Warm-up fanned down

Wicket-keeper batsman Mithun Ali was caught behind off pacer Abu Jayed for just five and title contenders Abahani were struggling on 54 for four in chase of a challenging 257 against Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club in their Super League encounter at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali stadium in Fatullah yesterday.

Minutes later a helicopter approached the outer stadium of Fatullah where a warm-up match between third division teams Nawabganj and Kamkrangirchar was forced to take a short break to allow the helicopter to land.

For a brief time, the helicopter managed to catch the attention of the players, officials and crowd as the vice chairman of Bashundhara group and the president of Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi club, Safwan Sobhan, stepped out of the aircraft and headed towards the dressing room to cheer on his players.

Sensing a win against giants Abahani, Safwan had flown directly to the ground and left the stadium only after making sure his team were just a wicket away from victory. That of course meant that the warm-up game took an enforced break once again as the helicopter landed in the outer stadium to pick up Safwan for the flight back. This was not the first time Safwan flew in to encourage his side – the most recent example being a touchdown at the MA Aziz Stadium in Chittagong to meet Rangpur Riders players – and the club owner's enthusiasm will certainly boost the morale of the players.