e_Paper, Monday, August 7, 2017

Sports 19
DT
MONDAY, AUGUST 7, 2017
Dhaka Derby today
• Tribune Report
Archrivals Dhaka Abahani Limited and Mohammedan
Sporting Club Limited will take on each other in
the first Dhaka derby this season in the third round
of the Bangladesh Premier Football League 2016-17
season at Bangabandhu National Stadium today at
7:15pm.
Bangla TV will telecast the match live.
Considering the quality and strength of the squad,
five-time professional champion Abahani might
appear favourite but it was only in their last match
against Farashganj Sporting Club that they conceded
their first league defeat after a 23-match unbeaten
run.
Abahani defeated their archrival twice in the
league last season before going on to win the league
without losing a single match.
They also won this season’s Federation Cup while
Mohammedan, like every tournament last season,
crashed out in the quarter-finals.
The two sides faced each other 19 times in 10 years
of professional league history with Abahani winning
seven times and Mohammedan winning four.
Eight encounters ended in a draw.
Mohammedan’s struggle continued in the league
as well as they suffered two defeats against Sheikh
Jamal Dhanmondi Club Limited and Chittagong Abahani
Limited in their first two matches while Mohammedan
won their first game against Saif Sporting Club
but suffered a surprising defeat at the hands of Farashganj.
• Mohammedan and Abahani players during training in Dhaka yesterday, ahead of the Dhaka derby today MD MANIK
O’Neill: I’m trying to prepare them for a Test match
• Tribune Report
Bangladesh team practised at Zahur
Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium
in Chittagong yesterday, ahead of
the two-match Test series against
Australia. Tigers batting coach
Mark O’Neill, who was appointed
prior to the Australia series, has expressed
satisfaction with the batsmen
following the nets session.
“I am impressed how our batsmen
batted in the nets, particularly
[yesterday]. Batsmen are working on
several techniques which can help
them in Test cricket. I am trying to
develop them for Test cricket as Australia
series is looming,” said O’Neill.
“I am trying to ensure that batsmen
are playing proper shots in the
nets and can realise the value of
their wicket in the longer-version.
A batsman has to concentrate on
timing and weight transfer in longer
format, rather than hitting too hard.
“The basic thing about batting
in Test cricket is patience. The basic
thing is to stay steady in your
strength, and not being in the position
of another’s strength. Belief
in yourself is important,” he added.
Top-order batsman Soumya Sarkar
has been struggling in recent times.
The Australian coach however,
believes there is no chance of
changing Soumya’s batting style.
“I do not see any problem with
his technique. Not only him but
also the other batmen in the team
are also very good just like other
batsmen of the world. Most of the
time he plays with the middle bat.
He can hit anywhere he likes. The
matter is psychological, they have
to believe that they are world-class.
If they are confident of their abilities
then Australia will have a great
test in the upcoming series,” said
O’Neill.
“If you get a ball to hit then you
will have to hit it. I do not want to
change anyone’s batting technique
as a batting coach in any way. My
job is to tell them what they can
do consistently without taking too
many risks and not to play bad
shots,” explained the former firstclass
cricketer.
One of O’Neil’s major work will
be to work with tail-ender batsmen
and improve their performance.
The batting coach thinks tailenders
can produce valuable contributions
for the team.
“One of the issues of lower-order
batsmen is that, as a bowler,
they do not get enough time to bat.
They even get rare opportunities to
bat in practice. But both as a player
and coach, I have seen many times
that the team is winning when the
lower order batsmen survive and
contribute for the team,” he said.
“To get something from them,
you have to pay more attention to
them, give more time and opportunity
to bat in practice. They should
be encouraged to play according to
their own strengths and play a role
of giving back the strike at the other
end,” he added.
The first Test will played in Dhaka
from August 27-31 while second
Test will be played in Chittagong
from September 4-8. •
Courtois, Morata gift Arsenal
Community Shield
Arsenal’s Sead Kolasinac scores their first goal against Chelsea during the Community Shield in London yesterday
REUTERS
• AFP, London
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and
star signing Alvaro Morata were the
Chelsea fall guys as Arsenal won
the Community Shield 4-1 on penalties
at Wembley yesterday.
Goals from Chelsea’s Victor Moses
and Arsenal new boy Sead Kolasinac
sent the game to a shootout
and with both Courtois and Morata
limply squandering their spotkicks,
Arsenal won the trophy for
the third time in four years.
Courtois blazed his penalty over
the bar before substitute Morata,
a £58m capture from Real Madrid,
shot wide, allowing Olivier Giroud
to seal victory for Arsenal.
Arsenal, embarking upon their
first season without Champions
League football since 1997, have
won on their last nine visits to
Wembley, a run stretching back to
a victory over Wigan Athletic in the
semi-finals of the FA Cup in 2014.
Arsene Wenger’s side open the
Premier League season at home to
2016 champions Leicester City on
Friday, with Antonio Conte’s Chelsea
beginning their title defence at
home to Burnley the following day.
Moses was also sent off after
receiving a second yellow card for
diving as Arsenal stunned Chelsea
2-1 in May’s FA Cup final. •