The Bangladesh cricket team had a day full of activities on Monday. Having arrived in New Zealand on the previous day, the Tigers held their first practice session yesterday at the at the Saxton Oval, where they will be playing their fourth group match of the

World Cup against Scotland on March 5. The Tigers were later showed around the sporting facilities of the Saxton Oval before being treated to a unique reception by the Nelson City Council.

The city of Nelson is basically a tourist destination and is little known for sporting activities or any sporting icon, for that matter. Still the facili-

ties in and around the Saxton Oval will take anyone by surprise.

The stadium is situated on 65 hectares of land and is the main sporting facility of Nelson Tasman. The stadium features five international-size netball courts, five basketball courts, 12 volleyball courts, a separate purpose-built table-tennis area and

Sports House - the home of many regional sports bodies. The practice facilities outside the stadium is fantastic, which impressed Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, who however found the ground too small to his liking.

There was more surprise in store for the Tigers when they participated in the reception arranged by the city council. The Maori culture and customs were showcased during the one-and-a-half-hour long programme. The Tigers loved the haka dance, a traditional dance of the Maori tribe, made popular around the world by the All Blacks, i.e. the New Zealand rugby team. The All Blacks perform the haka before every international game they play.

Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe jokingly said that they might perform the dance to evoke fear in the opposition players when they take on Scotland. ”We might perform the haka before the match (against Scotland). It's won't be a bad way to threaten the opposition," Mashrafe said.

The city mayor Rachel Reese was uncertain about whom she would support. The Scottish-descendent said she would support the Tigers only if she finds the Tigers were in a good position to win the match.