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

Archive «
Launch Supplement «
Special Supplements «

Bangladesh were in a comfortable position in the second Test against England in Dhaka after reducing the tourists to 171-3 in their first innings at the end of second day’s play on Sunday.
   The hosts lead the first innings by 248 runs after half-centuries from two overnight batsmen Naeem Islam and Shafiul Islam helped them reach 419 runs on an intriguing second day morning.
   It was Bangladesh's highest total against England and third highest against any side, after their 488 against Zimbabwe at Chittagong in 2005 and 427 against Australia at Fatullah in 2006.
   England, who went into the game with one batsman less, already lost Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood and needed a patient half-century from opener Jonathan Trott to stay in contention.
   In the face of some tight left-arm spin bowling, Trott had to keep him in check and faced 187 balls to finish on 64 not out at the close. Ian Bell (25 not out) will resume England innings with Trott hoping to make some amends for their second day’s slow batting.
   The duo, who added 64 runs in their unbroken fourth-wicket stand, however, had no option but to go slow after Bangladesh made two massive breakthroughs in successive overs by removing Pietersen and Collingwood in the final session.
   Pietersen (45) was undone by a quick delivery from Sakib al Hasan which he spooned to Imrul Kayes at short-cover.
   Rubel Hossain had Collingwood lbw for a duck in the next over with a reverse-swing delivery to leave England stuttering at 107 for three.
   England had already lost Cook, who was caught by Kayes off Abdur Razzak at mid-wicket for 21 and Trott could have been their second casualty had Jahirul Islam not dropped him at forward short-leg off Sakib on 13.
   England were too cautious when facing Sakib, who bowled very straight and accurate to claim 15 maidens bowling 24 overs at a stretch. The skipper conceded only 26 runs in his long spell which turned out to be the most economical bowling figure ever for Bangladesh in Test.
   Earlier, Naeem and Shafiul scored their maiden half-centuries as Bangladesh, resuming on 330-8, batted for more than 24 overs in the morning session to frustrate England.
   Shafiul stole the show on the morning racing to his first Test fifty off 47 balls with a cover boundary off James Tredwell before falling to seamer Tim Bresnan for 53.
   Naeem, who was happy to play second fiddle to Shafiul during their 74-run ninth wicket partnership, took the responsibility on his shoulders to guide last batsman Rubel and picked up a fifty for himself. He faced 172 balls to finish with unbeaten 59.
   The hosts added 89 runs before off-spinner Graeme Swann trapped Rubel lbw for 17, his fourth wicket in the innings, ending England’s frustration.

After two impressive days on the field Bangladesh think they are now in a position to force a win or a draw in the second Test against England providing the bowlers do not let go of the momentum on the third day.
   The Tigers need only two more wickets to expose the tail of England, who came on to the field with one batsman short, replacing Michael Carberry with their fifth bowler James Tredwell.
   ‘That’s positive for us,’ said Bangladesh coach Jamie Siddons. ‘We are now slightly ahead, but you can also say it is still even game. We need to take two more wickets in the morning to invite their tail.
   ‘We bowled a lot better today [Sunday] than we did in Chittagong. Sakib was really outstanding and we need to keep up this momentum,’ said Siddons.
   Bangladesh still lead England by 248 runs after the tourists finished the third day on 171-3 replying to the hosts’ first innings total of 419 runs.
   Siddons said the third day will be crucial because it will decide who will have the edge in the game.
   Shafiul Islam, who made his maiden fifty on Sunday morning to help Bangladesh go past 400 runs, also believed they were in a very comfortable position after two days.
   ‘We are now in a very good position. If we had taken one or two more wickets, that would have been really good for us. But we fulfilled our target,’ he said.
   ‘We are asked to bowl dot balls and take as many maiden overs as possible because the wicket was flat. So if we had gone after wicket and force for it, they would have got some more runs,’ he said.
   Bangladesh bowled 21 maiden overs out of 64, which suggested they were successful in implementing the plan. Skipper Sakib alone bowled 15 maiden overs and conceded only 26 runs in his 24 overs, which was the most economical spell ever for Bangladesh.
   England had to bat slowly despite knowing their target was very high as Bangladesh used the spinners most of the time. Rubel Hossain generated some reverse swing from a wicket that otherwise offered nothing to pace bowlers.
   The only bowler in the Bangladesh line-up who seemed less threatening was Shafiul Islam, who chose to bat to make some impression in the game.
   Shafiul and Naeem added 74 runs for the ninth wicket to put England under severe pressure as Bangladesh frustrated the visitors for more than 24 overs in the morning to add 89 to their overnight 330-8.
   ‘They (England fielders) were saying me to hit sixes. But Naeem was discouraging me to take the aerial route, because if I hit in the air in this kind of wicket that’s a problem,’ said Shafiul after making his career best 53.

England have not given up hopes to pull off a win in the second Test match against Bangladesh despite being unable to dominate the hosts completely on the first two days.
   They tourists were trailing Bangladesh by 248 runs after the hosts posted their third highest ever 419 runs in the first innings. But England batsman Kevin Pietersen said they have still a very good chance to bounce back in the game.
   ‘I think we are still looking to win this Test match. We bat down to No 10, and if we bat all day tomorrow which we should do on that pitch, we can get ourselves into a good position and still play to win every game on this trip,’ said Pietersen.
   ‘If we keep putting on the pressure, yes, Bangladesh got 400 runs, but we could be 500 for 3 or 500 for 5 at the end of play tomorrow [Monday]. Then it’s a different ball game,’ he said.
   Pietersen, however, hailed Bangladesh’s performance on the first two days.
   ‘I wouldn’t say we’re evens. I think Bangladesh showed a lot of fight and courage this morning, batted really well to get 419, we are a batsman down so we have definitely got a fight on our hands,’ he said.
   ‘We’ve got some work to do tomorrow, first session tomorrow is a big session, to make sure we don’t lose any wickets but to make sure the scoreboard keeps ticking. It’s pretty difficult to score runs,’ he added.
   ‘They bowled two left-arm spinners, we had off-spinners bowling into the right-handers and we bowled a lot of seam as well, the seamers were definitely easier to face than Sakib al Hasan who bowls wicket to wicket with pretty straight fields,’ he said.
   ‘When Trott and me came together we said we want to bat for as long as possible here, they are obviously going to try to bowl really well at the start and the fielders are going to be all over us, but in the heat they were going to tire and that was the opportunity to score some runs.
   ‘I did feel after half an hour it got a bit easier, but it’s one of those wickets where you have to grind it out, when you’ve got two accurate spinners bowling at you,’ he said.
   Pietersen was cautious about predicting the behaviour of wicket on the fourth and fifth day.
   ‘We don’t know, we’ll have to wait and see. Really flat today but who knows, it does change. Today was a good day for batting, Bangladesh bowled really well in patches, their spinners are very good spinners. It’s going to be quite hard to score,’ he said.
   ‘Flat means in terms of trying to get a batsman out, if you don’t want to get out, then a batsman can bat all day. We’ve struggled to score runs, but none of the batsmen has ever really looked like getting out. You know what I mean?’ said the former captain.

A 182-member Bangladesh contingent comprising 140 athletes and 42 officials leaves for Kolkata today to take part in the 3rd edition of the Indo-Bangladesh Bangla Games scheduled to start at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Stadium on March 24.
   The games will conclude March 27.
   Bangladesh Olympic Association expressed firm determination of achieving glory as well as enhancing the fraternity and friendship with the neighbouring country through the medium of sports.
   The athletes of Bangladesh and West Bengal will compete in the 10 disciplines of the meet.
   The disciplines are athletics, badminton, football, judo, kho kho, swimming, shooting, basketball, gymnastics and kabaddi.
   The first edition of the games was held in Kolkata in 2007 and Bangladesh hosted the second edition in 2008.
   The third edition of the games was scheduled to take place in 2009 but could not be staged due to the SA Games. Bangladesh will host the next edition in 2011.
   In the first edition of the Games, Bangladesh won 30 gold, 34 silver and 18 bronze medals while as the hosts of the second edition they bagged 45 golds, 29 silvers and 18 bronzes.
   At a press briefing held at the BOA auditorium, Kutubuddin Ahmed, secretary general of the BOA, hoped the friendly relationship between Bangladesh and India will be further strengthened with the games.
   ‘Sport is a great unifier and we have every belief that the upcoming edition of the Indo-Bangladesh Bangla Games will foster the relationship between the two countries,’ said Kutubuddin.
   Chef de mission Harunur Rashid was hopeful of winning at least 30 gold medals of the available 61.
   ‘The athletes will represent the country and are ready to produce their best, we hope to win at least 30 gold medals and put up a decent show on the field,’ said Harun.
   BOA vice-president and training committee chief Mizanur Rahman Manu said the athletes are ready to compete after 20 days of hard training.
   ‘Most of the athletes were in the SA Games and trained hard for the new challenges, we hope they will excel in their events,’ said Manu.
   Manu said all the star shooters and swimmers are going to Kolkata. In the other disciplines there are some new faces as the respective federations thought to provide exposure to them.
   BOA CEO Col (retd) Waliullah, vice-president Rafia Akhter Dolly and general manager of the team Major (retd) Imroze Ahmed were also present on the occasion.

New Zealand didn’t understand the fuss over Doug Bollinger during the one-day series, but they do now after he put Australia on track for a convincing victory in Wellington.
   After struggling through the limited-over engagements and being attacked by the home batsmen, Bollinger has caused a lot of damage on a fine surface during the opening Test.
   A career-best 5 for 28 helped floor New Zealand for 157 in their first innings, which ended 65 minutes into the third day and left them 302 behind, and Bollinger returned to cause more difficulties during the hosts’ improved second effort. Despite Tim McIntosh’s obdurate resistance with 83 in 276 minutes, the home side finished at 187 for 5, still needing 115 to make the tourists bat again.
   Bollinger has played only seven Tests, but he was the attack’s main man as he recorded the second five-wicket haul of his career and followed up with 2 for 30 off 13 overs.
   There were five breakthroughs in the day as he finished off the first innings and gave his side some inspiration when the visitors were becalmed in the second session.
   Backing up after a demolition is not always easy for the bowlers, who expect to repeat their exploits despite their fatigue.
   The fast men didn’t regain the same opportunities until Bollinger stepped up, dismissing BJ Watling and Peter Ingram (1) in the half hour before tea.
   Watling, who made an unsuccessful challenge, was lbw to Bollinger for the second time in the game and walked off with 33 in 131 minutes, while Ingram flirted at Bollinger to give Brad Haddin an easy catch. Throughout the day he provided extra speed, bounce and a touch of swing to gain his rewards.
   In the morning Bollinger, the third bowler used, struck twice in three balls, adding the victims to his two of the previous afternoon.
   Brendon McCullum left after trying a wild pull – he was well caught by Harris at fine-leg – and Bollinger then delivered a beautiful shorter ball angling away to brush Martin Guptill’s edge.
   Bollinger’s fifth wicket came when Brent Arnel nicked his first delivery to Ricky Ponting at second slip. In celebration he attempted to kiss the team badge on his shirt – but smooched the sponsor’s beer logo instead.
   New Zealand resumed at a wobbly 108 for 4 and Daniel Vettori started the collapse of 45 for 6 when he edged the debutant Ryan Harris (2 for 42) to Ponting in the day’s opening over.
   They made a better fight of their second innings thanks to the effort of McIntosh, who settled the team during a 70-run opening stand with Watling.
   McIntosh, the left-hander, was a great man for the situation and was solid in defence before branching out a little as the afternoon wore on. For most of the time the going was slow, but it was exactly what New Zealand wanted, especially as wickets fell regularly after Watling departed.
   There were people in the crowd asleep, but they were allowed to dream of a lengthy second innings and possibly some rain over the final two days.
   Shortly before his dismissal there were two McIntosh fours in a row off Mitchell Johnson, including a crisp cover drive, in a collection of 10 boundaries and a straight six off Nathan Hauritz. However, his resistance ended when he pushed defensively at Hauritz and inside-edged to Simon Katich at short leg.
   New Zealand were 183 for 5 and Vettori found himself in a similar position to when he arrived yesterday. His side was in danger and needed a lot of runs. He had added 18 before stumps, while McCullum was 4 when bad light intervened.
   Hauritz, the off-spinner, delivered 22 overs in a row after lunch and gained some worrying turn at times. He produced one crucial ball to Ross Taylor that landed in a footmark outside off-stump and spun back sharply while keeping low.
   Taylor, who had earlier hit Hauritz for a six and a four, didn’t play a shot and was hit in front of off-stump. The Australians challenged successfully after Asad Rauf initially gave it not out and it was another costly lapse on a bad day for New Zealand.

Pakistan cricket team will take some time to settle in absence of banned seniors players, feels the new coach Waqar Younis. The Pakistan Cricket Board, taking a disciplinary action, had recently banned and fined seven players.
   Waqar, a former Test captain who reached here yesterday to take up his new assignment, said the bans and fines may affect team’s performance initially.
   ‘Obviously any team would miss players of the calibre of Mohammad Yousuf, Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik or Rana Naved. I hope that the remaining experienced players in the side provide full support to the youngsters in the team,’ Waqar told reporters at the airport.
   The PCB has banned prolific batsmen Yousuf and Younis indefinitely and imposed one year bans and fines of two million rupees each on Malik and Rana.
   Waqar is expected to meet the PCB Chairman soon and sources say his views would be sought on the captain for the T20 World Cup, Pakistan’s next international assignment.
   ‘As far as the captaincy issue is concerned that is for the Board Chairman to decide. But obviously I have my views on this and I will convey this when I meet him,’ he said. Waqar felt that the national team’s performance could be improved by injecting discipline and confidence into the team.
   The former fast bowler, who is settled in Sydney, is reported to have told the Chairman that lack of discipline and cohesion in the team were the major reasons for the poor performances in Australia.

Sunnydale emerged as the champions of the Sunnydale 7th Mini Handball Tournament (boys) beating Dhanmondi Tutorial by 8-5 goals in the final at the Paltan handball stadium on Sunday.
   In the semi-finals, Sunnydale thrashed BIS 8-3 while Dhanmondi Tutorial ousted Scholastica also by the same margin.
   In the place-decider, Scholastica School dumped BIS 12-1. Ali of Dhanmondi Tutorial was adjudged the best player of the tournament.
   Holy Cross College principal Sister Marian Teresa was the chief guest at the final and distributed prizes among the winners.
   Handball Federation president Nurul Fazal Bulbul, general secretary Asaduzzaman Kohinoor, chairman of sponsors Sunnydale Tanvir Ahmed and principal Tazin Ahmed, among others, were present.

Manches-ter United returned to the top of the Premier League on Sunday as South Korea midfielder Park Ji-Sung sealed a 2-1 victory over bitter rivals Liverpool.
   Sir Alex Ferguson’s team trailed to an early goal from Fernando Torres at Old Trafford, but Wayne Rooney equalised with the rebound from a controversially awarded penalty before Park’s third goal of the season won it for the champions.
   United are now two points clear of second-placed Arsenal, while Chelsea can move level on points with the Gunners if they win at Blackburn later on Sunday.
   Torres took just five minutes to score his third goal in his last three meetings with United. Dirk Kuyt provided the cross and Torres took advantage of slack United marking to power a header past Edwin van der Sar.
   Liverpool’s lead lasted just seven minutes as United equalised through Rooney’s 33rd goal of the season.
   As Antonio Valencia drove towards the Liverpool penalty area, Javier Mascherano was tugging at the United winger. Mascherano released his grip as Valencia entered the area but the Ecuadorian threw himself to the turf and referee Howard Webb gave the penalty.
   The decision led to a furious slanging match on the touchline between Ferguson and Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez.
   Jose Reina saved Rooney’s spot-kick but the rebound fell perfectly for the England star to tap home into the net.
   United were dominant after that and Park sealed United’s first win over the Reds since March 2008 with a brave diving header from Darren Fletcher’s cross in the 60th minute.

Ivan Ljubicic played the match of his life to upset third seed and holder Rafa Nadal 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 on Saturday and reach the final of the Indian Wells ATP tournament.
   The big-serving Croat, seeded 20th, recovered from a set down before crunching a forehand down the line to clinch the tiebreak 7-1 and seal victory in two hours, 34 minutes at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
   Ljubicic, who turned 31 on Friday, will compete for his first Masters 1000 title in Sunday’s final against American Andy Roddick, who held off a fightback by Swede Robin Soderling to win 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
   ‘It was a great, great match,’ the Croat told reporters after firing down 17 aces for a tournament total of 66. ‘Probably the best I’ve ever played in my career.
   ‘I struggled a little bit at the beginning with the wind ... but I felt from the beginning okay from the baseline. I didn’t feel like he was in control of the points.
   ‘I just felt if I found the rhythm of the return then I can have the match, and that’s exactly what happened,’ added Ljubicic, who beat second-seeded Serb Novak Djokovic in the fourth round.
   Ljubicic began the match tentatively on a breezy afternoon in the California desert, twice double-faulting before netting a forehand to be broken in the first game.
   He also lost his serve in the ninth, after a clever Nadal lob forced an error by the Croat as he stretched his racket upwards, to lose the opening set in 34 minutes.
   The Spaniard, whose crosscourt forehand was scintillating, seemed poised for a straight sets demolition after going 0-40 up on Ljubicic’s serve in the sixth game of the second set.
   But Ljubicic saved four break points to hold and then broke Nadal for the first time in the ninth game, after the Spaniard double-faulted, before levelling the match.
   Service breaks were traded in the first two games of the third set before the players went into a tiebreak which Ljubicic dominated as Nadal made a series of unforced errors.
   Seventh seed Roddick reached the final at Indian Wells for the first time in four attempts after holding off sixth-seeded Soderling in one hour 46 minutes.
   The powerful-serving American, who had lost to Soderling in their two previous meetings, broke the Swede in the seventh game to sweep through the opening set in 37 minutes.
   Although Soderling levelled the match by twice breaking his opponent in the second, Roddick returned the favour in the third and clinched victory when the Swede hit a backhand long.

Rajasthan Royals logged their first points in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with a convincing 34-run victory over Kolkata Knight Riders here Saturday.
   Electing to bat, Rajasthan Royals scored 168 for seven and restricted Knight Riders to 134 for five in their 20 overs.
   For Rajasthan Royals, Abhishek Jhunjhunwala made 45 off 36 balls while Naman Ojha (27), Faiz Fazal (31) and Adam Voges (37 not out) chipped in with useful contributions.
   The bowlers were up to the task right from the start, not allowing Knight Riders to get off to a flier and then checking the run flow with regular wickets.
   Yusuf Pathan (2-23) removed both the openers Manoj Tiwary (11) and Brad Hodge (36) while Munaf Patel and Siddharth Trivedi picked one wicket each. Australian Shaun Tait and Munaf kept it tight towards the end as Knight Riders could never accelerate despite having wickets in hand.
   It was the first victory for the Royals in four matches. The winners of the inaugural edition were lagging behind with losses against Mumbai Indians, Delhi Daredevils and Bangalore Royal Challengers.
   Knight Riders, on the other hand, after beginning their campaign this season with impressive wins against defending champions Deccan Chargers and runners-up Royal Challengers recorded their second loss, having lost to Super Kings at home four days back.
   It was a bit of surprise that Knight Riders did not field Chris Gayle who was available for the match.
   Knight Riders got off to a good start with Ashok Dinda (2-28) trapping Michael Lumb lbw with the first ball of the innings. Ojha and Fazal steadied the ship with a 42-run stand before Shane Bond (2-32) dismissed the latter. Fazal hit six boundaries in his 23-ball stay.
   Ojha added 30 runs with former Indian Cricket League player Jhunjhunwala, before being run out.
   Royals’ star batsman Pathan did not stay for long and Jhunjhunwala, who made 36-ball 45 with five fours, fell to Ishant Sharma (2-33).
   Voges gave the late charge with two fours and two sixes in his 22-ball innings.
   Knight Riders were too cautious at the start and after losing Tiwary off Pathan in the third over, Hodge and Cheteshwar Pujara (29) took their time in building up the innings without taking any risk.
   They reached 65 for one in 10 overs and Pujara was out in the next over. With the asking rate going up and the slow nature of wicket making it difficult for the new batsmen, Knight Riders failed to accelerate.
   Skipper Sourav Ganguly was out of sorts in his 29-ball 33 as Royals paceman used the short ball to good effect against the left-hander.

Jacques Kallis struck a fine unbeaten 66 as Royal Challengers Bangalore romped home to a convincing seven-wicket win over Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) here Saturday.
   Royal Challengers made 155 for three in 19.1 overs after their bowlers did a decent job by restricting Mumbai Indians to 151 for nine in 20 overs at the Brabourne Stadium.
   For Royal Challengers it was their third consecutive win from four matches while Mumbai Indians suffered their first loss in three matches.
   Chasing 152, Kallis and young Manish Pandey (40) gave the Royal Challengers a great start with their 85-run partnership for the fist wicket. Pandey completely dominated the proceedings during his 27-ball stay, hitting three fours and two sixes.
   Kallis on the other end played a composed knock as his 66 came off 55 balls and was studded with 10 fours. Kallis was also adjudged as the Man of the Match.
   With Robin Uthappa (23), Kallis added 31 runs for the second wicket, and took Royal Challengers on the threshold of a win. The veteran South African all-rounder added another 20 runs with Virat Kohli (17) and with Eoin Morgan (7 not out) took the Bangalore team to home.
   Earlier, fast bowler R.Vinay Kumar (3/25) struck thrice in an over, picking up the important wickets of Ambati Rayudu (3), Sachin Tendulkar (25) and Dwayne Bravo (1), to restrict Mumbai Indians to a modest total. South African fast bowler Dale Steyn also picked up three for 26.
   Mumbai Indians batsmen failed to put up a decent partnership despite getting good starts. Saurabh Tiwary (25), Rajagopal Satish (24) and Keiron Pollar (21) came up with useful contributions while Zaheer Khan struck a quickfire 23 off just nine balls as Mumbai Indians got to a decent total.

Australian vice-captain Michael Clarke has dedicated his 14th Test century to ex-fiancee Lara Bingle, as also to his family, friends, team-mates.
   ‘Without her (Lara) and her support, I certainly wouldn’t have been back over here. It’s a very special feeling any time you make a hundred, but it’s been a tough couple of weeks. To my family and friends that have supported me and Lara, I thank them very much,’ Clarke said.
   Clarke required 30 torturous minutes to get off the mark, struggling for fluency and timing after the most tumultuous period of his career and life. The benefits of persistence were reaped in the final session of play.
   Clarke’s second 50 came in a blaze of 39 deliveries - highlighted by a series of forceful strokes square of the wicket against a tiring New Zealand attack - to seal the most emotional of his 14 Test centuries.
   Clearly elated and in no small way relieved, Clarke raised his bat in triumph and kissed the coat-of-arms on his helmet. Not since 2008, when he scored a century in Antigua after missing the preceding Test to attend the funeral of Bingle’s father, has the Australian vice-captain displayed such overt emotion upon the completion of a century.
   Captain Ricky Ponting was hitting the ball like a dream until Simon Katich (79) ran him out, while Phillip Hughes’ eleventh hour inclusion for the injured Shane Watson did little for his composure. He lasted just 24 deliveries, thrashing his way to 20.
   Clarke thanked the Kiwi players for refraining from sledging him about his personal travails.
   ‘The New Zealand guys were very respectful. There wasn’t one word said about what has happened in the past two weeks. They obviously played very hard as they always do, and very competitive, but the crowd and the NZ guys were fantastic,’ he said.

Sahara bagged Pune while little known Rendezvous Sports World Limited clinched Kochi as the Indian Premier League on Sunday unveiled two new teams joining the cash-awash Twenty20 league.
   IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi said Sahara Adventure Sports Group made an identical $370 million bid for three cities — Ahmedabad, Nagpur and Pune.
   ‘They made the highest bid for all three cities and were asked to chose one of those cities. So Pune will be the home ground of their team,’ Modi told reporters.
   Rendezvous Sports World Limited made the second highest bid on Sunday but their offer of $333.33 million was enough to land the Kochi franchise, Modi said.

World heavyweight champion Vladimir Klitschko landed a left-hand knockout punch five seconds from the end of the fight to beat challenger Eddie Chambers and retain his WBO, IBO and IBF belts on Saturday.
   Ukrainian Klitschko, 33, rattled the 27-year-old American in the second round but had to wait until just before the end of the 12th to stage a dramatic finale and knock him out in front of 51,000 fans at Duesseldorf’s soccer stadium.

Manuel Almunia was Arsenal’s hero as the Gunners returned to the top of the Premier League by beating West Ham 2-0 on Saturday, despite playing the entire second half with ten men.
   Almunia saved an Alessandro Diamanti penalty just before half-time after centre-back Thomas Vermaelen had been sent off for a professional foul on Guillermo Franco.
   That ensured Arsenal preserved the lead established by Denilson’s fifth-minute strike and a late penalty by returning skipper Cesc Fabregas sealed a win that lifted Arsenal above Manchester United and Chelsea.
   Fabregas believes Arsenal have a golden opportunity to win the title and he said: ‘At times it was very difficult and it always has been in the last few years against West Ham. It’s always a difficult game, a London derby, everyone wants to win.
   ‘But there are no excuses. We want to go all the way with the squad we have. We have a quality squad and we want to prove that.’
   It was an equally good day for Arsenal’s local rivals Tottenham, who had an inspired cameo by Eidur Gudjohnsen to thank for a 2-1 win over 10-man Stoke that edges them a step closer to Champions League football next season.
   On a day when Aston Villa, one of Spurs’ rivals for the coveted place among Europe’s elite, needed a late equaliser to draw 2-2 with Wolves, Tottenham consolidated their grip on fourth place and increased the pressure on Liverpool to get something from their visit to Old Trafford.
   At the other end of the table, it was a painful afternoon for both Burnley and Hull, who were left looking doomed to relegation after defeats at Wigan and Portsmouth respectively.
   At the Britannia Stadium, former Chelsea and Barcelona forward Gudjohnsen came off the bench to fire Spurs into the lead.
   It was then the Icelander’s cute dummy that set up Niko Kranjcar for the winner after Matthew Etherington’s penalty had got Stoke back on level terms at a time when they were playing with a man down, Dean Whitehead having been given his marching orders after collecting a second yellow card.
   Redknapp’s afternoon was marred by an injury to striker Roman Pavlyuchenko but the Spurs boss was delighted with Gudjohnsen’s display.
   ‘We are running out of bodies at the moment but luckily Eidur came on and was brilliant,’ Redknapp said. ‘It’s like he’s got wing mirrors on his head.’
   Hull led twice at Fratton Park only to succumb to a 3-2 defeat by a Portsmouth side with only pride left to play for after the Premier League’s imposition of a nine-point penalty for the club’s entering administration.
   Late goals from Jamie O’Hara and Nigerian veteran Nwankwo Kanu clinched Pompey’s fourth win of the season.
   Until then, Caleb Folan’s 73rd-minute strike had seemed set to give Iain Dowie a victory in his first match in charge of Hull after Folan’s first effort had been cancelled out by Tommy Smith.
   A stoppage-time diving header by Colombian striker Hugo Rodallega was enough to give Wigan a 1-0 win over Burnley that lifted Roberto Martinez’s squad seven points clear of their Lancashire rivals, who have now lost 15 out of 16 away games this season.
   Mikel Arteta and Steven Pienaar fired Everton to a 2-0 win over 10-man Bolton as the Merseysiders continued their strong recent form.
   Darren Bent took his goal tally for the season to 20 with a double in Sunderland’s 3-1 win over Birmingham, a victory that has probably moved Steve Bruce’s side out of danger of being sucked back into the relegation battle.

Real Madrid secured their ninth straight victory after coming from behind to beat Sporting Gijon 3-1 on Saturday and open up a three-point gap on bitter rivals Barcelona at the top of La Liga.
   The home side were the better team in the first half but lacked the killer touch in front of goal with Gonzalo Higuain missing two excellent chances.
   After the break, Sporting went ahead against the run of play through David Barral, but the goal injected some much-needed urgency into Real.
   Rafael Van der Vaart brought Real level, although replays suggested he controlled the ball with his hand, and then Xabi Alonso headed them into the lead.
   Higuain got on the scoresheet to finish off the threat from Sporting.
   ‘We had a bad start and it wasn’t until the second half that we improved but we lacked the creativity to break down Sporting,’ said Real coach Manuel Pellegrini.
   ‘You can’t play all games well and while we scored three goals we can’t be happy with the way we played.
   ‘This was a game which gave us a warning as we have to start matches with a greater rhythm. Sporting defended very well and on the counter-attack were very dangerous.’
   Sporting coach Manolo Preciado refused to make a big issue of the possible handball by Van der Vaart.
   ‘If there was (a handball) then that would have had some influence on the result. I’m not going to talk about the referee, they do what is possible and at times they can make mistakes,’ he said.
   The onus is now on Barcelona who must beat Zaragoza on Sunday to remain level on points with Real.
   The champions have not been playing at their best and it is largely thanks to Lionel Messi, who has scored eight of their last ten goals, that they are still locked in a tight tussle with Real.
   Coach Pep Guardiola, though, has emphasised the importance of the team as a whole playing well from now until the end of the season.
   ‘When I talk about the team I am not trying to downplay Messi at all. There is no doubt that Leo is very important to us because he is the best player in the world, and he is like Michael Jordan was to basketball,’ said the coach.
   ‘The aim is that he is involved as much as possible in the game and that he gets the ball in dangerous areas as that is where he likes to be.
   ‘He is the first to press and win balls and this is contagious for the rest of the players. We can do something special this year but we need to be all at our best.’
   Sevilla coach Manolo Jimenez’s future was left hanging in the balance following his side’s 2-0 defeat by Espanyol.
   The Andalusian team have now gone four matches without victory in the league as well as crashing out of the Champions League against CSKA Moscow.
   Espanyol went ahead through their first attack with Pablo Osvaldo heading home a Javi Marquez cross.
   Sevilla then lost two important creative players in Jesus Navas and Diego Capel to injury.
   Osvaldo finished off a well-worked move on the hour mark to double Espanyol’s lead and there was no way back for Sevilla.
   ‘I feel strong and I’m able to deal with this situation,’ said Sevilla coach Jimenez.
   A surprise 2-0 defeat for Deportivo La Coruna against Valladolid allowed Athletic Bilbao, who drew 2-2 with Getafe, to move above them into a Europa League place.

Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich suffered their first defeat in 20 league games on Saturday after conceding two late goals in a shock 2-1 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt.
   Bayern looked to be cruising to a 1-0 win after Miroslav Klose hit an early goal, but Frankfurt floored the Bavarian giants when teenage striker Juvhel Tsoumou scored on his debut and then Martin Fenin hit the winner.
   The goals came on 87 and 89 minutes and inflicted only the third league defeat of the season on the Champions League quarter-finalists and their first loss in the Bundesliga since September.
   ‘I saw nothing authoritative at all from Bayern Munich today,’ said coach Louis van Gaal, who felt an 80th-minute injury to Belgian defender Daniel van Buyten, who was replaced by Hamit Altintop, turned the game in Frankfurt’s favour.
   ‘Both in midfield and up front, we lost too much possession. That meant we were under pressure time and again in defence.
   ‘The turning point was the injury to Daniel van Buyten, it changed things around too much.’
   Bayern’s defeat means second-placed Schalke can go a point clear with victory at sixth-placed Hamburg on Sunday.
   ‘It’s the first time we’ve lost in the Bundesliga for a very long time, and I can already see the headlines: Bayern are a club in crisis,’ said Bayern captain Mark van Bommel.
   ‘But losing a single game isn’t the end of the world.’
   Former leaders Bayer Leverkusen suffered another dent in their title aspirations when Argentinian striker Lucas Barrios scored twice to help Dortmund to a 3-0 win.
   Barrios netted on 50 and 60 minutes and could so easily have completed his hat-trick with a long-range effort which nearly beat Leverkusen goalkeeper Rene Adler.
   The Argentinian now has 16 goals this season and is second in the leading scorers’ chart, just one behind Leverkusen’s Stefan Kiessling, who came off just after half-time.
   Dortmund’s Bulgarian striker Dimitar Rangelov scored on 87 minutes to give his side the three points which leaves them fourth in the table and five points behind third-placed Leverkusen in the last Champions League berth.
   Bayern Munich took the lead when Klose scored only his second league goal of the campaign after van Bommel fired the ball into the penalty area for the Germany striker to slot home after seven minutes.
   Van Gaal’s side were on track for their 17th win of the season but Tsoumou, who is just 19, came off the bench in the 83rd minute to make his debut and levelled just four minutes later.
   Czech Republic striker Fenin then netted with just a minute left to give his side their tenth win this term.
   Stuttgart took a step closer to a place in Europe with a 2-0 win at home to Hanover as their Romanian striker Ciprian Marica scored either side of half-time.
   The result leaves Christian Gross-coached Stuttgart seventh.
   Werder Bremen, who are fighting to stay in the European places for next season, made hard work of their 3-2 home win over strugglers Bochum as Peru striker Claudio Pizarro and Germany midfielder Marko Marin both scored equalisers.
   Former Germany international Torsten Frings hit the winner in the 81st minute.
   Bottom side Hertha Berlin face defending champions Wolfsburg on Sunday, but fellow relegation candidates Freiburg did the capital club no favours with a 1-0 win over Mainz that leaves Berlin eight points adrift at the table’s foot.
   Cologne are five points above the relegation zone after being held to a 1-1 draw by Borussia Moenchengladbach on Friday.

Inter Milan, fresh from reaching the Champions League quarter-finals, were held to a 1-1 draw by Palermo on Saturday, a result which paves the way for AC Milan to take charge of the title race.
   Milan, who have endured a miserable week which saw both David Beckham and Alessandro Nesta limping out of contention, can take top spot for the first time this season if they defeat Napoli on Sunday.
   Jose Mourinho’s Inter once had a comfortable 10-point lead over their city rivals and had led the table since mid-October.
   But the form they showed in midweek, when Inter knocked Mourinho’s former club Chelsea out of the Champions League, deserted them again on Saturday, just as last week when they slumped to a shock 3-1 loss at Catania.
   They opened the scoring against Palermo when Argentine striker Diego Milito converted an 11th-minute penalty after Lucio had been fouled.
   But Palermo, who are in an impressive fourth place in the table and chasing a Champions League place, levelled when Uruguayan star Edinson Cavani, set up by Fabrizio Miccoli, beat Inter keeper Julio Cesar with a smart drive in the 24th minute.
   Inter pressed hard for the winner but Palermo defended well and in depth to ensure a point.
   ‘Once again we showed that we can be strong even when we are not winning,’ said Cesar.
   ‘We are always looking to score, but we came up against a team who are having a great season and always defend very well.’
   Palermo coach Delio Rossi praised his young team.
   ‘In the end we were disappointed not to make more of our chances on the counter-attack, as perhaps we were a little too selfish. But this team has a future and can achieve greatness,’ he said.
   Roma stay third, four points behind Inter and two back from Milan, after a 4-2 home win against Udinese with Montenegro striker Mirko Vucinic scoring a hat-trick.
   ‘I dedicate the hat-trick to my girlfriend, who is expecting our baby. I am the happiest man in the world,’ said Vucinic.
   In the day’s other match, Fiorentina beat Genoa 3-0 to keep up their push for a Europa League place.
   Milan midfielder Clarence Seedorf believes that the loss of Beckhan and Nesta will only serve to increase the team’s desire to take spot on Sunday.
   ‘We hope their absences will give us more strength to repay their efforts with many more wins this season,’ said the veteran Dutch midfielder.
   Fifth-placed Juventus, sent crashing out of the Europa League by Fulham on Thursday, travel to Sampdoria hoping to give their fight for fourth place and Champions League action next term a shot in the arm.

FIFA chief in Saudi Arabia looking for election boost
   FIFA president Sepp Blatter will spend time in Saudi Arabia this week hoping to drum up support for his bid to be re-elected to a fourth mandate. ‘I know very well that the best way to win Arab support for my candidature is to come to Saudi Arabia,’ said Blatter, the president of football’s world ruling body. ‘It is a powerful and influential country in every domain, including in sport. Saudi Arabia is one of the countries from whom I will be looking for support.’ Blatter, first elected in 1998, is currently in his third term as president of FIFA and hopes to get re-elected in June 2011. He is expected to be opposed by France’s Michel Platini, the current chief of UEFA, and Qatar’s Mohammad Ben Hammam. The president of the Saudi Football Federation, Prince Sultan Ben Fahd Ben Abdel Aziz, reacted with prudence. ‘It’s normal for each candidate to try and consult with friends around the world and win their support, but for the (Saudi) kingdom it is still too early to be talking about this,’ he said. After his visit to Saudi Arabia, Blatter is expected to visit Jordan and Israel, selon son programme. Platini, the president of European football’s ruling body, is expected to announce his future intentions this week at UEFA’s Congress.
   
   Kirkland hit by coin
   Wigan’s dramatic last-gasp win over relegation rivals Burnley on Saturday was marred by their England goalkeeper Chris Kirkland being struck by a coin thrown from the crowd. The match at the DW Stadium was halted by referee Mike Jones in the 53rd minute for Kirkland to receive treatment after he was struck by the missile that appeared to have been launched from behind the goal, where Burnley fans were massed. Kirkland was able to continue, producing a vital save from David Nugent in the dying stages moments prior to Hugo Rodallega heading home the only goal of the game. Wigan boss Roberto Martinez said a probe into the incident had been initiated. ‘We think it was a coin. We’re not too sure about it, but it’s one of those events you don’t want to see on a football pitch,’ the Spaniard said. ‘I was relieved and pleased Chris carried on in the game because can you imagine if he’d been carried off because someone threw a coin.’ The win lifted Wigan seven points clear of the drop zone with Burnley and Hull now looking likely to join Portsmouth in dropping to the Championship for next season.
   
   MLS averts strike with players
   Major League Soccer officials and its players have averted a strike by signing a five-year labour deal on Saturday. MLS union chief Bob Foose said players would get guaranteed contracts for the first time and increased player rights. Management was against free agency for the players saying they always had the option of signing with clubs overseas. The MLS has negotiated all contracts as a single entity on behalf of its teams since the league started 14 years ago. The new deal, which came after two days of negotiations, includes a re-entry draft for players whose contracts end or who hit a certain age. The average median income for the league’s 323 players is 88,000 dollars.
   — AFP

Feni hold BU
Brothers Union were held to a goalless draw by Feni Soccer Club in their last first phase match of the Citycell Bangladesh League at the Kamalapur stadium on Sunday. Feni Soccer Club and Brothers Union finished fourth and fifth in the points table securing 17 and 14 points respectively from their 12 matches.
   — New Age

Ctg MSC start practice
The Port City Cricket League side Chittagong Mohammedan Sporting Club started their practice at the Johur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong on Sunday. PCL chairman AZM Nasiruddin, BCB director and general secretary of PCL Sirajuddin Md Alamgir and Mohammedan’s organising secretary Ali Abbas were present on the occasion. Chittagong Mohammedan squad: Md Ashraful, Naeem Islam, Sohrawardi Shuvo, Dollar Mahmood, Faisal Hossain Dickens, Arafat Salahuddin, Nabil Samad, Talha Jubair, Md Sharifullah, Nur Hossain Munna, Hannan Sarker, Shoaib Malik (Pakistan) and Ayden Blizzard (Australia).
   — New Age

Cairns still trying to clear name
Former New Zealand all-rounder Chris Cairns has said that he is locked out of the game and is still struggling to clear his name over allegations of match fixing in the Indian Cricket League. Cairns has issued proceedings in the United Kingdom and India against Indian Premier League commissioner Lalit Modi. It is aimed to force Modi to produce evidence justifying the claims that prevented Cairns being part of the IPL auction in January. ‘Unfortunately the procedure still takes time which is frustrating. He made the allegations and won’t front up in court. That’s all we’re trying to initiate. We’ve issued emails to the BCCI and the IPL, but had nothing back.’
   — Agencies