CRICKET
Late pair win match
Bangladesh yesterday recovered from an early collapse to defeat Afghanistan by four wickets in the first one-day international of a three-match series at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong. Afif Hossain (93 off 115 deliveries) and Mehidy Hasan (81 off 120) shared a 174-run seventh-wicket stand as Bangladesh recovered from 45-6 to reach 219-6 in 48.5 overs after Mustafizur Rahman’s 3-35 helped the hosts bowl out Afghanistan for 215 in 49.1 overs. Fazalhaq Farooqi claimed 4-54 for Afghanistan, taking all of his wickets in his first five overs and seemingly sealing Bangladesh’s fate. However, Hossain and Hasan, who were united in the 11th over, put together the second-highest ODI partnership for the seventh wicket to steal victory. Jos Buttler and Adil Rashid scored 177 for England’s seventh wicket in an ODI against New Zealand in Birmingham in 2015. Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal said he did not believe a win was on the cards after their sixth wicket fell. “I’m very proud and happy for the two for their incredible innings,” he said after the match. Hasan was named player of the match for his effort with the bat and his spell of 0-28. In the first innings, Najibullah Zadran top scored with 67 from 84 deliveries, but was unable to build a big partnership, with a succession of middling scores at the other end. Ibrahim Zadran (19), Rahmat Shah (34), Hashmatullah Shahidi (28), Mohammad Nabi (20) and Gulbadin Naib (17) failed to provide the support needed to reach what would have been considered a defendable score. The second match is to be played tomorrow and the third on Monday next week, both at the same ground. The teams then move to Mirpur for two T20 matches.
SOCCER
Mourinho receives ban
AS Roma coach Jose Mourinho on Tuesday was banned for two games as punishment for an outburst when his team drew 2-2 against Hellas Verona in Serie A on Saturday. Mourinho, who was red carded, encroached onto the field in the game to argue with the referee and then kicked a ball into the crowd. The Portuguese coach acted in a “threatening” manner, Serie A said in its disciplinary announcement. The league also fined him 20,000 euros (US$22,700). Eighth-place Roma are winless in their past three league games — all draws, including one against relegation-threatened Genoa. The ban means Mourinho will not be on the touchline for Roma’s games against Spezia on Sunday and at home against Atalanta BC on March 5.
TENNIS
Medvedev moves closer
Daniil Medvedev on Tuesday continued his pursuit of the No. 1 ranking with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Benoit Paire to move into the second round at the Mexican Open. The 26-year-old Russian can overtake Novak Djokovic for top spot in the men’s tennis rankings if he wins the title. In the doubles, Germany’s Alexander Zverev was withdrawn from the ATP 500 tournament in Acapulco for “unsportsmanlike conduct” after his round-of-16 match, the men’s tour said. Zverev, partnering Brazilian Marcelo Melo, came perilously close to hitting an umpire when he repeatedly assaulted the umpire’s chair with his racket after their 2-6, 6-4, 6-10 defeat against Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara.
Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw on Friday joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings at a ceremony. “There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 in 10 innings. “What a way to cap off the first two days of celebrations,” Roberts said afterward. “By far the best opening week I’ve ever experienced. I just couldn’t have scripted it any better.” A choir in the
After fleeing Sudan when civil war erupted, Al-Hilal captain Mohamed Abdelrahman and his teammates have defied the odds to reach the CAF Champions League quarter-finals. They are today to face title-holders Al-Ahly of Egypt in Cairo, with the return match in the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott, on Tuesday next week. Al-Hilal and biggest domestic rivals Al-Merrikh relocated to Mauritania after a power struggle broke out in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary force. The civil war has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced more than 12 million people, according to the UN. The Democratic Republic of the Congo-born Al-Hilal
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman on Thursday smashed home runs to give the reigning World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 victory over Detroit on the MLB’s opening day in the US. The Dodgers, who won two season-opening games in Tokyo last week, raised their championship banner on a day when 28 clubs launched the season in the US. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shuffled his batting lineup with all four leadoff hitters finally healthy as Ohtani was followed by Mookie Betts, then Hernandez and Freddie Freeman in the cleanup spot, switching places with Hernandez. “There’s a Teoscar tax to
Matvei Michkov did not score on Monday, but the Philadelphia rookie had a hand in both goals as hosts the Flyers earned a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Predators. Ryan Poehling and Jamie Drysdale got the goals for the Flyers (31-36-9, 71 points), who won their third straight. Michkov and Travis Konecny assisted on both. Ivan Fedotov stopped 28 shots to earn his first win since March 1, ending a personal six-game losing streak. Zachary L’Heureux got the lone goal for Nashville. Michael McCarron and Brady Skjei got the assists for the Predators (27-39-8, 62 points), who have just four goals in their
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