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

Barcelona star Lionel Messi and his father accused of £3.4m tax fraud

Barcelona star Lionel Messi has been accused of defrauding £3.4million all the way through false income tax profits in Spain. The state prosecutor has taken feat against the footballer and his father, Jorge Horacio Messi.

Both are accused of three offences alongside the public pucker for supposedly defrauding millions on income tax profits for 2007, 2008 and 2009. The grievance, signed by prosecutor Raquel Amado, was submitted for audition at the court in Gava, the up market Barcelona community where the Argentina forward lives.

A judge must agree to the prosecutor's court case before charges can be bringing against Lionel Messi and his father. The footballing star released a report denying any unlawful activity. Reports emerged today alleging the four-time reigning World Player of the Year and his father, Jorge Horacio, were alleged of filing deceitful tax profits between 2007 and 2009.

The 25-year-old Argentinean, at present on global duty in South America, summarily insisted he had done nothing incorrect in a report on his official Facebook page. It read: 'We have just known through the media about the claim filed by the Spanish tax authorities. 'We have always fulfilled all our tax obligations, following the advice of our tax consultants, who will take care of clarifying this situation.'

Lionel Messi arrived at the Nou Camp as a 13-year-old in 2000, made his first-team debut three years afterward and has gone on to set up himself as one of football's most excellent ever players. Lionel Messi has won six Primera Division titles, three Champions League crowns and two FIFA Club World Cups with the Catalan giants and in 2012 netted record 86 goals for club and country.

Lionel Messi signed a two-year agreement expansion with Barcelona in February which keeps him at the club through June 2018 - when he will be 31. Lionel Messi joined Barcelona when he was 13, and completes his debut with the first team three years later.

Spain has been furious down on tax avoidance as it fights to revamp the country's public funds in the middle of downturn and the fall down of its once-booming real estate sector. Finance Minister Cristobal Montoro warned footballers in April they ought to create sure they are 'comfortable' with their tax dealings.

 Source: Dailymail

Points spilt after rain ruins match between Australia and New Zealand

Match abandoned Australia 243 for 8 (Voges 71, Bailey 55, McClenaghan 4-65) v New Zealand 51 for 2

The prominently indecisive English weather hadn't injure the Champions Trophy a great deal over its first six days, but strike in the critical trans-Tasman match to leave Australia and New Zealand with split points. New Zealand was 51 for 2 after 15 over’s in their look for of 244 when play was intermittent, and couldn't recommence.

It is unbreakable to tell whether either player will be happy with the split points. New Zealand was in a slightly poorer position in the match, and the point from here means even a failure in their final league game could be sufficient to take them to the abolition rounds. Australia, having lost their first game, will almost certainly be more distressed. They got their first point of the operation but could still be out previous to them play their next, and final, match if England and New Zealand win the other two games in the group.

The introverted point didn't make brighter Australia's frame of mind on a day which had begun on a miserable note as their regular opener David Warner was stood downward from the match after news emerged of a disagreement with an England player in a Birmingham bar more than the weekend. 

India Just Passed a Step in Champions Trophy

India 236 for 2 (Dhawan 102*, Karthik 51*, Rohit 52) beat West Indies 233 for 9 (Charles 60, Sammy 56*, Jadeja 5-36) by 8 wickets.

Four years ago, approximately to the day, in the similar city of London, Ravindra Jadeja was a hare wedged in the headlights. He could neither get out nor hit out, and his 25 off 35 in that Twenty20 match in opposition to England - India were knocked out of that World T20 - earned him what seemed like a natural life of mockery. Ravindra Jadeja wasn't imaginary to do well at international cricket. He did. He wasn't supposed to do well outside Asia at least. He has, for now.

When Ravindra Jadeja was introduced in this Champions Trophy match, West Indies had marched to 92 for 1 in 17 overs, and Johnson Charles, an awkward batsman to treaty with, was timing the whole thing he hit. He had carted Bhuvneshwar Kumar, deflected Umesh Yadav and lofted Virat Kohli and even R Ashwin. India was staring at a big total, but Ravindra Jadeja twirled that ball like he does his new 'tache. Some bowed and some didn't; most of them were headed for the stumps, but at dissimilar speeds; five of them got wickets, two lbws and one bowled; West Indies went from 102 for 1 to 182 for 9, and India into the semi-final of the Champions Trophy. West Indies now require beating South Africa to steps forward; Pakistan was knocked out.