ght in its soccer history, Wales swept past the worlds No. 2-ranked team at the European Championship on Friday.Wales stormed back from a rough start to beat Belgium 3-1 in a pulsating quarterfinal won by classy goals from two unheralded forwards.As usual,

South African cricket has done it again: arrived in a foreign land with a pace attack to savour. Back in the mid and late 1960s - before isolation - Peter Pollock and Mike Procter led their countrys rout of Australia. They would have done much the same to anyone else, given the chance. The production line continued through the wilderness years as Procters heroic deeds inspired fine men such as Vintcent Van der Bijl and Garth Le Roux - along with an array of variously talented other fast bowlers who would have held South Africas place at the top table of international cricket: think Clive Rice and Rupert Spook Hanley; Stephen Jefferies, Kenny Watson and others less noted.It is remarkable that more than two decades without global exposure did not compromise the quality of cricket in the Republic, never mind the desire - quick bowling is hard yakka and not often truly appreciated as such. The Currie Cup may never have been stronger than during the 1970s and 80s, almost certainly because it was the highest level of the game on offer and the provincial players tore into one another as if they were opponents from another land. Transvaal had a fantastic team; Natal were not so dusty either. The pitches were often spicy and fast bowlers dominated on the hard, bouncy surface at the Wanderers and the zippy greentops at Kingsmead. The international rebel sides that visited from 1981 through to 1991 were astonished by the intensity of the cricket and the ferocity and consistency of the quicks. So rewarding was life for the fast men that Sylvester Clarke, the huge Barbadian, signed up for Transvaal and completed the make-up of a unit that became known as the Mean Machine.When apartheid was finally broken down and the ban on South African sport lifted in 1991, briefly Rice and then Kepler Wessels led competitive teams with terrific pacemen. First out of the blocks was Allan Donald; close behind him were Fanie de Villiers, Brian MacMillan, Brett Schultz, Corrie van Zyl, Craig Matthews and Eric Simons. They soon won in England and drew a thrilling three-match series in Australia. Were it not for a memorable explosion of raw power and emotion from Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh in Barbados, they would have collared the West Indians too.Since then, Shaun Pollock and Dale Steyn have been at the head of bowling attacks that have included Jacques Kallis, Makhaya Ntini, Andre Nel, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander. As Kallis has long pointed out, batting in South Africa is no sinecure. The pitches are mainly kind to bowlers, who lick their lips. By this he means the fast men, for South African spin has mainly gone missing. Steyn is in Perth tomorrow, 12 years since he first showed promise on debut against England in Port Elizabeth. There have been few better in the history of the game. He is a terrific athlete with a smart brain and an alarming streak that might otherwise be interpreted as a cry to battle. Like Malcolm Marshall before him, the outswinger is his stock in trade and the inswinger a wicked, inside thigh-stinging addition to his arsenal. He need not break the speedometer to create an impression: he does so with a mad look in his eye, the killer zeal of his body talk, and that chainsaw celebration. Steyn relishes the Australian frontier more than any other and knows that he is running out of years. The present tally is 416 wickets at 22 each. Expect him to ride the threat of a shoulder niggle and play a key part in Perths first encounter of three.Alongside this leader of the band are some worthy players. Morkel loves Perth like the deserts love the rain. The trick will be to keep his length fuller than is obvious or, indeed, than looks exciting. Ball after ball flies through at the WACA but many are wasted in macho expression. Morkel took key wickets last time around; he is a good bet for the same again. Moreover, he has married an Australia girl, once a brave television sports journalist in her own country, and will be eager to confirm the bragging rights.Philander is a fine exponent of the old arts and subtle variations. On the exterior there appears to be little either to him or to his work, but hidden beneath is a craftsman in swing and seam. Perth may not be his venue, unless he can find the strength of a shire horse and operate into the Fremantle Doctor that plays its part each afternoon. That job may be awarded to Kyle Abbott, as willing a shire horse as any captain might find.Last in Steyns merry band is the most important of them all. Like Ntini back in the day, Kagiso Rabada bowls for a nation. He is the governments cause celebre and Cricket South Africas route to justification. But there is no tokenism in Rabadas selection - far from it. He has rare talent, a joyous spring of step, and lets rip at serious pace. With youth on his side, Rabada maintains his performance until the umpires pull the stumps from the ground each day. His eight Tests have yielded 29 wickets at 24 each and a strike rate of 38.9. Only Procter is ahead of him among South Africans who have taken 25 wickets or more. He bowls a natural off-stump line, and earlier this year forced England to nibble away at deliveries they would have chosen to leave alone. In the Centurion Test and at just 20 years of age, he claimed 13 for 144, the second best figures in his countrys history. Sure, this is only the beginning of a young mans life in the game, but the pedigree is clear.These bowlers could be the difference between the sides over the coming five days. Last years pitch for the Test against New Zealand was a drab thing that drew the teeth of every bowler in the game. Almost 1200 runs were scored in the first innings of the match as double-hundreds and mere hundreds were sprinkled around like confetti. The curator will not want a repeat, and thus, the surface should reveal some of its famed character this time around. It is hard to see the South Africans not making best use of it. How AB de Villiers, injured and watching from home, must be pining for this rivalry and the chance to fire such heavy artillery at the Australians. That is now a privilege belonging to Faf du Plessis. No one here can wait. The juices are running. Expect three crackerjack games between old enemies and many good friends. Casey Stengel Yankees Jersey . LeBron James and Chris Bosh didnt need any more. Williams scored 11 points in 10 minutes, Alan Anderson scored 17 points, and the Brooklyn Nets finished the exhibition season with a 108-87 win over the Miami Heat on Friday night. Phil Rizzuto Jersey . After taking two big hits this week -- losing at home and dropping back-to-back games for the first time all season -- Indiana struck back by playing its most complete game of the year. https://www.cheapyankees.com/501g-tyler-wade-jersey-yankees.html .Y. - New Orleans forward Anthony Davis was chosen Friday to replace the injured Kobe Bryant in the NBA All-Star game that will be played in his home city. Thurman Munson Jersey . -- Jimmy Walkers first PGA Tour trophy came with a special gift tucked inside. Gio Urshela Jersey . Kuznetsov, who was selected by the Capitals in the first round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, has been playing for his hometown team Chelyabinsk Traktor of the KHL. LILLE, France -- On the greatest night in its soccer history, Wales swept past the worlds No. 2-ranked team at the European Championship on Friday.Wales stormed back from a rough start to beat Belgium 3-1 in a pulsating quarterfinal won by classy goals from two unheralded forwards.As usual, Gareth Bale was excellent and, of course, all the talk will be of him and Portugals Cristiano Ronaldo before the two teams meet in a semifinal next week.The two most expensive players in soccer history. Real Madrid teammates. Stars on overachieving teams at Euro 2016.Still, unlike Portugal, Wales and Bale have been wonderful and a truly refreshing surprise in reaching a first semifinal at a major tournament.We are so excited to be here. We have never been at this level, said Wales coach Chris Coleman, who took over a team ranked outside the top 100 four years ago. You dream about nights like this. Youre never sure if youre lucky enough to experience it and when youre involved, you cant describe it.After 25 minutes on Friday, the dream seemed far away against a fast-starting Belgium side that was playing almost a home game just 10 kilometers from its border.The ferocity of Belgiums opening goal in the 13th-minute, a rifled shot by midfielder Radja Nainggolan rising into the net from 25 meters, did not bode well.But Wales captain Ashley Williams hauled his team back into the fight in the 30th when he stooped to head in a corner.Then, two forwards from second-tier clubs in England, Hal Robson-Kanu and Sam Vokes settled the game with goals in the 55th and 85th minutes. In Robson-Kanus career-best moment, he deceived three defenders with a `Cruyff turn.The big forward shaped as if to shoot, then suddenly dragged the ball back and swiveled into clear space, freeing him to place a shot past Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.Its instincts, said Robson-Kanu, who is a free agent after letting his contract with English second-tier club Reading expire. That was the best option to create the space and fortunately I am then in on goal. Its a good feeling.Vokes came on as a substitute to meet Chris Gunters cross with a glancing header and spark wild celebrations in the Welsh corner of a stadium packed with Belgium fans among the crowd of nearly 46,000 people.ddddddddddddIt was like playing in Brussels tonight, said Coleman, who also led his side to an upset win over Belgium in their qualifying group last year.As the stadium emptied, Wales players and fans paid tribute to Iceland by copying the celebration ritual of the other feel-good story of an overachieving small nation at Euro 2016.Bale and his teammates raised their arms and clapped slowly, exchanging salutes with thousands of fans that built to a crescendo.By conceding Rainggolans spectacular strike, Wales failed to open the scoring for the first time in five games at Euro 2016.Belgium had its chances, and forward Romelu Lukaku missed badly from close range when his team made fast starts in each half.For the first 20, 25 minutes we dominated Wales, Belgium coach Marc Wilmots said. But then we dropped back and I cant explain why.Belgium had no fewer than four clear opportunities in a hectic seventh minute. Rapid-fire shots from Yannick Carrasco, Thomas Meunier and Eden Hazard were saved, blocked and deflected for a corner. When that was crossed in, Lukaku missed the ball from close range with the goal unguarded.Belgiums early fast breaks stretched the Wales defenders, who collected three yellow cards before momentum shifted in the 26th. After Aaron Ramsey got behind the Belgium back line, Courtois was forced into a diving save from Neil Taylors sharp shot.Soon after Williams scored, he exploited more poor marking to connect for another header that flew too high. A mostly untested Belgian defense, which did not concede a goal in its three previous games, suffered without the injured Jan Vertonghen and Thomas Vermaelen, who was suspended.Belgium is also missing its captain and first-choice central defender Vincent Kompany at the tournament.Suspensions will now take a toll on Wales. The tireless and influential Ramsey plus defender Ben Davies were shown yellow cards Friday and will miss the semifinal.That game against Ronaldos Portugal will be the biggest in Welsh history. Just like the challenge to overcome Belgium. ' ' '