Bangladesh Emerging Womens team made a good start to the three-match T20 series against South African Emerging team by securing a five-wicket victory in the first game at Coxs Bazar Cricket Academy ground today. Electing to bat first, South African Women were restricted to a meager 116-6, a total that Bangladesh overhauled by reaching 118-5 in 19.3 overs, albeit a hiccup. Shorna Akter led the charge with 32 ball-50 not out, an innings laced with five fours and one six. Bangladesh made a disastrous start with the top four batters departing with single digit figure. Amongst them two batters were out for duck, leaving Bangladesh at precarious 23-4 in 5.2 overs. Afia Ashima and Farjana Easmin stopped the rot for a while before the former was dismissed for 12 as Bangladesh were reduced to 51-5. As the defeat stared at the hosts, Shorna took the onus and added 67-run with Farjana for the unbeaten sixth wicket stand to help the side win the game in the last over. Farjana played a second fiddle to Shorna to be unbeaten on 25. Earlier, Faye Tunnicliffe helped South Africa propel past 100 with 37 ball-43 runs knock. Simmone Lourens made 32 while Luyanda Nzuza chipped-in-with 22. Habiba Islam took 2-17 in four overs for Bangladesh. The second match is on Friday at the same venue. Earlier, Bangladesh won the three-match one-day series by 2-1.
The Bangladesh U-19 national football team held a training session today (Wednesday) at the NERIST ground in Nirjuli, Arunachal Pradesh, India, ahead of their semifinal match against Nepal. The team is now fully focused on the first semifinal of the tournament against Nepal, scheduled for May 16. The players and coaching staff are toiling hard and putting their maximum effort into preparation, with strong determination to secure a place in the final. Left winger Abdul Kadir through a message said they have completed the training session before the match against Nepal and sought blessings from everyone for a good result in the semifinal. Right winger Mursed Ali said they had a good training session today and are determined to win the semifinal against Nepal. He added that they watched video footage of the Nepal team and adjusted their training accordingly. He also sought blessings from everyone to reach the final. Defending champions Bangladesh, who topped their group, will face Group B runners-up Nepal in the first semifinal on Friday (May 16) at the Golden Jubilee Stadium. Group B champions India will face Group A runners-up Maldives in the second semifinal on the same day. The final of the championship is slated for May 18 at the same venue.
Wari Club and BRTC Sports Club won their respective matches of the Bashundhara Group Bangladesh Championship League football held at two separate venues today. In the days match, Wari Club beat City Club by 1-0 goal scored by Sabbir in the 35th minute of the match held at Bashundhara Kings arena practice ground in the capital. In the days another match, BRTC Sports Club defeated old Dhaka outfit Farashganj Sporting Club also by the same identical margin held at Fortis Jalshiri ground. After the barren first half, Golam Rabbi scored the all-important goal for BRTC in the 73rd minute of the match.
The Bangladesh national cricket team left the country in two separate groups for United Arab Emirates (UAE) to play a two-match T20 International series. The first batch which comprised 10 players and a few members of the coaching staff including the head coach, boarded their flight at 10am, while the remaining members left at 7pm. The second batch included the players like skipper Liton Das, senior player Najmul Hossain Shanto, senior assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin and others. The two T20 Internationals are scheduled to be held at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on May 17 and 19. The team will then travel to Pakistan for five-match T20 International series if the BCB gives the green signal. The UAE series however will be Liton Dass first assignment as full time T20 captain. Mahedi Hasan will be his deputy in this series. Bangladesh squad: Liton Das (captain), Mahedi Hasan, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Parvez Hossain, Soumya Sarkar, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Jaker Ali Anik, Rishad Hossain, Tanvir Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana, and Shoriful Islam.