Mariners, Usha win big

Usha Krira Chakra began their Super Six campaign of the Green Delta Premier Division Hockey League with an emphatic 6-0 victory over Dhaka Wanderers Club at the Maulana Bhasani Hockey Stadium yesterday.

The triumph helped the defending champions to 34 points from 12 matches, three ahead of second-placed Mariner Youngs Club.

Pakistani defender Aleem Belal slotted a hattrick by converting penalty corners in the 12th, 23rd and 38th minutes before Hasan Jubayer Niloy, Pushkor Khisha Mimo and Krishno Kumar struck in the 57th, 58th and 66th minutes respectively to complete the rout. Dhaka Wanderers, who had suffered a 2-8 defeat in their first meeting against Usha, failed to make any of their five penalty corners count.

Meanwhile, Mariner Youngs followed up their record 22-1 win over Railway SC with an 11-1 win against Bangladesh SC in the other match of the day.

Archrivals Abahani and Mohammedan SC will lock horns in a crucial encounter of the Super Six stage today. Both the giants are on equal 26 points, but Mohammedan lead Abahani with a better goal-difference.