Football and History of Football

Football
A game played by two teams of 11 players each on a rectangular, 100-yard-long field with goal lines and goal posts at either end, the object being to gain possession of the ball and advance it in running or passing plays across the opponent's goal line or kick it through the air between the opponent's goal posts.

Football’s Early Beginnings

Football (as well as rugby and soccer) are believed to have descended from the ancient Greek game of harpaston.   Harpaston is mentioned frequently in classical literature, where it is often referred to as a “very rough and brutal game“.  The rules of this ancient sport were quite simple:  Points were awarded when a player would cross a goal line by kicking the ball, running with it across the goal line, or throwing it across the line to another player. The other team’s objective was simply to stop them by any means possible.  There was no specific field length, no side line boundaries, no specified number of players per team, only a glaring lack of rules.

Most modern versions of football are believed to have originated from England in the twelfth century. The game became so popular in England that the kings of that time (Henry II and Henry IV) actually banned football. They believed that football was taking away interest from the traditional sports of England, such as fencing and archery.
 
Evolution and the Beginnings of Standardization

Football didn’t really begin to take on any consistency of rules and boundaries until it was picked up as a sport in the seven major public schools of England in the early 1800’s.  Six of the seven schools were largely playing the same game (including Eton, Harrow and Winchester) - while the seventh, Rugby School (founded in 1567) was playing a markedly different version of football.

The other schools moved ahead refining their rules and eventually their game became known as "association football" – or soccer, which was played back then much as it is today.

Rugby School went in a different direction.  How and why the game developed differently at Rugby School appears to have been lost in history, but what is known is that by the 1830's, running with the ball at Rugby School was in common use and 18 foot goal posts had been added with a cross-bar at 10 feet above the ground.

The inclusion of the cross-bar was accompanied by a rule that a goal could only be scored by the ball passing over the bar from a place kick or drop kick. Apparently this was done to make scoring easier from further out and also to avoid the horde of defenders standing in and blocking the mouth of the goal.

Players who were able to "touch down" the ball behind the opponents goal line were awarded a "try-at-goal" - the player would make a mark on the goal line and then walk back onto the field of play to a point where a place kick at the goal was possible (a conversion). There was also an "off-your-side" rule used to keep the teams apart.  Passing the ball forward was not allowed.

By the mid-1860s British schools and universities had taken up Rugby's game and honored the school by giving the "new football" the name of rugby.

The game soon went trans-Atlantic to America and landed on fertile soil.

Roots of American Football

The birth date of football in the United States is generally regarded by football historians as November 6, 1869, when teams from Rutgers and Princeton Universities met for the first intercollegiate football game. In those early games, there were 20 players to a team and football still more closely resembled rugby than modern football.

The game of football has a history of constant rule changes. Rule changes have been implemented to bolster the excitement of the game of football and to increase the game's safety.

In 1873, representatives from Columbia, Rutgers, Princeton, and Yale Universities met in New York City to formulate the first intercollegiate football rules for the increasingly popular game. These four teams established the Intercollegiate Football Association (IFA) and set 15 as the number of players allowed on each team.

Walter Camp, the coach at Yale and a dissenter from the IFA over his desire for an eleven man team, helped begin the final step in the evolution from rugby-style play to the modern game of American football. The IFA’s rules committee, led by Camp, soon cut the number of players from fifteen to eleven, and also instituted the size of the playing field, at one hundred ten yards. In 1882 Camp also introduced the system of downs. After first allowing three attempts to advance the ball five yards, in 1906 the distance was changed to ten yards. The fourth down was added in 1912.

Within a decade, concern over the increasing brutality of the game led to its ban by some colleges. Nearly 180 players had suffered serious injuries, and eighteen deaths had been reported from the brutal mass plays that had become common practice. So in 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt called upon Harvard, Princeton, and Yale to help save the sport from demise.

At a meeting between the schools, reform was agreed upon, and at a second meeting, attended by more than sixty other schools, the group appointed a seven member Rules Committee and set up what would later become known as the National Collegiate Athletic Association, or the NCAA.

From this committee came the legalization of the forward pass, which resulted in a redesign of the ball and a more open style of play on the field. The rough mass plays, which once caused so many serious injuries, were prohibited by the committee. Also prohibited was the locking of arms by teammates in an effort to clear the way for their ball carriers. The length of the game was shortened, from seventy to sixty minutes, and the neutral zone, which separates the teams by the length of the ball before each play begins, was also established.

Though refinements to the game would continue to the present day, the modern game of American football had arrived.

Source: http://www.hornetfootball.org/

Brazil vs. Spain: X-Factors Who Will Make a Decision 2013 Confederations Cup Championship

A marathon championship match in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup between Spain and Brazil is lastly set, and we're certain to see some X-factor players step up to provide their teams the greater hand at triumph.

In a match that features so many world-class players, it's appallingly easy to overlook about players coming in under the radar who could create a large impact in their respective ways.

While players like Neymar, Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Hulk will control headlines going into the match; these players will come through with mammoth performances.

Let's take a look at them in these X-factor predictions for the Confederations Cup final.

There hasn't been a player in this Confederations Cup that has been more important for Spain than Jordi Alba. The defender has found him a huge spot in the back line at left back, where he's capable to be inventive abusively without it impacting his protective abilities. He was capable to do that extremely well against Nigeria, with two goals and getting after it abusively.

That will be easier said than done against a Brazil squad that is typically sound defensively, but perhaps Alba's appearance will provide them that added dimension. We all know what Spain brings to the table and all of the hazardous players to look out for, but don't forget about the 24-year-old.

I expect Alba to have his usual shock by getting on the wing and building runs, opening things up in the middle for Spain's talented midfielders to push and take pleasure in more space than they're used to.

The Brazilians have been looking for a player to put next to Neymar up top, with Hulk not cutting it as of late. The biggest asset in that section has been Lucas Moura.

The new Paris Saint-Germain forward has grown to be a fan most wanted for the host country of Brazil, and looks to be prepared for a big breakout performance. Sunday will be the biggest chance to do that until next summer.

Lucas needs to emerge as a dependable attacker in this tournament if he wants to be in favor comes next summer's World Cup. He's only 20 years old and has some time left to build up, but the Brazilians require him now.

Neymar won't be capable to attack the Spanish defense by himself. It'll take a team attempt up top, and that starts with him and Lucas.

Another one of Spain's up-and-coming stars, Javi Martinez has looked big on the big stage when he has gotten the chance to indentation some playing time.

A player who primarily lines up at midfield in a central holding location, Martinez doesn't usually get in on the scoring but his impact is massive regardless.

His value was shown on Thursday, when Spain head coach Vincente Del Bosque opted to put back Fernando Torres with Martinez late in their penalty-shootout success over Italy. While it didn't result in goals, it helped Spain to shore up their enormous defensive problems and make sure that Italy didn't get a game-winning goal late.

Spain was having major problem stopping Italy's unpleasant attack, giving them plethora of chances to get on the scoring column. It won't be any easier against Brazil, who boasts some of the most hazardous offensive players in the world.

If Martinez gets the start or comes in off the bench, he'll be relied on to hold it down defensively while the other midfielders like Xavi and Iniesta roam in the attacking area.

Cricket and History of Cricket

Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on a roughly circular field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. Every team takes it in turn to bat, in which they effort to build up as lots of runs as probable, while the other team fields, attempting to prevent the batting team scoring runs. Teams may bat once or twice every depending ahead the design of the game. Every turn is known as an innings. The game progresses as one member of the fielding team known as the bowler delivers the ball to the batsman down the length of the pitch. The batsman then attempts to beat the ball with his bat so that the ball either reaches the boundary or travels far sufficient away from a fielder to allow him to run to the other end of the pitch and thus build up runs. Every batsman may go on with batting until he is dismissed. Once ten batsmen from the batting side have been dismissed, the team is said to be all out and the two teams change roles. A person who plays cricket is called a cricketer.

Early cricket was at some time or another described as "a club striking a ball the ancient games of club-ball, stool-ball, trap-ball, stob-ball". Cricket can absolutely be traced back to Tudor times in early 16th-century England. Written evidence exists of a game known as creag being played by Prince Edward, the son of Edward, Longshanks at Newenden, Kent in 1301 and there has been speculation, but no evidence, that this was a form of cricket.

A number of other words have been suggested as sources for the term "cricket". In the earliest definite reference to the sport in 1598, it is called creckett. Given the strong medieval trade connections between south-east England and the County of Flanders when the latter belonged to the Duchy of Burgundy, the name may have been derived from the Middle Dutch krick(-e), meaning a stick (crook); or the Old English cricc or cryce meaning a crutch or staff. In Old French, the word croquet seems to have meant a kind of club or stick. In Samuel Johnson's Dictionary, he derived cricket from "cryce, Saxon, a stick". Another possible source is the Middle Dutch word krickstoel, meaning a long low stool used for kneeling in church and which resembled the long low wicket with two stumps used in early cricket. According to Heiner Gillmeister, a European language expert of Bonn University, "cricket" derives from the Middle Dutch phrase for hockey, met de (krik ket)sen (i.e., "with the stick chase"). Dr Gillmeister believes that not only the name but the sport itself is of Flemish origin.

The earliest definite reference to cricket being played in England (and hence anywhere) is in evidence given at a 1598 court case which mentions that "creckett" was played on common land in Guildford, Surrey, around 1550. The court in Guildford heard on Monday, 17 January 1597 (Julian date, equating to the year 1598 in the Gregorian calendar) from a 59 year-old coroner, John Derrick, who gave witness that when he was a scholar at the "Free School at Guildford", fifty years earlier, "hee and diverse of his fellows did runne and play [on the common land] at creckett and other plaies." It is believed that it was originally a children's game but references around 1610 indicate that adults had started playing it and the earliest reference to inter-parish or village cricket occurs soon afterwards. In 1624, a player called Jasper Vinall was killed when he was struck on the head during a match between two parish teams in Sussex.

During the 17th century, numerous references indicate the growth of cricket in the south-east of England. By the end of the century, it had become an organized activity being played for high stakes and it is believed that the first professionals appeared in the years following the Restoration in 1660. A newspaper report survives of "a great cricket match" with eleven players a side that was played for high stakes in Sussex in 1697 and this is the earliest known reference to a cricket match of such importance.

The game underwent major development in the 18th century and became the national sport of England. Betting played a major part in that development with rich patrons forming their own "select XIs". Cricket was prominent in London as early as 1707 and large crowds flocked to matches on the Artillery Ground in Finsbury. The single wicket form of the sport attracted huge crowds and wagers to match. Bowling evolved around 1760 when bowlers began to pitch the ball instead of rolling or skimming it towards the batsman. This caused a revolution in bat design because, to deal with the bouncing ball, it was necessary to introduce the modern straight bat in place of the old "hockey stick" shape. The Hambledon Club was founded in the 1760s and, for the next 20 years until the formation of MCC and the opening of Lord's Old Ground in 1787, Hambledon was both the game's greatest club and its focal point. MCC quickly became the sport's premier club and the custodian of the Laws of Cricket. New Laws introduced in the latter part of the 18th century included the three stump wicket and leg before wicket (lbw).

The 19th century saw underarm bowling replaced by first roundarm and then overarm bowling. Both developments were controversial. Organisation of the game at county level led to the creation of the county clubs, starting with Sussex CCC in 1839, which ultimately formed the official County Championship in 1890. Meanwhile, the British Empire had been instrumental in spreading the game overseas and by the middle of the 19th century it had become well established in India, North America, the Caribbean, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. In 1844, the first international cricket match took place between the United States and Canada (although neither has ever been ranked as a Test-playing nation).

In 1859, a team of England players went on the first overseas tour (to North America). The first Australian team to tour overseas was a team of Aboriginal stockmen who travelled to England in 1868 to play matches against county teams. In 1862, an English team made the first tour of Australia and in 1876–77, an England team took part in the first-ever Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against Australia.

W.G. Grace started his long career in 1865; his career is often said to have revolutionised the sport. The rivalry between England and Australia gave birth to The Ashes in 1882 and this has remained Test cricket's most famous contest[citation needed]. Test cricket began to expand in 1888–89 when South Africa played England. The last two decades before the First World War have been called the "Golden Age of cricket". It is a nostalgic name prompted by the collective sense of loss resulting from the war, but the period did produce some great players and memorable matches, especially as organized competition at county and Test level developed.

The inter-war years were dominated by one player: Australia's Don Bradman, statistically the greatest batsman of all time. It was the determination of the England team to overcome his skill that brought about the infamous Bodyline series in 1932–33, particularly from the accurate short-pitched bowling of Harold Larwood. Test cricket continued to expand during the 20th century with the addition of the West Indies, India, and New Zealand before the Second World War and then Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh in the post-war period. However, South Africa was banned from international cricket from 1970 to 1992 because of its government's apartheid policy.

Cricket entered a new era in 1963 when English counties introduced the limited overs variant. As it was sure to produce a result, limited overs cricket was lucrative and the number of matches increased. The first Limited Overs International was played in 1971. The governing International Cricket Council (ICC) saw its potential and staged the first limited overs Cricket World Cup in 1975. In the 21st century, a new limited overs form, Twenty20, has made an immediate impact.



Source: Wikipedia

Bangladesh hosting of T20 World Cup 2014 in doubt

Alternatives venue can be Sri-Lanka or South Africa.  The World T20 tournament could be moved from Bangladesh due to concerns at the country's lack of adequate facilities. ESPNcricinfo understands that Sri Lanka and South Africa are potential alternative venues although discussions have yet to reach the official stage.

An ICC official inspected the stadiums recently and is understood to have been underwhelmed by the results. The situation is now scheduled to be discussed at the ICC's annual conference in London later this week with insiders suggesting that concerns are such that a decision to move the tournament is one of the options to be discussed.

The men's and women's World T20 is scheduled to be played in four venues in Bangladesh between March 16 and April 6 next year. The stadiums in Mirpur and Chittagong are deemed perfectly acceptable for international cricket, but work on the facilities at the stadium in Sylhet, which was built last year - remains incomplete, and construction at the new stadium in Cox's Bazar, home of the world's longest natural sandy beach, is still underway.

BCB president Nazmul Hassan has this week vented his frustration about the slowness of work on the two unfinished grounds. The latest phase of work in the Sylhet Stadium began on June 7, and the BCB estimates that the four-storied pavilion will be completed by the time the ICC inspection team returns in September. There is a plan to host a couple of ODIs when New Zealand are touring in October.

But the National Sports Council, the sports regulator in Bangladesh and also the custodian of all sporting venues, have said that it would only be ready by November and that outfield drainage work will be delayed until after the World Twenty20s. As for the Cox's Bazar stadium, it is being built from scratch on a patch of land that was once a golf course.

While Sri Lanka cricket chief executive Ashley de Silva indicated that there had been no contact as yet between his board and the ICC, he did suggest that the country would be ready to host the tournament if required, even though it would mean that Sri Lanka could end up hosting World Twenty20 twice in 18 months. The most recent edition of the World Twenty20, which ended last October, was also held in Sri Lanka.

"There has been no communication between SLC and ICC on that topic," de Silva told ESPNcricinfo. "We have the facilities to host it, but I don't know if it will crop up at the meeting this week."

South Africa have made similar noises.

The other school of thought in Bangladesh questions whether the ICC might be more concerned about the country's political situation, especially when a national election is scheduled to be held in early 2014.

When they officially launched the tournament in April this year, it was at the end of month-long unrest in many parts of the country and immediately after a day-long general strike in Dhaka. The tournament is slated to be Bangladesh's fourth ICC event after hosting the 1998 ICC Knockout, the 2004 Under-19s World Cup and co-hosting the 2011 World Cup.

But Hassan and the board's acting CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury will have a lot of assurances to give to keep the event in Bangladesh.


Courtesy: George Dobell and Mohammad Isam
Source: ESPN

India Won the ICC Champions Trophy 2013

A great News for Indian cricket lovers. India beat England by 5 run in the final match of ICC Champions Trophy 2013 in England. And finally India won the ICC Champions Trophy 2013.

Its a great victory for India after ICC world cup 2011. M S Dhoni really the best captain among the Indian Captain. M S Dhoni lead the team to won the T20 World Cup 2008, ICC World Cup 2011 and finally the ICC Champions Trophy 2013.

ICC Champions Trophy final: India and England Both are Prepared

After a photo shoot with Alastair Cook, Mahendra Singh Dhoni walked in nine feet tall in his pre-final media conference at the Edgbaston media centre here on Saturday afternoon. With an unshaven face, the Indian skipper sported a broad grin and showed no signs of pressure before the final of a major tournament.

Winning is such a galvanizing factor. This Indian team at the Champions Trophy has done no wrong and whatever Dhoni touches is turning into gold. Supremely confident, Dhoni handles the media on his own terms. He hooks, he pulls and even switch hits questions. The "one-question-per-person" media code of conduct often sees incomplete answers and transcripts haven't always helped.

Many of Dhoni's answers in Saturday's press conference were difficult to fathom. Especially, one on England's poor record in ODI finals of global events and another one on whether the 1983 World Cup win at Lord's in the month of June inspires Team India.

Speaking on Sunday's Champions Trophy final, Dhoni was clear when he said there were no special plans against England here at Edgbaston. "We will go with the same approach like we did in the match against Pakistan and the semifinal (versus Sri Lanka)," said the Indian captain.

Saying that India have played very good cricket in the Champions Trophy so far, Dhoni added the team was relaxed and the only concern was the death bowling. "Death bowlers have been a concern. It's an area we need to improve as a team."

Dhoni admitted England's pace attack had the quality to test the best of batsmen.

"The English are a very good team, especially the bowlers. What we are excited about is the fact our top order has done well, and also the fact that they have played some of the best bowlers in world cricket so far in the tournament. So I think they are quite well prepared for the English bowlers, it's just that like in every game, you have to apply," Dhoni said.

The Indian captain didn't read much into India's horrible English summer in 2011. India were whitewashed in both the Test and ODI series, but Dhoni doesn't want history to haunt the current team's mental preparation.

"Well, you go through ups and downs. I think what's important is to accept the fact that we didn't do really well in that series. We have done well in this series so let's think about that," Dhoni said.

Dhoni said India's ODI performance in 2011 was relatively better than the Tests and the team was hampered by injuries and the rain. "I lost all the tosses and every game it rained. We were supposed to operate with two spinners, and with the wet ball it became very difficult," Dhoni explained.

With rain threatening Sunday's final, Dhoni said the toss could become a factor but a lot will depend on the immediate conditions. "If it's bright and sunny, I don't think it will have that much of an impact, but if it's overcast and there is a bit of rain before the start of the game, then it may have an impact on the game. So I think as of now it's quite balanced. I don't think the toss will be very crucial," he said.

Dhoni said it was an important final from an Indian point of view. "We will have good support and we must play for the fans. It should be a good game for the spectators," the skipper said with a large grin. 

Source: Sports

India go into the final with crushing win

India 182 for 2 (Dhawan 68, Kohli 58*) beat Sri Lanka 181 for 8 (Mathews 51, Jayawardene 38, Ishant 3-33, Ashwin 3-48) by 8 wickets

 The only actual confrontation to India's demonstration into the final was two sets of activists who ruined into the field on two divide occasions. On a Cardiff pitch with a lot of dampness underside, the ball seamed, bounded sharply and turned noticeably, and the Indian bowlers were all over Sri Lanka subsequent to winning the toss. In the afternoon, the Indian openers continual their run of inspiring stands, adding 77 through some fortune and some good-looking shots, and India cruised home with 15 overs to spare.

This would have reminded India of their first day of global cricket on South Africa's 2010-11 tour, when they were inserted on a pitch that had engrossed a lot of rain and were bowled out for 136 in similar circumstances. Watching the first innings of this match, it seemed Sri Lanka had done well to not be rolled over for 136 them. The circumstances were so succulent India's three forefront quick’s bowled the first 22 overs, even MS Dhoni had a bowl and India either beat the bat or hit edge on 68 occasions.

The Sri Lankan batsmen couldn't be blamed much, not including for most likely Kusal Perera. Sri Lanka had to excavate in hard presently to stay alive, leave alone scoring runs. They tried and tried - Kumar Sangakkara had at one point left alone 12 out of his first 32 balls - but ultimately the ball with your name arrived. However, what actually foiled Sri Lanka's plans was the help the pitch provided to spin, which they hadn't budgeted for when they were batting out the quick’s like it was a Test match. If the quick’s bowled the first 22 overs out and went for 98 for four wickets in their 30 overs, the spinners took four wickets for 81 in their 20.

The pitch might have been grand help, but India browbeaten the toss benefit with remarkable correctness. India was perfect adequate to make use of the circumstances. The first extra came in the 20th over. Angelo Mathews, among others, fought the circumstances, but like others he too fell the split second he became audacious.   

Dominant England cruise into final

England 179 for 3 (Trott 82*, Root 48 ) beat South Africa 175 (Miller 56*, Kleinveldt 43, Tredwell 3-19, Broad 3-50) by seven wickets

 England and South Africa had not met in a most important match in ICC semi-final since the World Cup in Sydney in 1992, a match which AB de Villiers admitted previous to the start of play ended with him "crying myself to sleep." Grown man now or not, later than the mess South Africa made of this tie, he could be forgiven for repeating the incident.

De Villiers is no longer an in the clear child, he is captain of a South Africa one-day side which during his lifetime has frequently privileged to mislead in ICC tournaments. So it proved once more. England rampaged from side to side the top order as eight wickets fell for 80. It was a humid morning at Kennington Oval, England won a favorable toss, and for once the white Kookaburra swung, but South Africa contributed immensely to their downfall.

David Miller and Rory Kleinveldt did at least recuperate calculate of morality. An evidence ninth-wicket partnership for South Africa of 95 in 16 overs took them to 175. But all that did was provide Jonathan Trott with a protracted chance to bat much as he wished, apparently unmindful to the force of a Champions Trophy semi-final. He ended with a spritely 82 not out from 84 balls, a seven-wicket win done and dusted with more than 12 overs to standby.

England Beat New Zealand in Champions Trophy

England 169 (Cook 64, Mills 4-30, McClenaghan 3-36) beat New Zealand 159 for 8 (Williamson 67, Anderson 3-32) by 10 runs

 England do not create life trouble-free for themselves in knockout tournaments, but they protected their passageway to the Champions Trophy semi-finals through a cooperatively imposing recital from the bowlers which followed a efficient innings from Alastair Cook subsequent to the weather had endangered to abscond their hopes in Australia's hands.

But even as England was heaping heaviness on New Zealand's top arrange as they chased 170 in 24 overs, the weather still loomed. Rain, which had cause a five-hour impediment after the toss, was creeping over the Bristol Channel and even though the chase was at the back the rate, if the match had been deserted before 20 overs New Zealand would have gone through and England would have needed a favor from Australia on Monday.

The 20th over, sent down by the unequaled James Anderson, itself incorporated more drama when Corey Anderson, who was additional to New Zealand's squadron on the daybreak of the match as a substitution for Grant Elliott, appeared to harmed his calf following aborting a sprint and spent several minutes in receipt of management which did not make an impression Ashley Giles and David Saker on the England balcony.

Still, even after Anderson had finished the over there could have been another interweave. Tim Bresnan passed 19 in the next over as Kane Williamson, who made a brave 67 off 54 balls, and Anderson took their partnership to 73 previous to Williamson skied to wrap off Stuart Broad whose heel was ruled, by the third umpire, to be fractionally at the back the line. It was a powerful taut call.  

India Beat Pakistan by 8 wickets in Champions Trophy

India 102 for 2 (Dhawan 48) beat Pakistan 165 (Shafiq 41, Bhuvneshwar 2-19) by 8 wickets (D/L method)

 Just prefer the majority of the cricket played in this glorified enmity, the cricket at Edgbaston - this time for the reason that of the weather - was boring and unsure, but India finally registered their first win over Pakistan in Champions Trophy. However, it was a dead rubber as India was previously guaranteed the top slot in the group, and Pakistan the bottom.

It was England above your head all right with all the rain, but underfoot the Edgbaston pitch matched the bowlers from Asia, where a big segment of Birmingham's population has come from. R Ashwin bowled slow and flighted the ball and curved it square, Ravindra Jadeja bowled fast and still turned the odd ball square, and Pakistan batsmen capitulated in what began as a full game but was reduced to 40 overs a side after two rain intervals.

Their total of 165 all out was adjusted to 167 for the reason that of the rain break throughout Pakistan's innings. India got off to a concrete create in answer, and it mattered small that the rain finally brought the target down to 102 in 22 overs. India won in 19.1 overs.

Rain played a significant part in Pakistan's innings. Pakistan did beat the toss, which gave India the best circumstances in the rain, but Misbah-ul-Haq said he would have batted first anyhow.

Pollard wicket hands South Africa semi-final place

South Africa 230 for 6 in 31 overs (Ingram 73, Dwayne Bravo 2-43) tied with West Indies 190 for 6 in 26.1 overs (D/L method)

 It has been a decade since South Africa's miscalculation of Duckworth-Lewis saw them way out the World Cup in the first on all sides of. Finally, they will think about themselves redeemed.

In a entwine of destiny as completely formed as the twist on a young girl's harvest of hair, West Indies were pressed out of the Champions Trophy after a rain-affected tied match. After 26.1 overs, with six wickets down, they needed 191 runs to win the match. They left the field on 190 for 6 as the light rain floated down. The result rewarded a point to every side and South Africa progressed to the semi-finals by good quality of a greater net run rate.

If still one ball was completely important on the result of a match, the first ball of the 27th over was it. Kieron Pollard was dismissed when he threw his bat at a Ryan McLaren short ball and was wedged at third man.

Had Pollard not been out, West Indies would have won the match for the reason that they were ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis par for five wickets down. Then it would have been them, not South Africa, who advanced to the semi-finals.

As the second innings developed, it seemed more probably West Indies face would drag off a heist. Despite losing Chris Gayle near the beginning and seeing their necessary run-rate soar to 9.5 per over, Marlon Samuels and Pollard plundered 58 runs off 33 balls to bring back to life ghosts of tournaments past for South Africa.

When the necessary 20 overs had been arrive at to create certain the match would count West Indies were 14 runs at the back the Duckworth-Lewis total they would have needed to win. At 130 for 4, Samuels determined it was time to insert in and he took 15 runs off Robin Peterson's next over to close the crack.

Monfils, Roger Federer reach Halle quarters

HALLE, Germany -- Top-seeded Roger Federer looked rusty but beat German wild card Cedrik-Marcel Stebe 6-3, 6-3 Wednesday to reach the quarterfinals of the Gerry Weber Open.

His first singles match on grass as he prepares to defend the Wimbledon title wasn't all smooth sailing but Roger Federer was never really threatened.

"I'm always pleased when I win, no matter how I win," Roger Federer said.

Gael Monfils reached the quarterfinals as well, then announced he will miss Wimbledon.

After defeating Czech qualifier Jan Hernych 6-2, 6-3, Monfils said he withdrew his request for a Wimbledon wild card because he had to deal with a personal problem that could not be delayed. He didn't elaborate.

Mikhail Youzhny also advanced to the last eight by upsetting fourth-seeded Kei Nishikori 6-1, 6-7 (4), 6-3. German wild card Mischa Zverev went through by beating Mirza Basic 7-6 (5), 6-3 after coming from behind in both sets.

Four of Roger Federer's seven Wimbledon titles have come after Federer had also won the tuneup event in Halle. His link to the Halle event is so deep that he has had a street named after him.

Now ranked No. 3 in the world, Roger Federer has not won a title this year and is coming off a quarterfinal loss at the French Open.

Serving for the first set, Roger Federer produced four straight errors to waste two set points and drop his serve with some very sloppy play. Roger Federer bounced back in the next, however, to win the set.

Roger Federer hit two wild backhands to help Stebe hold his serve in the seventh game of the second. Roger Federer also committed a double-fault on his first match point, but hit a volley winner to end it.

"I got an early double-break lead in the first, I got up a break in the second, it was pretty straightforward," said Roger Federer, who next faces Zverev.

Monfils was once ranked No. 7 in the world but the Frenchman missed several months last year because of a knee injury. He was ranked No. 119 in May before moving up to No. 67.

Monfils, who has never passed the third round at Wimbledon, said it was a pity he would have to miss it for the second straight year and fourth time in six years, especially because he felt he was beginning to play better on grass.

For a player who says he has trouble moving on grass, Monfils was at his acrobatic best against Hernych.

At one point, he even jumped over the net. Trying to save a break point, the Czech qualifier dived to his right to reach a ball at the net and managed to send it over. Monfils raced forward, failed to reach it in time and his momentum carried him over the net. The two touched hands and Monfils got back to his side to eventually break serve for a decisive 4-2 lead in the second set.

The Frenchman's enthusiasm did not always result in points -- he once jumped high for a smash, only to rip it into the net. But another time, he chased down a lob and hit a perfect backhand winner on the turn.

"I was happy, I was having fun," Monfils said. "Grass is not natural for me, but I am getting better. I have to focus on not falling, not injuring myself. I cannot take off as fast as I want to and I have problems braking. But I was comfortable today, I was leading all the time."

Youzhny was not quite as spectacular as Monfils but his steady game carried him past Nishikori in the first set.

"He started well, he was hitting a lot of first serves and I was missing everything," the Japanese said.

Nishikori said it was not easy to adjust to grass and that he would remain in Halle for a while to practice more and play doubles.

Youzhny was twice a semifinalist in Halle, including last year, and lost to Roger Federer both times.

Basic, a Bosnian who upset seventh-seeded Jerzy Janowitz in his first match in the main draw of an ATP Tour event on Tuesday, squandered a 4-1 lead in the first set and a 2-1 break lead in the second. He saved three match points on his serve but Zverev closed it out with a service winner.

Source: espn