SILIGURI: Calcutta titan East Bengal and Punjab Giant JCT sailed into the semi final of the IFA Shield Football Tournament playing a 1-1 draw in their last group league match at the Siliguri Stadium here today.

While Saroj Das of East Bengal put his team ahead in the 35th minute of the first half, JCT restored parity through substitute Sukhjit Singh in the 20nd minute of the second half.

In the semis, the Calcutta outfit would lock horns with Bengal Mumbai Football Club here, while JCT would vie with Mohammedan Sporting on November 19 at Calcutta.

India prevail

NEW DELHI: Hosts India, Pakistan and Australia opened their campaign with facile victories over their rivals in the first Kanishka World Cup Cricket for the blind here on Tuesday. The host crushed England by ten wickets at Harbaksh Singh Stadium. India's Balaji Darnor was declared Man of the Match.Brief scores: England 87-9 (Hendrick Swanepaul 25, Balaji Damor 3-19) lost to India 89 for no loss (Anand Sharma57, Rajesh Singh 15).

Australia: 207-9 (Chris Backstrom not out 111, Nejat Haydardedeogio 18, Terry Eagers 22, Charles Tauhore 1-30, James Dunn 1-31) bt N Z: 107-9 (James Dunn 31, Gary Williamson 14, Paul McKenna 2-11, Peter Robnson 1-21)Sri Lanka: 180 all out in 38.4 overs (Vasantha Jayawardhane 75, Kundulal Samarasinghe 20, Kalyana Kumara 20 not out, Mohd Ahmed 3-21, Sultan Shah 2-53, Abdul Razaq 2-16) lost to Pakistan 181-1 (Masood Jan 134 not out, Noor Quresh not out 18, Bandula Samantha 1-23).

More retires

BARODA: The former India wicket-keeper Kiran More announced his retirement from first class crickets here on Monday. More made this announcement while addressing a press conference at IPCL Sports Complex.

More had piled up 5038 runs and claimed 362 victims behind the wicket, which include 301 catches nad 61 stumping in 151 first class matches since his debut in Ranji Trophy in 1980-81.

Parnita leads

NEW DELHI: Defending champion Parnita Grewal (Chandigarh) shot two over par74 to emerge first round leader in the 31st Ladies Siel Northern India Amateur Golf Championship here on Tuesday. Following the leader a stroke behind were Nonita Lal Qureshi and Uravashi Sodhi. All three are members of the Indian team for the Bangkok Asian Games.

Lead scorers (after 18 holes): 74 Parnita Grewal; 74 Nonita Lal Qureshi, Uravashi Sodhi; 76 Lalita Balasubramanium, Shruti Khanna; 77 Ayesha Kapoor; 79 Anjali Chopra; 81 Vandana Aggarwal; 83 Charu Narain.

Junior badminton

CHENNAI: A host of talented players, including senior India No 2, Abhinn Shayam Gupta, Chetan Anand (both Air-India) in boys', Diya Ramesh (A-I) and P Priyadarshini (Railways) in girls', will be seen in action in the Junior National badminton championship, which will be held here along with the Inter-state event from November 18 to 23.

Nirupama 187th

NEW DELHI: India's Nirupama Vaidyanathan is ranked 187 in the latest Women's Tennis Association world rankings released in Miami yesterday.