not relieve my personal pain nor wipe away these awful memories.’

Agrani Bank drub Dhanmondi
Wahidul scored a brilliant hat-trick to guide Agrani Bank to a 6-1 win over Dhanmondi Club in the only match of the Metropolis First Division Football League at the Bir Shreshtha Shaheed Sepoy Mohammad Mostafa Stadium in Kamalapur on Saturday. The winners led the first half 3-0. Farhad put Agrani Bank ahead in the 9th minute while Wahidul increased the margin scoring two goals in the 11th and 39th minutes. Wahidul scored three more goals in the 55th, 85th and 87th minutes to complete the Agrani Bank tally. Anwar scored the consolation goal for Dhanmondi in the 80th minute.
— UNB

Sixteen seeds players move to second round
Sixteen seeded players advanced to the second round of men’s singles event of the Scandex Bangladesh Open Tennis Competition 2005 after winning their respective first round matches at the National Tennis Complex on Saturday. In the first round of the men’s singles event, Amal Rai (Engineers Club) beat Dilip Pasia, Tajmul Islam (BKSP) beat Mizan (BKSP), Nukul Babu (BHC) beat Sohel (ZITC), Kanchan Ram (NTC) beat Anwar Hossain (NTC), Hira Lal (Amazan Club) beat Mojahidul Islam (BKSP), Akhter Hossain (BKSP) beat Mofazzal Hossain (NTC), Sadir Hossain (ZITC) beat Zakir (Uttara Club), Alamgir Hossain (American Club) beat Shahnewaz (BKSP), Ranjan Ram (NTC) beat Nammi (NTC), Kabir Hossain (American Club) beat Fazle Rabbi Khan (NTC), Khondoker Mamun (Dhaka Club) beat Taslim (ZITC), Henry Prithul Mondal (BKSP) beat Mazharul Islam (BKSP), Laxman Ram (American Club) beat Monir Hossain (Japan Club), Delwar Hossain (NTC) beat Bashir Gazi (NTC), Zaved Hossain (NTC) beat Channu Lal (Navy Club), Dipu Lal (NTC) beat Milon (Engineers Club). Two matches of the boys’ singles (Under-14) were also decided on the day when last report came in. In the two matches, Arif Hossain (NTC) beat Imran Kabir (NTC) and Rabiul (ZITC) beat Jamil Bhuiyan.
— UNB

Rangamati Sadar beat Win Star
Rangamati Parbatya Zilla Parishad Junior (Under-14) Football Tournament 2005 began at the local stadium on Saturday with Rangamati Sadar Upazilla beating Win Star Sporting Club 2-0 in the opening match. Earlier, Deputy Minister for Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs, Moni Swapan Dewan, inaugurated the tournament, organised by Rangamati DSA. Dr Manik Lal Dewan, chairman of Rangamati Parbatya Zilla Parisad, was present as special guest. Eighteen teams from 10 upazillas of the district are participating in the tournament, which will conclude on June 13.
— UNB

U-18 volleyball from June 2
The under-18 National Youth Volleyball Championship, organised by Bangladesh Volleyball Federation (BVF) and sponsored by City Bank, will begin on April 2 at the Shurawardhi Indoor Stadium in Mirpur. Agriculture Minister MK Anwar will inaugurate the meet as chief guest. BVF general secretary Ashiqur Rahman Miku announced the details of the tournament at a press conference at National Sports Council on Saturday.
— BD News