Cricket- a religion: Champions Trophy

ICC Champions trophy was earlier the ICC Knock out tournament in 1998 and 2000, played amongst the test playing nations..

1998 edition was played in Bangladesh.. 9 test playing nations were there, so it had to be reduced to 8 with a decider played between one test nation and Zimbabwe.. New Zealand won that match and was the 8th team to participate in that event..

This edition was organized at the 11th hour as floods threatened to pull the tournament out of Bangladesh..

Read earlier post on the team squads and the fixtures..

1st QF: England v South Africa

South Africa won by 6 wickets (with 20 balls remaining)

England 281/7 (50 ov); South Africa 283/4 (46.4 ov)

Hollioke coming at no.7 scored 83* after Symcox opened the bowling..
Cullinan, Cronje and Rhodes' half centuries sealed the match..
Cullinan was Man of the match..
Benkenstein and Alan Dawson made their debuts for their respective sides..

2nd QF: New Zealand v Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka won by 5 wickets (with 51 balls remaining)

New Zealand 188 (49.5 ov); Sri Lanka 191/5 (41.3 ov)

3 run outs and 5 wickets to the spinners ended the NZ innings..
Sri Lanka were in a spot of bother losing 3 wickets for 5 runs to be rescued by Kaluwitharana and Ranatunga..
Ranatunga was Man of the match for a knock of 90*..

3rd QF: Australia v India

India won by 44 runs

India 307/8 (50 ov); Australia 263 (48.1 ov)

Ganguly and Azharuddin went early.. Dravid scored 48, Jadeja ended the innings with a brilliant 71 off 65 runs..
Not to forget the innings of Sachin, 141 off 128. He got run out in the 46th over.. Truly amazing innings..
Aussie had good contribution from Mark Waugh but Tendulkar's 4 wickets meant that India had to win..
And no prizes for guessing that Sachin was Man of the match..

4th QF: Pakistan v West Indies

West Indies won by 30 runs

West Indies 289/9 (50 ov); Pakistan 259/9 (50 ov)

Phillo Wallace scored more than a run a ball 79..
Wasim's bowling at the death restricted Windies to 289..
Ijaz Ahmed and Saleem Elahi were the lone performers and Keith Athurton's 4-for ended Pak's tournament..
Keith Athurton had earlier in the day scored 33 runs earning him the Man of the match award..

1st SF: South Africa v Sri Lanka

South Africa won by 92 runs (D/L method)

South Africa 240/7 (39/39 ov); Sri Lanka 132 (23.4/34 ov)

Rain curtailed match- 39 overs..
South Africa rode to 240 for 7 on the back of a brilliant century from Kallis
Sri Lanka were given a revised target of 224 in 34 overs but they were all out for 132 with Symcox and Elworthy taking 3 each..
Kallis was MoM..

2nd SF: India v West Indies

West Indies won by 6 wickets (with 18 balls remaining)

India 242/6 (50 ov); West Indies 245/4 (47 ov)

Much expected match as India looked to win to reach the finals..
Tendulkar got out early that jolted India..
Ganguly scored 83 and Robin Singh 73* but a slow inings from Dravid and a strike rate of 77 from Ganguly meant that India reached only 242..
Windies reached the target with 3 overs to spare on the back of 60 from Lara and 74 from Shiv Chanderpaul..
India knocked out and Dillon was adjudged MoM for his 3 for..

Final: South Africa v West Indies

South Africa won by 4 wickets (with 18 balls remaining)

West Indies 245 (49.3 ov); South Africa 248/6 (47 ov)

Big stage- Windies into a final after a long time.. and South Africa had to prove a point winning at a big stage after their come back into international arena..
100 from Wallace, 49 from Hooper and 5-for from Kallis ended Windies'innings at 245..
Gritty knock from Cronje after a great start made SA win the trophy with 3 overs to spare..
Player of the match and series was Kallis..

Quarter-finals		Semi-finals		Final

25 October

England	281/7
		30 October
South Africa	283/4
		South Africa	240/7
26 October
		Sri Lanka	132/10
New Zealand	188/10
				1 November
Sri Lanka	191/5
				South Africa	248/6
28 October
				West Indies	245/10
India	307/8
		31 October
Australia	263/10
		India	242/6
29 October
		West Indies	245/4
West Indies	289/9

Pakistan	259/9