Big win for Govt Boys

Thakurgaon Government Boys High School registered a 231 -run win against Thakurgaon Sugar Mills High School in a Prime Bank Young Tigers National School Cricket Tournament match in Thakurgaon yesterday.

After electing to bat, Government Boys rode on a quickfire 89 from Nur Hossen to post a mammoth 324-run total. In reply, Sugar Mills were bundled out for just 93 runs with bowler Susanto Roy scalping seven wickets forjust 16 runs.

Elsewhere, P.D.B High School won by 38 runs against Government M.C Academy, courtesy of a 70-run knock from opener Mostakim which helped the side post a challenging 236-run total.

The other five matches of the day were low-scoring affairs. Khulna News Print defeated Khulna Collegiate School, Idrishia Kamil Madrasha lost to Nabarun Public School, Govt. Jubilee High School beat Al-Haz Jomirun Noor High School and Habiganj Govt. High School defeated Nurpur High School and Baburhut High School won against Matlad J.B High School. -Sports Reporter Inter's late equaliser in vain as Lazio win Cup shootout Lazio reached the Coppa Italia semi-finals with a 4-3 shootout win over Inter Milan who had forced a 1-1 draw with a penalty

from the last kick of extra-time on Thursday.

Ciro Immobile put Lazio ahead in the second period of extra time but Mauro Icardi levelled from the spot in the 125th minute of an extraordinary match featuring missed chances, outstanding goalkeeping, a red card and two key VAR decisions.

Icardi's goal was in vain, however, as Lazio goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha saved two penalties, from substitutes Lautaro Martinez and Radja Nainggolan, to give his side the

win in the shootout and a semi-final against AC Milan. -Reuters

EPL January transfer spending plummets Premier League spending in the January transfer window fell for the first time since 2012, with clubs paying a total of £180 million ($235 million) for new players, according to football finance experts at Deloitte.

Nearly a third of the total expenditure was accounted for by Chelsea's outlay of around £55 million for Christian Pulisic from Borussia Dortmund, according to the figures.

The £180 million transfer bill means total gross spending by Premier League clubs in the 2018/19 season is an estimated £1.4 billion, the second-highest season ever following record spend of £1.9 billion in 2017/18. -AFP

Kagawa joins Besiktas

Borussia Dortmund's Japanese international midfielder Shinji Kagawa on Thursday joined Besiktas on loan for the rest of the season. The 29-year-old former Manchester United player had reportedly been a target of struggling French club Monaco.

Besiktas in a statement said Kagawa would be "a part of its team on loan until the end of the season". -Afp