Friday 20th April, 2012 Bangladesh tour of Pakistan unlikely to go ahead DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — et board in response to the intervention 29 followed by a Twenty20 match the “extreme concern” about the ruling. chief operating officer Subhan Ahmed Bangladesh’s proposed tour of of a petitioner concerned about the next day. “It is astonishing to note that a mat- had met with interior minister Rehman Pakistan is unlikely to go ahead after a team’s security. The court questioned the legality of ter lacking any legal issue has been Malik in Islamabad on Thursday before court ordered the plans be suspended Pakistan hasn’t hosted a test-play- the decision to send the Bangladesh dragged into the court by petitioners the ruling to finalize arrangements for for a month due to security concerns, ing team since gunmen attacked the Sri team to Pakistan. Local media reported who appear to have vested interests Bangladesh’s three-day visit. dealing a blow to hopes of reviving Lankan cricket team bus in Lahore in that the decision was made unilaterally and want to jeopardize Pakistan- About 2,000 policemen were going to international cricket in the troubled March 2009, killing six police officials by board president A.H. Mustafa Kamal Bangladesh cricketing relations,” the be posted on the routes traveled by the nation. and wounding several members of the despite some opposition. Kamal was statement read. “The matter before the Bangladesh team in Lahore, while the A two-member high court judging team. not available for comment. court prima facie does not contain any federal government had planned to pro- panel gave the order Thursday to the Bangladesh had been scheduled to The Pakistan Cricket Board legal issue.” vide helicopters and metal scanners for Bangladesh government and the crick- play a one-day international on April released a statement expressing its PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf and the region. Sri Lanka improves ITF Australia lead country ranking after Davis Cup win .By Revata S. Silva list. Only Moldova has enjoyed a rapid progress, that too by only nine Windies by Following their remarkable 3-2 places, after their 3-2 win against win against Hong Kong China in Turkey in Istanbul, also on April 8, in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong on April 8 a Europe-Africa Zone Group-II in this year’s Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Relegation Play-off. Zone Group-II Relegation Play-off, Sri After Sri Lanka was relegated Lanka has improved her country from Group-II in 1996, following the 127 runs rank by a massive 11 points, the new Davis Cup Zonal structure that International Tennis Federation (ITF) was introduced in 1988, the country reported last week. has never been able to appear in limited play to just over two hours on SCOREBOARD By defeating Hong Kong this time, Zonal Group-II for two years at a stretch. the day. Australia 1st Innings 311 for only the second time in seven meetings between the two teams, Sri In addition, Sri Lanka has never The home team, overnight 252-9, West Indies 1st Innings quickly folded for 257 all out after four Lanka retained her Group-II position defeated Hong Kong after 1983, the (Overnight 252-9) for another year. year the two teams met for the first deliveries in the morning session. A. Barath lbw b Beer 7 Australia had totaled 311 in its first Sri Lanka has recorded an 11- time in the Davis Cup, the virtual K. Brathwaite lbw b Hilfenhaus 0 World Cup of men’s international ten- innings. point progress in the most recent K. Powell lbw b Pattinson 19 nis. Carlton Baugh was trapped leg (April 9) ITF country rankings, to be D. Bravo lbw b Hussey 38 Next year, Sri Lanka will have before wicket for 21 by left-arm spinner placed now at 63 in a 130-nation list. Hong Kong meanwhile has suffered a another stiff challenge as they will be Michael Beer, who claimed 2-56. Fellow S. Chanderpaul lbw b Lyon 94 drop by five positions, from 63 to 68, placed among top eight Asia-Oceania spinner Nathan Lyon took 5-68. N. Deonarine st Wade b Lyon 55 C. Baugh lbw b Beer 21 following their defeat to Sri Lanka. Zone Group-II tennis nations. But Roach, who took five wickets in Alongside Sri Lanka, only Pakistan, D.Sammy c Hussey b Lyon 1 Sri Lanka was placed 74th before the the first innings, hit back strongly with Hong Kong China tie. Thailand and Lebanon have yet made S. Shillingford c Cowan b Lyon 4 the scalps of opener David Warner (17) Notably, no other country has certain their appearance in Group-II and Shane Watson (0) in his first over. K. Roach c Wade b Lyon 0 achieved as high as an 11-point in 2013 while the other four countries Warner had begun aggressively by F. Edwards not out 0 progress in the current ITF rankings are yet to be finalised. slamming three fours but Roach struck Extras: (7b, 2lb, 8nb, 1w) 18 with his second delivery after replacing TOTAL: (all out) 257 Fidel Edwards. The left-handed Warner Overs: 104.4 edged a tentative prod to first slip Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-26, 3-38, 4-100, 5- where Darren Bravo pouched a low 230, 6-231, 7-237, 8-241, 9-249 Holcim FA Cup 2012 to catch. Bowling: Michael Beer 25.4-9-56-2, Ben Three balls later, the West Indies Hilfenhaus 16-4-39-1, Nathan Lyon 29-9- were celebrating again as Watson’s off 68-5, James Pattinson 11-2-40-1 (nb8), commence on Saturday stump was sent cart-wheeling by Michael Hussey 6-1-19-1 (w1), Shane Roach’s inswinger at 26-2. Watson 12-5-14-0, David Warner 3-1-9-0, It could have been even better for Michael Clarke 2-0-3-0 the Caribbean side but Ed Cowan sur- vived a chance to first slip Darren Australia 2nd Innings West Indies’ Kemar Roach bowls during the Sammy off Edwards before he had D. Warner c Bravo b Roach 17 second innings on the fourth day of a sec- scored. E. Cowan lbw b Roach 20 ond cricket Test match with Australia in Port Cowan was undefeated on 14 when S. Watson b Roach 0 of Spain, Trinidad, Wednesday April 18, persistent rain sent the players off 45 R. Ponting not out 32 2012. (AP Photo/Arnulfo Franco) minutes before the scheduled lunch M. Clarke not out 3 break at 40-2. But Roach snared the left- Extras: (1nb) 1 hander soon after resumption, plumb TOTAL: (for three wickets) 73 BY CRAIG COZIER leg before by a full-length delivery. Overs: 30. Cowan struck two fours in 20. Fall of wickets: 1-26, 2-26, 3-57 PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP) Veteran Ricky Ponting also had a To bat: Michael Hussey, Matthew Wade, — Fast bowler Kemar Roach claimed 3- slice of luck when Adrian Barath at James Pattinson, Nathan Lyon, Ben 27 here Wednesday as the West Indies short leg could not cling on to a sharp, Hilfenhaus, Michael Beer rebounded from conceding a first low catch off Shane Shillingford. The Bowling: Fidel Edwards 5-2-13-0 (1nb), innings lead of 54 to reduce Australia veteran emerged to play some majestic Shane Shillingford 15-3-33-0, Kemar to 73-3 on a rain-ruined fourth day of strokes in reaching 32 not out. CEO, Holcim Lanka Ltd, Stefan Huber (3rd from left) presents the official FA Cup 2012 tro- Roach 10-1-27-3 the second test at the Queen’s Park He and skipper Michael Clarke phy to Senior Vice President, FFSL, Ranjith Rodrigo (4th from left) during the launch of Umpires: Marais Erasmus, South Africa, Oval. added 16 unbroken before the skies the tournament held at Hotel Galadari, Colombo yesterday. Also in the picture are CEO, and Ian Gould, England Australia go into the final day ahead again opened 45 minutes after lunch FFSL, Chryshantha Perera (left), Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Holcim Lanka Ltd, TV umpire: Tony Hill, New Zealand by 127 runs but their progress was and sent the players scurrying off and Viraj Gunasekara(2nd from left), Secretary, FFSL, DIG Upali Hewage(5th from left) and stalled by Roach and heavy rain that Match referee: Jeff Crowe, New Zealand. caused play to be abandoned for the day. Director,-Competitions, FFSL, Ananda Anthonypillai. Pic by Kamal Wanniarachchi BY CHATHURA PINNAWALA The premier knockout football com- and Don Bosco SC. petition in the world, FA Cup, will begin The winner shall receive prize Defeat spoils Thilini’s its Sri Lankan version on April 21 with money worth seven lakhs while the run- 59 matches of the qualifying round tak- ner-up will bag two lakhs less. The quar- ing place in venues around the country. ter finalists will be richer by fifty thou- Olympic chances The launch of the tournament was held sand rupees. SL Army who got the bet- yesterday at Hotel Galadari. ter of Don Bosco in last year’s final at Beijing Olympic participant Thilina improve her rankings before the Olympic Holcim Lanka Ltd is sponsoring the City Football league grounds is the Jaysinghe’s chance of securing a place in qualifying deadline which expires in early sporting event for the eight consecutive defending champion and will look to the contingent for the London Olympics is May, badminton analysts point out. year with a record 139 clubs scheduled erase the runner-up finish in the league almost over after being knockout in the Although Jayasinghe is due to take to participate (an increase of 24 teams as well as demoralizing defeat in the first match of the badminton tournament part in another international tournament from the previous year) with 138 match- semi finals of the Champions of now in progress in China.