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A32 sports
Diamars 29 December 2020

Barcelona: Messi will miss Eibar game due to ankle injury

(AP) — Soccer great Lio- match.” their clubs.
nel Messi will miss Bar-
celona's Spanish league Messi is reportedly in Ar- As of Jan. 1, Messi can nego-
game against Eibar on gentina taking a short winter tiate with other clubs as his
Tuesday while he recovers break after Barcelona gave its contract with Barcelona is set
from an unspecified ankle players some time off follow- to expire in June.
injury. ing their last game on Dec. 22
against Valladolid. After Eibar, Barcelona's next
In a statement Sunday, fifth- league match is at Huesca on
place Barcelona said “first Messi played the entire 90 Jan. 3.
team player, Lionel Messi, is minutes of the 3-0 win over
completing the treatment for Valladolid and scored his Messi made his debut for
his right ankle, and is expect- 644th career goal for Barce- Barcelona in 2004.
ed to return to training after lona to overtake Pelé’s all-
the FC Barcelona v SD Eibar time scoring milestone for

Baseball Hall of Famer, knuckleballer Phil Niekro dies at 81

(AP) — Baseball Hall of Famer didn't even know where it was go- Truist Park, the Braves' stadium. swept in three games by New York's
Phil Niekro, who pitched well ing — he was a five-time All-Star Amazin' Mets.
into his 40s with a knuckleball who had three 20-win seasons with Niekro didn't make it to the big
that baffled big league hitters for Atlanta. leagues until 1964, when he pitched Niekro also led the league in losses
more than two decades, mostly 10 games in relief for the then-Mil- four straight seasons, losing 20 games
with the Atlanta Braves, has died Niekro also pitched for the New York waukee Braves. He made only one in both 1977 and '79.
after a long fight with cancer, the Yankees, Cleveland Indians and To- start over his first three years in the
team announced Sunday. He was ronto Blue Jays late in his career. big leagues but finally blossomed as a He finished with a career record of
81. starter in 1967 — the Braves' second 318-274 an a 3.35 ERA. Niekro was
“We are heartbroken on the passing year in Atlanta — when he went 11-9 inducted into the Baseball Hall of
The Braves said Niekro died Satur- of our treasured friend,” the Braves and led the National League with a Fame in 1997.
day night in his sleep. He lived in the said in a statement. “Knucksie was 1.87 ERA.
Atlanta suburb of Flowery Branch, woven into the Braves fabric, first His younger brother, Joe, also had a
where a main thoroughfare bears his in Milwaukee and then in Atlanta. With a fluttering knuckleball that re- long baseball career with an arsenal
name. Phil baffled batters on the field and quired catchers to wear an oversized that included the knuckleball. He
later was always the first to join in our mitt, Niekro went 23-13 as the Braves won 221 games over 22 years in the
Niekro won 318 games over his 24- community activities. It was during won the first NL West title in 1969. big leagues, making the Niekros base-
year career, which ended in 1987 at those community and fan activities ball's winningest set of siblings, with
age 48 after he made one final start where he would communicate with He also had 20-win seasons in 1974 a total of 539 victories, just ahead of
with the Braves. fans as if they were long lost friends.” and 1979, despite pitching for a team Gaylord and Jim Perry.
that fell on hard times after its appear-
Known for a pitch that befuddled A statue of Niekro delivering his ance in the inaugural NL Champion- Joe Niekro died in 2006 at age 61.
hitters and catchers — heck, Niekro trademark pitch is located outside of ship Series, where the Braves were

South Africa bats its way back into 1st test vs. Sri Lanka

(AP) - af du Plessis played a rapid rate of four runs or But Sri Lanka, missing two “It was a rewarding day for all
a crucial role in his first more an over. bowlers to injury, produced of us today,” Elgar said. “I re- Fast bowler Kasun Rajitha
test since giving up the a burst of three wickets for ally thought we changed the pulled up having bowled just
captaincy to put South Replying to Sri Lanka's first- 20 runs after tea to shake the momentum today and we 13 deliveries in South Africa's
Africa back on track in innings 396 — its best total in South Africans. had the momentum back in first innings, and hobbled off
response to a challenging a test in South Africa — the our dressing room." the field with what appeared
first-innings total from Sri Proteas had fought their way Bustling fast bowler Lahiru to be a groin problem.
Lanka in the series opener to just 79 runs behind. Kumara had Rassie van der Resuming on 340-6, Sri Lan-
on Sunday. Dussen caught behind, Da- ka's 396 was built on 85 from That followed on from all-
South Africa made a whirl- sun Shanaka reacted with Dinesh Chandimal and 79 rounder de Silva being forced
Du Plessis' 55 not out guided wind start with a 141-run a sharp caught and bowled from Dhananjaya de Silva on to retire hurt while batting
South Africa out of trouble opening stand between to deny Elgar a century, and Day 1. Allrounder Shanaka on Saturday with a left thigh
and to 317-4 at stumps on Dean Elgar (95) and Aiden legspinner Wanindu Hasa- added a forceful 66 not out injury. He was out for two
Day 2 of a fast-moving first Markram (68), and was 200- ranga collected a memorable from No. 7, hammering five weeks, the Sri Lanka team
test at SuperSport Park, 1 at one stage. first test wicket on his debut sixes in his first test half- said, meaning he won't be
where both teams scored at when he beat new South Af- century and making sure Sri able to take part in the rest
rica captain Quinton de Kock Lanka's hard work with the of this test unless Sri Lanka
(18) with a googly to have bat on the first day wasn't faces a desperate batting situ-
him caught at slip. wasted on the second. ation and he's needed. But
Sri Lanka won't be able to call
Du Plessis was calm to reach He propelled his team to the on his useful off-spin bowl-
a 22nd test half-century and brink of 400 with some big ing, putting the tourists two
was supported by Temba Ba- blows on the second morn- bowlers down.
vuma (41 not out) in an un- ing before Sri Lanka was all
broken 97-run stand. That out before lunch. “It's a bit hard but it’s test
left the South Africans upbeat cricket,” Shanaka said.
despite still trailing, and after But Sri Lanka, after that
Sri Lanka was clearly on top highly promising batting per- Sri Lanka retained hopes of
for the first day-and-a-half in formance, had unforeseen early wickets on the third day,
Centurion. problems with its bowling Shanaka said, with the new
attack. ball just eight overs away.