The Tournament was promoted by Matchroom Multi Sport and brought fast paced excitement to the court, with 12 minute matches and a range of other special features.

Surrey Scorchers stumbled early on as they tried to defend their title. Sadly for the team, it was less a Scorcher and more a Wet Wednesday in Southend as the team lost the first match of the day to Royals and their own second match to Sharks.

The Lions were not interested in defeat. Although the season has been going a bit slowly for them, they showed great tenacity to keep coming forward and win the Tournament in what will be a great boost to their confidence as they return to their League matches.

For the Lions, this was their second All-Stars title in two years – and they are delighted to see the trophy return to East London.

•The Lions take on Plymouth Raiders at the Copper Box Arena on Wednesday, 23rd October. For tickets and more information, go to:
www.thelondonlions.com

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AFTER THEY LIFTED the Sonali Otith Masters Vets Trophy for the second time, Weavers FC received an unexpected invitation from the city of Limerick, in Ireland’s County Limerick.

The city, which is populated by approximately 190,000, invited Weavers to participate in sporting competitions arranged by the BSAI Sporting Club, which is bsaed among the small, progressive, Irish-Bangladeshi community.

The invitation – to form a partnership between London and Limerick – was warmly accepted and kickstarted inaugural football and badminton sporting events, promoting the city, diversity and sports in the community.

The city boasts one of Europe’s better preserved castles, the King John’s, (with the King being the brother of Richard the Lionheart) and can count the late Sir Terry Wogan as one of their own.

The footballing event was opened by Mr Monirul Islam and Limerick city’s first ever councillor of Bangladeshi background, Mr Kalam Azad Talukdar. They welcomed the London vets footballing team, with an average age of 40 years, to the city. The host team was made up of talented Limerick Irish-Bengal stars, averaging a sprightly 23 years.

A “grianmhar” (Gaelic for “sunny”) afternoon saw a quick start by the London vets team, with the lead lasting only ten minutes after the energetic Limerick side levelled on a sharp counter attack. Weavers adjusted to the surroundings through intricate passing, skills, and displaying control in the second half – winning two goals late in the game to secure victory and further silverware to their recent accolades.

The badminton event was a battle between the Limerick Irish-Bengal Badminton Stars and Weavers Badminton Club, in an open age affair – with the Limerick side including rising Irish national level talent Syed Azhar. The contest was emphatically decided on the last game, which Limerick won 3-2 through class, finesse and guile – beating a Weavers side that showed power, skill and grit.
The overall football-badminton sporting events settled at 1-1, a befitting end to the visit.

BSAI Chair, Mr Monir Islam, said, “It has been a joyous occasion and we are grateful for Weavers football and badminton teams accepting our invitation. It has helped increase the awareness of our city, sports and community. We congratulate both Limerick and Weavers clubs and hope to continue this new partnership between Limerick and London.”

Weavers Club Chair Mohamed Atikur Rahman thanked BSAI Limerick for the invitation, their hospitality and for organising a thoroughly enjoyable event. He added, “We have enjoyed our time and wish to extend the invitation for the BSAI to come to London in the future.”

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GREATER LAMAKHAZI FC have won the 2019 Sonali Othith Community Cup. Abdul Khaher’s side beat player-manager Emdad Rahman’s Bancroft FC 1-0 in the final, with a goal from Alanoor Chowdhury.

Both teams navigated competitive fixtures to reach the final at Millwall Park, which was refereed by Repon Chowdhury.

Winning manager Abdul Khaher commented, “I’m proud at how we went unbeaten throughout the day to lift the trophy today against the holders. The boys were committed and played for each other against a superb Bancroft side. Well done to all players, supporters and the organisers for a really good event.”

Gallant runners up: Bancroft FC

Bancroft FC player and Club Chair Khairul Alam said,””It’s disappointing to lose such a close final. Well done to our team and congratulations to Lamakhazi. Thank you, Sonali Othith, for organising a great day.”

Presentations were made by various dignitaries, including local Councillor Faruque Ahmed.

“The standards at this level continue to impress and we will continue to support our community through sport,” said Sonali Othith General Secretary Joynal Abdin Gulzar Miah.

Chair Jamal Uddin concluded, “Sonali Othith is committed to encouraging an active community through sports participation. Well done to Bancroft and Lamakhazi for a great final. Thank you to the Gaylord restaurant for the delicious catering and to Sorwar Alam and Khairul Alam for providing water for all the players.”

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A REMARKABLE end of season finale saw Neo CC crowned kings of the National Cricket League Champions Division for 2019. The team’s work rate, determination, flair and consistency paid off as they wrapped up the final match of the season.

It was a league decider game between table toppers Neo CC and the number two team Rat Pack CC 2, played at the Walkers Cricket Ground. Neo CC came out on top, with a victory of 96 runs against Rat Pack CC 2.

Ashfaqur Nobel and Ashraful Islam opened the batting for Neo CC on a flat batting pitch. Ashraful was dismissed with the score at 28. Left handed batsman Aminul Islam Shihan went in and produced a 71 run partnership with Nobel before Nobel was dismissed by Mahela on 38.

No. 4 Zisan Abedin (33) contributed another decent partnership of 63 runs with Shihan and fell LBW by Rizwan. Shihan’s masterclass came to an end when he was out on 90 from 76 balls, which included 13 fours and a six. Rokan Arafat Mashuk produced a cameo of 27 runs from 21 balls to take Neo CC to a competitive total.

Chasing 246, Rat Pack CC suffered a blow on the first ball when Nobel dismissed Firoz with an out swinger. Off spinner Zisan Abedin was magnificent with his spellbinding 25 runs from an eight over spell. Raees Patel (43) showed some resistance from one side with the bat, but there were not many to take the lead on this run chase for Rat Pak CC 2.

Captain Fantastic Ayaz Karim went through the middle order of RPCC with a clinical four wicket haul for only 18 runs. Mohammed Hassan and Umair Khan took two wickets each. The other two wickets were shared by Ashfaqur Nobel and Shahriar Zahid. Vice Captain Shihan was outstanding with the gloves to take two catches and a stumping.

After the win Neo captain Ayaz Karim said, “Winning the league is always special for a club. Our boys worked really hard throughout the season and delivered something we can feel proud for many more years to come.”

National Cricket League Co-founder Sajid Patel added, “NEO deserve the spot you achieved this season. It was a hard fought and competitive season throughout the campaign.”

The team was congratulated for their win by title sponsor Mr Moynul Haque, CEO of Flintons; kit sponsor Mr Mahbub Morshed, Principal of Mahbub and Co Accountants; and Kazi Shahin, Director of Ribeye London; Mohammed Rasheed, director of Parking Control Ltd and Equipment Sponsor Tamim Rahman.

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COLOMBIA HAVE BECOME the second team to lift the Inner London Football League (ILFL) Inner City World Cup, after defeating England in a tense final on penalties.

England had overcome holders Bangladesh in the semi finals, while Colombia had beaten South Africa to take their place in the final. The South Americans overcame the loss of a man sent off to hold the host nation to a scoreless draw before dispatching perfect penalties to win in sudden death.

Ecstatic player manager Javier Riveria spoke after the game, saying, “It’s been a wonderful day for us throughout, and we set our stall out from the very first game. The final was very tough, both mentally and physically – especially after we went a man down. But these players are winners, and I was confident if we could withstand the pressure from England then we would win it. Thankfully we held our nerve in the shoot-out.”

ILFL Chair Rashid Ali added, “Today has been another fantastic advert for our communities with some tremendous football being played. The atmosphere has been great and each team have been brilliant as ambassadors. With such unity, fanfare and banter I believe this is a tournament that will go from strength to strength.”

•For more information about ILFL, go to:
www.ilfl.org

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TO WAVE A red rag to a bull is to provoke it deliberately – and that is exactly what happened as Bishwanath went on a frenzied rampage en route to becoming Greater Sylhet UK champions for the first time.

An exploitative and viral video criticising the team and management which came out the day before had caused enough of a stir within the camp to boost an explosive victory charge.

The amiable Khalis Miah’s young bulls were the surprise stand out team of the day as his astute selection policy and ability to gel players from all over the country resulted in his team’s greatest ever win at this level.

After navigating a tough group, Bishwanath despatched Osmaninagar and Jogonnathpur on their way to the final. The wins were a surefire mark of intent as these two opponents were seen by many as hot favourites to pick up the trophy.

Their final opponents were Gulapganj who, under the stewardship of the much celebrated super coach Zak Hussain, had performed miracles themselves. Gulapganj had a dismal record of two goals in the last five years, but the wily Hussain has fashioned a new team of great resilience and strong character. His new guard impressively despatched previous champions Chattak, Beanibazar and Moulvibazar to reach the final. It was a miraculous achievement considering their previous form.

A tense final with many battle-weary players saw Gulapganj take a late lead through Jelani Gulam – and surely it was theirs to take home now. But with literally ten seconds remaining the evergreen Mohibur Rahman levelled with a long range effort and the referee instantaneously blew his whistle for time.

Bishwanath were stronger mentally as Shozzad, the gifted Brummie schemer Kalam and Mohibur despatched their penalties with ease to take the cup home.

Bishwanath player manager Khalis Miah commented, “This is really a dream come true for us and will be something which will remain in our memories forever. We were not classed among the favourites, and that suited us perfectly in that we were able to concentrate on our game.

“This year we have added new players nationally and the team bonding has been perfect. Our strongpoint was our ability to put away teams during our victory charge. I’m so proud of our team and would like to take this moment to thank the players, family, fans, sponsors and the management at Bishwanath for such excellent support.”

Sonali Othith Chair Jamal Uddin added, “Today has been a day of great football, drama and tense rivalries with one team left standing. Congratulations to Bishwanath on a great victory.”

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NEO CC’s magnificent season ended with a clinical win against Aztecs CC by four wickets and were duly crowned Kings of the Essex County Cricket League Division 2 at Clayhall Park Ground.

Neo CC were invited to field first by Aztecs CC who won the toss. Amandeep and Vrishin provided a steady start with the bat for Aztecs CC. The NEO strike duo Shaha Riadh and Firoz Dogha utilised the new ball economically but missed out on close chances to get a wicket before Ariful Islam provided the breakthrough for Neo CC.

Eklabya (33) and skipper Mayank Sharma (50) took control of the innings and were leading Aztecs to a big score, but Younus Shamim broke the partnership to bring Neo CC back into the game. Firoz was the most economical among the seven bowlers used and conceded only 25 runs from his nine overs quota. Arif claimed three wickets. Firoz, Basit, Ayaz and Shamim took one wicket each. Aztecs CC managed to score a total of 208/7 from 45 overs.

As this was league decider game, Neo CC were under pressure batting on a rough pitch under the blazing sun. Zisan Abedin and Rokan Arafat Mashuk reached a thrilling 93 opening stand to ensure Neo CC got off to a flying start in the first ten overs. When Zisan was dismissed on 51, Rokan (64) continued his brilliance with the bat alongside Fahad Sami (21). It was only a matter of time for Sajal Rahman (21), Younus Shamim, and Shahriar Zahid to take Neo CC safely home and secure the championship for the club.

Captain and Club Secretary Ayaz Karim said, “It was the first year for us in a Saturday competitive league and our boys are speechless after this wonderful cricket season. Our performance improved game by game as we were all chasing one dream – to reach number one in the league table. It has been an emotional journey for all of us and I would like to thank everyone who cheered us throughout the year.”

Score in Brief
Aztecs CC 209/7 from 45 overs
Mayank 50, Eklabya 33, Naveed 33

Neo CC 210/6 from 27 overs
Rokan 64, Zisan 51, Fahad 21, Sajal 20

Neo CC won by 4 wickets.

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THEY HAVE been living in the shadows of the golden generation, but now the new guard have written their own place in the history of Stepney Football Club by becoming BFA League Champions.

A 2-0 victory over Robin Hood Tigers secured Stepney the title on Sunday, after goals from Mahin Zaman and Fahad Miah.

Stepney captain Saddik Md Azizur – who was so influential in the middle of the park, both defensively and from an attacking perspective – was man of the match. Stepney were without both of their keepers for the final game of the season and manager Ripon Hussain stepped in goal and made a crucial save at 1-0.

The result concludes a hard fought season which saw PYO FC push Stepney all the way till the last day of the season. Feisty Stepney, though, remained unbeaten in the league, with eight wins and a single draw, conceding only three goals within this period.

First team manager Ripon Hussain said after the game, “It has been a great season for us and we deserved to be where we are today. To not lose a single game all season and only concede three goals is a great achievement. I’m so proud of the boys, and their excellent attitude in training has paid off.”

A special mention goes to Kazi Abid Rahman and Sunnamusk, who have become the clubs official kit sponsor for the coming 2019/20 season. Kazi Abid, CEO of Sunnamusk, commented, “We are proud to support Stepney FC. We feel it’s vital to support and be part of our local team. Congratulations to them for winning the league!”

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Orient’s James Brophy was the first to break through. He took the ball from the wing past two Stevenage defenders – only to shoot just wide of the net. Conor Wilkinson had two early shots on goal – both of which were saved, despite Angol’s efforts to score while Orient were in the box. Josh Wright had the same treatment from Stevenage keeper Paul Farman, who was having a busy game.

Just before the half hour mark, referee Lee Swabey awarded Stevenage a penalty, but after discussions with other officials Swabey withdrew from the penalty decision and awarded a corner.

It was a first half dominated by Orient. Stevenage had to wait till injury time to come close – but Kurtis Guthrie couldn’t reach a promising cross from Stokes, and the teams went in level.

The second half saw Orient strikers keeping Farman busy again. Luther Wildon, for the visitors, almost gave Orient keeper Dean Brill a challege, but his shot ended up wide.

The rest of the second half lacked excitement, despite three substitutions from Orient. One of them, Dale Gorman, got a shot on target near the end of the second half. Again Farman saved and Ling sent the rebound back into the box, but no Orient player was there to convert the cross.

There was last minute drama as Danny Newton, for the visitors, got a strong shot on goal from close range – but Brill wasn’t having any of it, got a hand to the ball and saved Orient the ignominy of seeing Stevenage rob three points from a game they had not dominated.

The score was all the more disappointing given that Stevenage were far below full strength, with eleven first team players off injured before the match and two others, Scott Cuthbert and Terence Vancooten, joining the injury list during the match. Orient Orient are back in action on Tuesday, 20th August, when they travel to Mansfield in an attempt to make a mark in League Two. Kick off is at 7.45pm. For more information and tickets, go to:
Mansfield Town -v- Leyton Orient

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Opinion was mixed about the reasons for the defeat, but – one way or another – most fans put the score down to a poor performance from Orient.

It was 1-0 at half time, after Theo Archibald opened for Macclesfield with a splendid curling shot at goal just on 30 minutes.

In the second half, Orient began to challenge – gaining more possession and coming close to scoring. Dan Happe’s header was kept out of the net by a skilled save, and a Coulson header reached the back of the net but ruled out for offside.

Louis Dennis forced a corner kick, which was well defended – and turned, by Macclesfield, into a breakaway which led to Paddy Osadebe scoring the home side’s second goal.

After that, Orient seemed demoralised and couldn’t break through. A Macclesfield corner gave Theo Vassell a header from close range – and it was 3-0, with all three of the northerners scoring on their home debut. The result leaves Orient mid-table and Macclesfield in 8th position. The attendance was 2,167.

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