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The opening day of the longer-version matches of the Ispahani Mirzapore Tea 7th National Cricket League has passed off with some pleasing memories for most of the national players as Habibul Bashar, Rajin Saleh, Nafees Iqbal, Shahadat Hossain all enjoyed some kind of success for their respective sides.
   At the Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium, a defiant 68 from skipper Rajin Saleh helped Sylhet post a decent total of 225 before being all out in 76.5 overs in their first innings against Dhaka.
   Rajin, who lost the toss and was asked to bat first by his counterpart Mohammad Ashraful, fended off 178 balls staying exactly four-and-a-half hours in the middle.
   In the way he got some assistance from Muniruzzaman (39), Golam Mabud (22) and Ejaz Ahmed (21) but none could settle down in the face of hostile attacks by Dhaka.
   Shahadat Hossain Rajib led the Dhaka attack with five wickets for 63 runs along with Mohammad Ashraful, who bagged two for 16.
   At stumps, Dhaka scored eight for one with Mehrab Hossain Opee, the only batsman to have been out off Rezaul Haque. Javed Omar was batting on five with Sajjad Kadir (3 not out).
   While the match in Dhaka is evenly poised after Day One, the story of Chittagong is completely different. The home side already took an edge there over Khulna as they trail the first innings by only 72 runs with nine wickets remaining.
   Batting first on winning the toss, Khulna managed to collect just 192 in the first innings despite skipper Habibul Bashar scoring 68 runs. Left-arm spinner Illias Sunny mesmerised the Khulna batsmen with a five-wicket haul conceding 46 runs. His victims included Bashar, who played 74 balls and hit nine boundaries in his futile bid to lift the visitors.
   Pace bowler Waskurani Palash also scalped three wickets for 49 runs.
   Having a chance to bat 30 overs before stumps, Chittagong reached 120 for one in their reply with national team duo Nafees Iqbal and Aftab Ahmed remaining unbeaten on 63 and 32 respectively. Nafees, who is aiming to become the first centurion of the league, played 103 balls and smashed six fours so far.
   Away at Rajshahi Divisional Stadium, the other Nafees (Shahriar) of the national team, however, could not achieve any accolades as he got out for three, while he was leading Barisal against the hosts.
   Barisal finished the day on 181 for seven in 66 overs after fog delayed the start of the game by nearly two hours. Towhid Hossain scored highest 46 for Barisal while Sumon Saha and Mohammad Shahzada shared four wickets between them for Rajshahi.

Pakistan took control of the second Test with England on Sunday, reaching a comfortable 300 for four at close on the first day.
   Inzamam-ul-Haq (80 not out) and Shahid Afridi (67 not out) put on 99 for the fifth wicket to boost the innings after Mohammad Yousuf scored a superb 78 before falling to a contentious caught and bowled by Ian Bell.
   Yousuf stood his ground for a while after his drive was picked up low by Bell and TV replays suggested the ball may have clipped the ground as the catch was completed.
   Umpires Darrell Hair and Simon Taufel at square leg did not consult the TV umpire and Bell’s appeal for a catch was upheld.
   Yousuf had posted a 128-run stand with his captain to help Pakistan recover from a precarious 87 for three at lunch on a placid pitch after the home side won the toss. Pakistan lead the three-Test series 1-0.
   Inzamam scored his 42nd half-century while Afridi got his seventh. Play was called off nine overs early due to bad light.
   Afridi savaged the England bowlers in the final session, taking just 62 balls for his runs and hitting four sixes and four fours. His half-century came from only 46 balls.
   He was let off at 34 by captain Michael Vaughan who returned to the side after missing the first Test due to a knee injury.
   Vaughan put down a straight-forward chance at cover off Matthew Hoggard. Afridi made England pay as next he drove Shaun Udal on to the rooftop and then hit him for a six to mid-wicket.
   Afridi, who did not play in the first Test in Multan, signalled his arrival with three successive fours off Bell and also hoisted Steve Harmison into the crowd for a big six to delight the capacity crowd.
   Inzamam, who has now got scores of 184, 31 not out, 50, 117 not out, 53, 72 and 80 not out in his last seven outings for Pakistan, anchored the innings with a dour knock spanning 159 balls and 255 minutes with eight fours.
   Yousuf timed the ball flawlessly, hitting eight fours and two sixes in his 143-ball innings.
   England’s bowlers had been rewarded for a battling display before lunch when Pakistan lost Salman Butt (26), Younis Khan (7) and Shoaib Malik (27) in the space of 20 runs after an opening stand of 53.
   Harmison had Butt caught behind, Younis hit Andrew Flintoff straight to Kevin Pietersen at mid-wicket and Malik fell to a fine one-handed diving catch by Flintoff at short extra cover.

Barcelona moved top of the Primera Liga after an irresistible attacking display overwhelmed arch-rivals Real Madrid 3-0 at the Bernabeu on Saturday.
   Champions Barca have 25 points from 12 games, the same as Osasuna who were held to a goalless draw at Getafe, but lead the standings with their superior goal difference.
   Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o opened the scoring in the 15th minute after spinning clear of the defence following a streaking run and pass from Lionel Messi.
   The 18-year-old Argentine forward, with his electric pace, was a constant handful for Real until he was substituted, and forced goalkeeper Iker Casillas to make two great saves.
   Brazilian playmaker Ronaldinho sealed the win with two sensational solo efforts in the 60th and 78th minutes as Barca ran away with the game.
   ‘It was a spectacular game and very important for us to win against Real, especially at their ground,’ said Barca coach Frank Rijkaard.
   ‘It’s very satisfying for the moment but we can’t afford to ease up, we have to maintain the same rhythm and intensity in the next few games.’
   Real midfielder Zinedine Zidane said, ‘We lost against a better side and there is nothing more to say about the game.
   ‘We don’t need to go looking for excuses, we have to stick together and continue working and fighting hard.’
   Real are third with 21 points, while Villarreal moved into fourth place on 20 after drawing 0-0 at home with Real Zaragoza, taking their unbeaten league run to eight games.
   Sevilla went fifth on 20 points after beating city rivals Real Betis 1-0 in a bad-tempered Seville derby.
   The home side lost defender Javi Navarro to a red card in the 24th minute but Italian midfielder Enzo Maresca put them in front from the penalty spot five minutes after the restart.
   Maresca was also dismissed in the closing stages after a second yellow card, leaving Sevilla with nine men.
   After the match, Brazilian midfielder Ronaldinho hailed Barcelona’s 3-0 demolition of arch-rivals Real Madrid in the Bernabeu on Saturday as a ‘perfect’ performance.
   ‘It was the kind of game you dream about, it was a perfect display,’ Ronaldinho told reporters.
   Ronaldinho, given a standing ovation by the home fans, said: ‘For me it was a very emotional moment and I will never forget it because it isn’t often opposition fans applaud you.
   ‘It isn’t something that you expect to happen in your career. I didn’t know that it had only happened here before with Maradona.’
   Barca captain Carles Puyol said, ‘Ronaldinho is the best player in the world. He showed it today but he has also demonstrated it in other games.
   ‘It is a surprising scoreline but Ronaldinho’s plays and the work of the rest of the team earned us the victory.’
   Sports daily Marca said ‘Ronaldinho puts an end to the era of the ‘galacticos’,’ while AS called the defeat a ‘humiliation.’
   Real defender Michel Salgado summed up the side’s feelings after they were jeered off the field. ‘We are shattered. It’s been a hard blow,’ he said.
   ‘Barca were better up front, defended better and played better. We have to face the facts because we gave the fans nothing to cheer about.
   ‘It’s the worst game I’ve been involved in since I have been at the club. We will continue to fight for the league but it clearly won’t be easy.’

Australia were set 78 runs to win the second test and wrap up their series with West Indies after an unexpected fightback from the tourists on Sunday.
   The Australians dismissed the embattled West Indies for 334 on the final ball of the fourth day to leave themselves a full day to clinch an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-game series following their 379 run win in Brisbane two weeks ago.
   The match looked certain to finish on the fourth day when the tourists slumped to 140-6 before lunch, needing to make at least 257 just to make the Australians bat again, when Dwayne Bravo and Denesh Ramdin led an unlikely comeback.
   Bravo scored a brilliant 113 while Ramdin made 71 as the pair piled on 182 runs for the seventh-wicket, the second highest seventh-wicket partnership by any West Indian pair and the highest by any combination at Hobart’s Bellerive Oval.
   They withstood the Australian bowlers for almost two sessions with a mixture of defiance and aggression but lost their wickets after tea, triggering a late collapse that left the home team on the verge of victory.
   Shane Warne captured four wickets, including the last batsman on the final ball of the day, while Stuart MacGill, Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee grabbed two each.
   West Indies had started the day on 82-4 and were soon in deep trouble when Warne dismissed Brian Lara for 45 then Marlon Samuels for 29 in his next over. However, Bravo and Ramdin held the fort for nearly four hours, batting through the entire middle session, as both men registered their highest test scores.
   Bravo had a lucky escape on 46 when Brad Hodge failed to hold a difficult catch at square-leg but was otherwise untroubled.
   The 22-year-old from Trinidad reached his second test hundred off 153 balls when he smacked a full-toss from MacGill to the boundary then passed his previous high score of 107, made in his last test against South Africa, before Warne bowled him round his legs. Ramdin, playing in just his fourth test, bettered his previous top score of 56 with a controlled display of batting, hitting six boundaries off 190 balls, before nicking a catch off MacGill to Warne at slip.
   West Indies lost their last four wickets for 12 runs with Warne mopping up the last two to finish with 4-112 and take his tally this year to 77, just eight short of fellow Australian Dennis Lillee’s world record for the most in a calendar year.

Bangladesh U-17 football team is brimming with confidence ahead of their Group E qualifying match of AFC U-17 Football against the Sri Lanka U-17 team, to be held at the Bangabandhu National Stadium at 5pm today.
   Both the coaches at a press briefing expressed optimism about winning the match with their best endeavours and promised a neat competition. Mahbub Hossain Roxy, the former national midfielder and the coach of Bangladesh, was confident about his target. ‘We will play to win, we have a balanced team but I think there is a little problem in the offence,’ said Roxy.
   He was referring to his forward line’s failure in the practice match against the Bangladesh U-20 team. Roxy said his forwards spoiled at least four open chances. But he thinks in a competitive match his strikers will excel in their duties.
   The team has been practising together for the last two months and the 20-member squad has two goalkeepers, three forwards, seven midfielders and eight defenders. Roxy will opt for the 4-4-2 format in Dhaka and the strategy is likely to be changed in their away match in Colombo.
   Sri Lanka U-17 coach D Chandrasiri, who had played for Abahani in 1985-86 and Dhanmondi Club in 1986-87 as goalkeeper, however, was equally confident. ‘We have a good goalkeeper and also our defence is good. We will play in 4-4-2 format,’ he informed.
   A total of 39 teams entered the qualifying competition for the AFC U-17 Championship 2006 with the teams split into 14 qualifying groups, spreading over AFC’s four zones. The winners of each group will join the hosts Singapore in the final round of the Championship, to be played in September 2006.
   Bangladesh qualified for the finals last year defeating Kyrgyzstan in a two-leg qualifiers with both the games played in Dhaka and went to Japan to play the final round.

Bangladesh U-19 team tasted their second consecutive defeat in the Afro-Asian U-19 Cricket against Sri Lanka losing the match by eight wickets at Vishakhapatnam on Sunday.
   Batting first, Bangladesh U-19 side were bowled out for 175 runs in 46.5 overs and the Sri Lankans reached the victory target with eight wickets and 17.5 overs to spare.
   Sri Lankan opener D Karunaratne hammered 78 off 84 balls with eight fours and three sixes while his partner Sameer Soysa hit 43 from 34 balls. Serasinghe and D Gourave remained not out on 30 and 15 respectively.
   During their innings, Bangladesh failed to cash in on a bright start by openers Tamim Iqbal and Mehrab Hossain. Tamim scored 42 off 47 balls with six fours and Mehrab scored 37 off 77 balls. They were 115 for two by the 26th over but then a middle and lower-order collapse restricted the youngsters to a meagre total to defend. Sakib al Hasan was the other notable scorer making 27.
   For Sri Lanka, S Karunanayeke grabbed four wickets conceding 26 runs in 6.5 overs and Weerasinghe captured three for 34 runs in his ten-over quota.

Irfan Pathan shone with bat and ball to help India seal a six-wicket victory over
   South Africa in the second one-day international on Saturday, ending the visitors’ unbeaten run and levelling the series at 1-1.
   Left-armer Pathan, 21, triggered a top-order collapse before finishing with three for 23 as South Africa were restricted to 169 for nine in 50 overs on a slow, turning pitch.
   After being promoted to three in the batting line-up, Pathan dug in to make 37 before being run out but, with Virender Sehwag smashing an unbeaten 77 from just 62 balls,
   India eased to 171 for four in 35.4 overs.
   Defeat dashed South African hopes of equalling Australia’s one-day record of going unbeaten for 21 matches.
   The Proteas had been unbeaten in their last 20 games, although world champions Australia won all 21 in their record run.
   South African fast bowlers Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini applied early pressure in India’s reply, sending down three maiden overs at the start and dismissing Sachin Tendulkar for two runs.
   The 32-year-old Tendulkar, who equalled former Pakistan all rounder Wasim Akram’s record of 356 one-day appearances, faced 22 balls before holing
   out Pollock to mid-on in frustration.
   However, Gautam Gambhir, the super-substitute, hit a confident 38 after opening the innings in place of Sehwag as India regained control.
   The left-hander hit seven fours facing 50 balls before becoming the first of two run-out victims for Justin Ontong,
   who removed Pathan with a direct hit.
   Sehwag struck his 19th one-day fifty and played several lofted shots to ensure a comfortable victory for the home side.
   South Africa never recovered after a poor start, Pathan trapping captain Graeme Smith leg before for three and having all rounder Jacques Kallis caught behind for two.
   South Africa’s batsmen found runs hard to come by on a dry pitch against off spinner Harbhajan Singh and left-arm Murali Kartik, as well as part-time spinners bowlers Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh.
   All rounder Andrew Hall made 32 at number three, while Justin Kemp (28) and Shaun Pollock (29) added a useful 47 runs for the seventh wicket.
   Sehwag finished with two for 29, Harbhajan took two for 33 and Kartik returned 0-16 in a miserly 10-over spell.
   The third one-dayer in the five-match series will be played in Chennai on Tuesday.

South African captain Graeme Smith on Sunday vowed to fight back after India ended his team’s 20-match unbeaten streak just one win away from equalling the world record.
   ‘We are a team that means business,’ said Smith after India won the second one-dayer by six wickets at the Chinaswamy stadium here on Saturday night to level the five-match series 1-1.
   Man-of-the-match Irfan Pathan grabbed three wickets in his first four overs to restrict South Africa to 169-9 and then hit a valuable 37 as India cruised home in the 36th over of the day-night game.
   South Africa, who needed a win to equal Australia’s world record of 21 unbeaten matches in 2003, were caught flat-footed on the turning track, a far cry from the seaming wicket that helped the tourists win the first one-dayer at Hyderabad on Wednesday.
   Andrew Hall’s 32 was the top score as wickets tumbled at regular intervals after Indian captain Rahul Dravid won the toss and elected to field on his home ground.
   After Pathan’s early strikes, the Indian spinners choked the runs on a dry wicket with left-armer Murali Kartik conceding just 16 runs in his 10 overs and Harbhajan Singh and Virender Sehwag finishing with two wickets each.
   Smith said losing the toss proved crucial for his team’s defeat.
   ‘Having lost the match, it will look like we’re making excuses,’ he said.
   ‘But I think the toss played a much bigger role than we had expected. The pitch was dry, the ball was holding, and it was difficult to hit through the line.
   ‘It was very helpful to their spinners, and I thought it was a gutsy effort to get to 170. When we bowled, the ball went soft after six or seven overs, and we lost that sting.
   ‘I don’t think India would have got much more than 200 if they had batted first, and batting second I would have backed us to win.’
   Smith said his team will put behind them the disappointment of not being able to equal Australia’s record and fight to the finish in the remaining three games of the series.
   ‘It’s disappointing to get so close,’ he said. ‘This team has come a long way and I’m sure everyone associated with it will hold that run close to them for a while.
   ‘We have to pick ourselves up and look ahead. If we get the same type of pitches, we will be better prepared, and hopefully, we’ll handle it better.
   ‘It might just backfire on India too.’
   The next match will be played under lights in Chennai on Tuesday with the last two day-night games scheduled for Kolkata on November 25 and Mumbai on Nov 28.
   India’s Dravid refused to accept Smith’s comment that the toss decided the match.
   ‘It was a good toss to win just as it was a good toss for Graeme to win in Hyderabad,’ the Indian captain said.
   ‘Ultimately, it is about responding and performing. Winning the toss alone doesn’t ensure success.
   ‘In a five-match series, it’s important to bounce back quickly if you’ve lost a game. I thought the boys were fantastic. There was some pressure but they came out and played some very good cricket.’

Pakistan’s flamboyant all rounder Shahid Afridi had some bad news for the England bowlers after his undefeated 67 from 62 balls on the first day of the second Test on Sunday.
   After bludgeoning four sixes and four fours, Afridi hopes to continue in the same vein when he resumes on Monday.
   His knock helped take Pakistan to a healthy 300-4 from a much less promising 73-3 before lunch.
   Afridi said, ‘I will wait for a while until the second new ball is a few overs old and than start playing my natural game. I don’t like to play defensively.’
   Afridi savaged the England bowlers to bring the capacity crowd to its feet and said the fans’ chanting had been a boost.
   The 25-year-old, who has three centuries and seven fifties in Tests and has also scored the fastest hundred in one-day internationals, was not upset at being dropped for the first Test in Multan, won by Pakistan.
   ‘I have no problems with that,’ Afridi said. ‘The captain and coach felt Hasan Raza was in form and he was their choice. But when I got a chance today I wanted to prove myself.’
   England coach Duncan Fletcher said, ‘Winning the toss was crucial and we would have liked to get one or two more wickets.
   ‘The bowlers stuck to their job although the wicket is very good for batters.’
   He added: ‘It is difficult to stick to a plan when the wicket is so flat and it is huge advantage to batters. The ball has hardly turned for the spinners.’

Dwayne Bravo has credited Trinidad and Tobago’s World Cup soccer qualification as the key to his brilliant century against Australia in the second Test on Sunday.
   Trinidadian Bravo scored a career-best 113 to stall Australia’s push for victory and raise hopes of a bright new era for West Indian cricket.
   The 23-year-old was overlooked for the first Test and failed in the first innings in Hobart but said he drew inspiration from his national soccer team’s 2-1 aggregate victory over Bahrain in the World Cup playoffs.
   ‘All through my innings I was thinking about them,’ he told a news conference.
   ‘I want to let them know that this hundred is dedicated to them and wish them all the best in the World Cup.’
   The all rounder also drew on the experience of his cricketing idol and team mate Brian Lara, who comes from the same Santa Cruz village in Trinidad.
   Lara offered Bravo some helpful hints to deal with Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill and the tips worked a treat as he held the two Australians at bay for five hours to register his second Test hundred in as many matches.
   ‘He is the best batsman in the world when spin is concerned and it flashed back in my mind so I decided to be more positive and believe in myself,’ Bravo said.
   The once-mighty West Indies have slipped to eighth in the world rankings but Bravo, one of the new generation of players from the Caribbean, said the future was already looking brighter.
   ‘We have a good career ahead of us,’ he said.
   ‘We don’t want to get complacent and lose focus on our goals. Our goal is to ensure that we play for the full 15 years for West Indies.
   ‘I think the guys, they’re all confident and believe in themselves. It’s all about taking it to the Australians and really being more positive.
   ‘When we lose we look at ourselves and wonder what to do next because the West Indies have been on the down for a good while now.
   ‘We just can’t find our way to win and I think once we get that feeling the tables will turn.’
   Australia need 78 to clinch the series when they start their second innings on Monday after dismissing the West Indies for 334 on Sunday.

England still have not given up hopes of getting some match-venues changed on their taxing cricket tour of India early next year, an official said here on Sunday.
   ‘If the Indian board nominates those venues and, from a safety and logistical point of view they are okay, we would be duty-bound to go along with that allocation,’ England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) director of operations John Carr told reporters here.
   ‘But there is always a chance until the itinerary has been confirmed, and we have informed them we will be writing to them.’
   England had raised concerns over the schedule for Michael Vaughan’s team, which would tour India in March-April for three Tests and seven one-day internationals.
   India have already rejected a verbal request for better and glamorous venues where the England team, media and fans can have better accommodation and logistics.
   The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) last week said it was a long-standing policy to rotate international matches among the 21 venues dotted across the country over which the England itinerary was drawn.
   Carr, who is here to watch the second Test against Pakistan, was accompanied by players’ representative Richard Bevan to meet Indian officials, including high-profile former president Jagmohan Dalmiya, last week.
   England are due to play Tests in Ahmedabad, Nagpur and Mumbai and seven one
   dayers in outposts like Goa, Indore, Guwahati, Faridabad, Cuttack, Cochin and Visakhapatnam.
   England, satisfied with Mumbai, want traditional centres like New Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata to host matches because they have enough hotels to accommodate a large media contingent and fans expected for the tour.
   Carr said no final decision on the itinerary can be made until an Indian board meeting on November 30.
   Reports in the English media also suggest Vaughan’s team may consider the option of playing their warm-up matches in Pakistan instead of India.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is to make every effort to get Shabbir Ahmed’s action cleared by the International Cricket Council after he was reported for a suspect action in the first Test against England.
   ‘There is no question that because his action has been reported again he will be left to fend for himself,’ PCB director Abbas Zaidi told Reuters on Sunday.
   ‘We are considering several proposals to help him out. One of them is sending him to Australia to work with experts to remove any defects in his action on a permanent basis.’
   Shabbir took five wickets in Pakistan’s 22-run victory in Multan last week but was reported by ICC match officials for the second time this year, and for the fourth time in a career spanning just 10 Tests and 32 one-day internationals.
   After already being reported in the West Indies in May, the paceman was sent to England and then to Australia to work with biomechanics experts to get his action cleared from the ICC.
   The authority cleared his action last month but Zaidi said the latest setback was a matter of concern for the board.
   ‘He is an asset for the Pakistan team and we are keen to resolve this problem with his action once for all,’ he added.

New South Wales moved to the top of Australia’s Sheffield Shield cricket standings with an innings and 90-run win over Tasmania on the third day here Sunday.
   Forced to follow on with a first innings deficit of 228, Tasmania were in early strife at 27 for 4 before being dismissed for 138 off just 47.4 overs.
   Stuart Clark took 3-43 in Tasmania’s first innings and followed up with a 3-33 in the second innings to win the man-of-the-match award while Matthew Phelps was another strong contributor with 133 and four slips catches for the Blues.
   In Brisbane, Queensland were poised for their first outright victory of the season after Andy Bichel and Michael Kasprowicz starred with the bat and ball on the third day of their match against Victoria.
   Victoria, who claimed first innings points, were 95 for five in their second innings at stumps after Kasprowicz ripped through the top order to finish the opening day with 4-22. Bichel backed up from his career-best haul of 7-56 on the second day to blast a quickfire knock of 84 from 118 balls and set Victoria 381 runs to take outright points.

David Nalbandian came from two sets down to beat Roger Federer in an epic Masters Cup final and end the world number one’s long winning streak.
   Federer had won his last 35 matches and 24 finals, but only a fourth defeat of the season in Shanghai ended his hopes of a third successive Masters title.
   The world number one took the first two sets on tie-breaks but Nalbandian hit back to take the third and fourth sets.
   He led 4-0 in the fifth before finally winning an epic 6-7, 6-7, 6-2, 6-1, 7-6.
   Federer had won a record 24 consecutive finals, an Open era record dating back to October 2003.
   His last loss in a final came to Jiri Novak in Gstaad on 13 July, 2003.
   Federer won a titanic second set tie-break 13-11 but appeared to be on the ropes after being broken twice in the third set and seeing Nalbandian race through the fourth.
   The Swiss champion then dropped his serve twice to fall 0-4 down in the decider, but staged a remarkable comeback to twice break back and level it at 4-4.
   He then broke Nalbandian at 5-5 to serve for the match, only for the Argentine to break back and force a tie-break.
   Nalbandian appeared to have blown his chance when he pushed an easy backhand volley wide at 4-2 up, but held his nerve to take it 7-3.

Tiger Woods won his seventh tournament of the year after a play-off victory over Japan’s Kaname Yokoo saw him retain the Dunlop Phoenix title.
   Woods reached the fourth extra hole, the par five 18th, in two and two putts were enough for victory after Yokoo missed his 12-footer for birdie.
   Woods had missed a chance to secure the title in regulation play after losing a one-shot lead on the final hole.
   He drove a bunker and made par for a 71 while Yokoo birdied for a 69. Tied at 8 under, the pair went into a sudden death play-off.
   Woods drove into trees at the first extra hole, twisting his ankle in the process, and had to sink a 12-foot putt to stay in the hunt.
   He limped though his remaining play-off holes, making birdie on each of them.
   Jim Furyk, who was one shot behind Woods going into the last day, shot a final-round 73 to finish at six-under 274.

Indian left-arm seamer Irfan Pathan, who picked up the man of the match award in the second one-dayer against South Africa here Saturday, said that he is enjoying his purple patch.
   ‘I am really enjoying myself. I had a bad series earlier in the year but I’ve come back well this season. The team management and support staff have helped me immensely,’ Pathan told reporters after picking up his fifth man of the match in one-dayers.
   ‘My stint in the county cricket helped a lot. I learnt a lot there and it also helped me regain my fitness. I don’t think about my batting and that has helped me enjoy it and be successful in it. I don’t know if I can say that I’m ready to be an all-rounder now or later but I’m enjoying myself now,’ Pathan said.

Wigan Athletic’s six-game winning streak in the Premier League came to an end on Saturday with a 3-2 defeat by Arsenal in a rip-roaring clash at the JJB Stadium.
   Leaders Chelsea got back to winning ways with a 3-0 defeat of Newcastle United while Manchester United began life without Roy Keane by beating Charlton Athletic 3-1 at the Valley.
   Wigan’s record crowd of 25,000 were treated to a pulsating first half in which a classy Arsenal raced into a 2-0 lead after 21 minutes through Robin Van Persie and Thierry Henry.
   Henri Camara gave second-placed Wigan a lifeline with a diving header after 28 minutes, only for Henry to restore Arsenal’s two-goal cushion with a delicious free-kick past keeper John Filan.
   Wigan, who have enjoyed a superb start to their first season in the top flight, hit back again on the stroke of halftime when Jimmy Bullard’s deft turn left Sol Campbell on his backside before shooting past Jens Lehmann.
   Arsenal survived some late pressure to hold on for a first away league victory of the season, although Wigan boss Paul Jewell was far from downhearted.
   ‘We can take a lot of positives out of that,’ Jewell told Sky Sports. ‘We showed great character to get back into the game. At the end, they were playing with three centre halves on the pitch which was a back-handed compliment to us.’
   Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said collecting a first away victory could be a turning point in their season.
   Champions Chelsea were frustrated during a goalless first half at Stamford Bridge where midfielder Frank Lampard equalled the Premier league record of 149 consecutive appearances.
   Second-half goals from Joe Cole, Hernan Crespo and Damien Duff secured victory following defeat by Manchester United two weeks ago and extends their lead at the top to nine points.
   ‘They (Newcastle) are not the easiest side to play against, they are well-organised,’ Mourinho said. ‘But, after the first goal, the confidence returned.’
   He added that midfielder Claude Makelele was a doubt for the midweek Champions League game against Anderlecht after hobbling off early following a tackle on former team-mate Scott Parker.
   United responded to the sudden exit of skipper Keane on Friday with an impressive victory at Charlton to move up to third, 10 points behind Chelsea with a game in hand.
   Alan Smith put the visitors ahead in the first half with his first goal since May and Ruud Van Nistelrooy scored a late double after Darren Ambrose had equalised for Charlton.
   ‘It has been a difficult week for the club,’ said United manager Alex Ferguson, ‘but it was vital we backed up our victory over Chelsea.
   ‘Van Nistelrooy’s finish was unbelievable and his goal came at a vital time, just after they equalised.’
   European champions Liverpool cruised to a 3-0 victory over struggling Portsmouth at Anfield, despite a penalty miss from Peter Crouch, but city rivals Everton fell back into the bottom three after a 4-0 humiliation at West Bromwich Albion.
   Sunderland stayed bottom after a 3-1 home defeat by Aston Villa, for whom former striker Kevin Phillips was on target, and Manchester City were held 0-0 at home by Blackburn Rovers.

Arsene Wenger has admitted that Arsenal might have to win this season’s Champions League if they are to have any hope of hanging on to Thierry Henry.
   The French striker underlined his huge value once more with two goals in Arsenal’s 3-2 win over Wigan here on Saturday, but Wenger is acutely aware that Henry could easily be tempted by the increasingly indiscreet overtures being made by Barcelona.
   ‘Our potential will certainly be one of the things that can convince Thierry to stay,’ Wenger admitted after his side claimed their first away victory of the season.
   ‘We have a young side and if we manage to do well, it can make him think this team has a future. It’s one of the ingredients that will help.’
   Henry was left dismayed when France team-mate Patrick Vieira opted to quit north London for Juventus during the close season and has stalled on signing a new contract at Highbury.
   The Gunners captain is under contract at Arsenal until the end of next season, but the financial realities of football at the moment mean Wenger will be forced to sell him next summer if he has not signed a new long-term deal by then.
   The Arsenal boss is optimistic that European success could help persuade Henry to stay in London, just as Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard decided to remain on Merseyside after they won last season’s Champions League.
   ‘On its own it may not be enough to keep him but if you do well, it makes you think that you’re capable of competing,’ Wenger said. ‘It worked with Steven Gerrard at Liverpool.’
   Henry refused to be drawn on the speculation, despite
   comments from Barcelona
   sporting director Txiki Beguiristain suggesting that he would fit in alongside Samuel Eto’o and Ronaldinho at the Nou Camp.
   Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard added fuel to the fire by saying Henry is a great player and ‘would be a great addition to the squad.’
   Henry said he was fed up with all the spectulation, claiming: ‘I am starting to get sick of seeing my face in the papers.’
   The Frenchman played a crucial role in Saturday’s win and looked a relieved man after Wigan laid siege to the Arsenal goal in the closing stages.
   ‘They didn’t surprise me because I saw them play very well and they were good again. They didn’t concede goals for a long time,’ he said.
   Wigan boss Paul Jewell paid tribute to his side, who had won their previous six Premiership matches.

Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard paid tribute to his team’s hard work and individual talent after they put arch-rivals Real Madrid to the sword with a 3-0 win at the Bernabeu on Saturday.
   ‘When you see a 3-0 scoreline at the Bernabeu it seems like an easy win but you have to work very hard to get to that position,’ said the Dutchman.
   ‘It was a spectacular game and very important for us to win against Real, especially at their own ground. It is very satisfying for the moment but we can’t afford to ease up, we have to maintain the same rhythm and intensity.
   ‘We can’t afford to drop our guard in the next few games’
   Barca took charge in the ‘clasico’ from the first whistle and went in front when Samuel Eto’o scored an opportunistic opener against his former club in the 15th minute.
   The Catalans dominated the rest of the half but did not extend their lead until early in the second period when Ronaldinho scored a virtuoso goal after dancing past Real defenders Sergio Ramos and Ivan Helguera.
   The World Player of the Year completed the rout 12 minutes from time when he repeated the trick, waltzing through the Real defence before firing home with another spectacular strike.
   The Brazilian got a standing ovation from the Bernabeu crowd after his second goal, while many Real fans jeered their own team and streamed out of the stadium well before the final whistle.
   The victory meant Rijkaard became the first Barca coach to notch up two wins over Real at their own stadium but the former Dutch international was quick to give the credit to his players, in particular Ronaldinho and Argentine teenager Lionel Messi.
   ‘The team played a great game and their hard work allowed individuals like Ronaldinho to shine,’ he said.
   ‘Some of the things Ronaldinho did in the second half were marvellous. He’s got such speed, control and it worked out brilliantly for him. He was just phenomenal.
   ‘Messi is also a great player and is an extraordinary talent. He was clearly ready to play in a game like this.
   ‘Real are a good team with great players and so it was always a big motivation to win here. They tried to use their individuals to win the game but our defence was very solid and we closed them down in midfield too.’
   Real coach Wanderley Luxemburgo was gracious in defeat, admitting Barca had outplayed his team, but was confident his side would improve.
   ‘Barcelona were superior and they deserved to win,’ said the Brazilian. ‘They’ve got a great team and were clearly in better form for this match but there is still a long way to go.
   ‘The fans are bound to be upset when we lose a ‘clasico’, but the important thing is to keep working and I still think Real will win the league title.’
   Luxemburgo gave short shrift to any suggestions that the manner of his side’s defeat meant his job was now in jeopardy.
   ‘Don’t ask me that question, ask (Real president) Florentino (Perez). Nothing is the matter with me. I’m a football coach and am used to this. I want to get on with my job.’

Manchester United began the post-Roy Keane era on Saturday with a 3-1 defeat of Charlton Athletic that will
   offer comfort to their stunned fans.
   Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s superb late double took the focus away from the charismatic Irishman who left the club by mutual agreement on Friday after 12 years.
   The Dutch striker, however, said the sudden exit of Keane had made a huge impact on the dressing room.
   ‘Yesterday we heard and it was a big shock, a sad day. It was impossible to get over it in such a short space of time,’ Van Nistelrooy, who struck twice after Darren Ambrose had cancelled out Alan Smith’s first-half opener, told Sky Sports.
   ‘But the game was here and we were all motivated to do well and to make sure we got a good victory, which we did.
   ‘Roy will always be remembered as the greatest player that played for the club.
   ‘His leadership and quality of play and his character will always be within us.’
   Replacing Keane will be manager Alex Ferguson’s greatest challenge as he tries to close the gap on runaway league leaders Chelsea. Van Nistelrooy knows it will be a tough task.
   ‘I trained and played with him for four and a half years and I would say he’s the best player I’ve ever played with ... it’s
   just a shame it stopped now,’ he said.
   Keane’s future at Old Trafford had been under a cloud since an interview on the club’s MUTV channel, in which he made scathing comments about his team mates, was pulled.
   A report in the Guardian said Keane had repeated his venomous attack in person to the players and that he and Ferguson had a stand-up row when the manager accused him of bringing the club into disrepute.
   Speaking after the victory at Charlton, Ferguson told Sky Sports, ‘Roy and I had an amicable chat and wished each other well. He is one of the best players in the history of the club.’

Juventus crushed AS Roma 4-1 at the Olympic stadium on Saturday with two goals from Frenchman David Trezeguet sending them five points clear at the top of Serie A.
   Champions Juve, whose rivals Milan are away to third-placed Fiorentina on Sunday, ripped Roma apart with three goals in five minutes early in the second half.
   Former Roma coach Fabio Capello watched his Juventus side take the lead on the stroke of halftime, against the run of play, when Czech midfielder Pavel Nedved rose above Christian Panucci to head home a Mauro Camoranesi cross. Swede Zlatan Ibrahimovic doubled the advantage with a brilliant solo goal in the 56th minute which displayed his full array of skills.
   Receiving a long ball from Emerson, Ibrahimovic left his marker Samuel Kuffour stranded with a brilliant back-heeled turn and then raced goalwards before beating Roma’s Brazilian keeper Doni with a confident strike with the outside of his foot.
   Two minutes later, Trezeguet made it 3-0 with a textbook header from a pinpoint cross by Gianluca Zambrotta as Roma’s defence failed to cope with the Turin team’s direct approach.
   Three minutes after that, the game was put totally beyond Roma when Nedved fed Ibrahimovic whose simple pass across the area was side-footed home by Trezeguet with a bewildered home defence standing by.
   Although by then the game was as a contest, the rapid stream of events continued when a minute later Roma striker Vincenzo Montella was tripped inside the penalty area by Lilian Thuram.
   Juve’s French defender Thuram was sent off and Roma captain Francesco Totti blasted home the penalty to make it 4-1 but Juve closed ranks and kept a firm grip on the result.
   Earlier, Brazilian defender Felipe headed an 87th-minute winner for Udinese to beat Messina 1-0.
   Udinese had by far the better of the game but were foiled by the outstanding form of Messina keeper Marco Storari who made several excellent saves.
   Just after the break, Storari pushed an Antonio Di Natale effort wide and from the resulting corner pulled off a great save to deny Sulley Muntari.

Australia are trying to organise matches against European champions Greece and the Netherlands as they prepare for next year’s World Cup finals in Germany.
   The Socceroos, who qualified for what will be their first finals in 32 years when they beat Uruguay 4-2 on penalties on Wednesday, will also play Asian Cup qualifying matches in February and March.
   Australia, who will represent Oceania in Germany, join the Asian Football Confederation next year.
   ‘We will start training in Australia and play at least one game at home before the World Cup,’ John Boultbee, Football Federation Australia (FFA) head of high performance told Sunday’s Age newspaper.
   ‘That match will probably be against Greece and then we are looking at two more games.’
   FFA chief executive John O’Neill had said they were also trying to organise matches against fellow the Netherlands and Croatia, though it all depended on who they were drawn with at the tournament. Both teams have also made the finals.
   ‘We are learning as we go because we haven’t been there for 32 years but once you figure out what pool you’re in and who you don’t want to play then you start organising games,’ he said.
   ‘We have set aside two dates in May and pencilled in a game against the Netherlands in Holland, probably at Eindhoven, and also a game against Croatia.
   ‘It all depends on the draw on the night.
   ‘We are also talking to the Greek federation about the possibility of the Greek team coming to Australia for a friendly.
   ‘We will have a fairly full dance card and will be in the unusual position of people wanting to play us rather than going around with the beggar bowl.’
   The draw for the World Cup will be on December 9.

Former Bayern Munich manager Ottmar Hitzfeld has claimed that English Premiership giants Manchester United have offered him a position.
   Hitzfeld, a Champions League winner with Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, has been out of football for 18 months.
   He did not reveal whether his ‘offer from United’ was to be the club’s manager, but the 56-year-old told German weekly Die Zeit: ‘Yes, there has been an offer from United.
   ‘I want to get back to football and next summer would be a good time to do that.’
   Hitzfeld, who left Bayern in 2004, said that his wife Beatrix’s willingness to move to Manchester would play an important part of his decision.
   ‘My wife would go to Manchester and I’m ready for a new challenge,’ he added.
   Earlier this month Hitzfeld rejected the chance of taking over at Scottish Premier League side Hearts following the sacking of George Burley.
   He has also been touted as a possible successor for Germany manager Jurgen Klinsmann should he step down after the 2006 World Cup.

George Best is in a critical but stable condition on a life support machine, a spokesman for the hospital treating him said on Sunday.
   ‘Mr George Best is stable with no further changes but he is still critical in intensive care,’ the spokesman said.
   The former Manchester United winger, one of the finest players in soccer history, has been in hospital since the beginning of October.
   He underwent a liver transplant in 2002 after years of heavy drinking.
   On Sunday, a picture of Best looking gaunt and yellow was published on the front page of the mass-selling tabloid News of the World with a message saying ‘Don’t Die Like Me’.
   The paper said Best had asked for it to be published as a warning to others about the dangers of excess drinking.
   ‘George could never beat his drink problem, but he told me ‘I hope my plight can act as a warning to others,’‘ Best’s agent and friend Phil Hughes told the paper.

Celtic chairman Brian Quinn warned Sunday that former Manchester United skipper Roy Keane would have to take a wage cut if he wanted to join the Scottish Premier League leaders.
   The 34-year-old midfielder left Old Trafford after 12 years on Friday amid reports of dressing-room discontent.
   Wigan, Bolton and Portsmouth are reportedly interested in acquiring his services but Keane has spoken of his desire to end his career with Celtic.
   But Keane’s reported 90,000 pound (154,000 dollars)-a-week pay packet is out of the question for the Glasgow giants.
   ‘That is a figure which is just out of the question as far as we are concerned,’ said Quinn.
   ‘We have a wages policy and what we do for individual players is a matter between the player and the club.’
   And there is also the question of how the Irishman would fit into Gordon Strachan’s side.

U-20 booters
off to Tehran
The 24-member Under-20 National football team left Dhaka on Sunday for Tehran, capital of Iran, to play the qualifying match of the AFC U-20 Football Championship. Bangladesh will play against Iran on November 23 in Tehran and will host them on November 27 at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka. The 24-member team comprises 20 footballers and four officials.
— BDNEWS

JFA Cup from
Dec 21
The preliminary round matches of the 2nd Japan Football Association Cup U-16 Football Tournament will be held in eight venues across the country from December 21. The district stadiums of Manikganj, Tangail, Rangamati, Chandpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Satkhira and Bagerhat will host the matches. A total of 60 teams split into eight groups will play in preliminary round with the champion and runner-up teams of each group moving into the final round, to be held in Dhaka. Japan Football Association as the sponsors provided US$25,000 for the tournament this year, five thousand more than the previous year.
— New Age

BOA invites applications for
Doha Youth Camp
Bangladesh Olympic Association has invited applications from the students of Bangla and English medium schools and colleges from whom two will be selected (one each from Bagla and English mediums) for participation in the Youth Camp Doha 2006, to be held in the Qatari capital of Doha from November 28 to December 9, 2006. The applicants should be aged between 15 and 17 and must be fluent in English and Bangla. The organisers will provide the accommodation and food while the BOA will bear the air fare cost. The applicants have been asked to their applications to the BOA office through their institutions on or before November 30.
— New Age

Emirates to sponsor WC website
Emirates, the renowned international airlines and one of the biggest sponsors in the world, signed up as one of the main sponsors of FIFAworldcup.com, the official website of the 2006 FIFA World Cup which is hosted by Yahoo. The sponsorship gives Emirates the exclusive rights of the complete match coverage, the final draw for the World Cup, scheduled to be held on December 9. The Emirates brand will be featured prominently in the website, currently available on four official FIFA languages, English, German, Spanish and French. In the last edition of the World Cup, the official website registered more than 2 billion page views and this time it is expected to grow bigger.
— New Age