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SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 SPORTS Messi penalty propels Barcelona to the top MADRID: Barcelona rounded off a fine week chance as just two minutes later he fired to move top of La Liga as they overcame stiff over with just Pinto to beat from Sergio resistance from local rivals Espanyol to win Garcia’s inviting cross. 1-0 thanks to a penalty from Lionel Messi. Javier Mascherano was lucky not to con- The Argentine scored the only goal of the cede a penalty as he appeared to catch Javi game 14 minutes from time at Cornella El Lopez with a stray arm as the Espanyol full- Prat after Javi Lopez was adjudged to have back broke into the box. handled inside the area. Neymar came close to breaking the Espanyol were then reduced to 10 men deadlock once more before the break as he when goalkeeper Kiko Casilla saw a straight prodded Jordi Alba’s through ball beyond red card for blocking Messi’s goalbound Casilla but the ball rolled passed the far effort with his hands outside the area. post. Victory moves Barca two points clear of There was far less in the way of goal- Atletico Madrid and five ahead of Real mouth action in the second-half, but Barca Madrid with both sides from the capital in upped the pressure as Espanyol started to action later on Saturday against Athletic tire in the final 20 minutes and Gerard Pique Bilbao and Rayo Vallecano respectively. struck the crossbar from Sergio Busquets’ Knowing his side would be in for a difficult flick-on. afternoon, Barca boss Gerardo Martino Moments later Martino’s men did get the named almost his strongest side despite all-important goal as Lopez handled whilst Tuesday’s upcoming Champions League contesting a cross with Neymar at the far quarter-final clash with Atletico. Andres post and this time referee Clos Gomez did Iniesta was left on the bench after having to point to the spot. come off during Wednesday’s 3-0 won over Messi stepped up and, just as in scoring Celta Vigo with a slight muscular problem, twice from the spot in Barca’s 4-3 win over whilst Jose Manuel Pinto replaced the Real Madrid last weekend, showed no sign injured Victor Valdes in goal. of nerves as he calmly slotted home his The visitors started brightly and would 36th goal of the season. have been in front had their star forwards Espanyol finished the game with 10 men CHITTAGONG: England wicketkeeper Jos Buttler (left) watches as South Africa batsman AB de Villiers plays a shot during the ICC been at their best as both Neymar and Messi as Casilla then saw red for handling outside World Twenty20 tournament cricket match. —AFP wasted good headed chances when well the area as he blocked a lob from Messi that placed inside the area. appeared to heading goalwards. Lopez Neymar then missed a glorious opportu- ended an eventful afternoon by going in nity on 19 minutes when he blazed Dani goal as the hosts had already made all three SA knock out England Alves’ cross over from point-blank range substitutions and made a fine save in stop- with an open goal to aim at. page time to prevent Alexis Sanchez dou- CHITTAGONG: South Africa produced another clinical per- Pizzi was next to pass up a wonderful bling Barca’s lead. —AFP formance to beat England by three runs in Chittagong to advance to the World Twenty20 semi-finals yesterday. AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla hit half-centuries to anchor South Africa’s highest total of the tournament of 196- 5 before Wayne Parnell took 3-31 to keep England down to 193-7 at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury stadium. South Africa are the second team to qualify for the semis after 2007 champions India cruised to the last four from Group Two. The defeat-second in three Group One Super-10 matches- sent 2010 champions England out of the semi-final race. Sri Lanka meet New Zealand in their last Group One match on Monday and the winners will join South Africa in the last four. Pakistan meet Bangladesh in a Group Two match in Dhaka on Sunday and if the 2009 champions beat the hosts their last match against title holders the West Indies will decide the last semi-final berth. England, who chased down a 190-run target against Sri Lanka on Thursday, failed to match that performance with Alex Hales (38), Jos Buttler (34) and Ravi Bopara (31) unable to benefit from good starts. Parnell, who was released from the squad for two days to attend a court hearing relating to SCOREBOARD drug charges in the 2012 Indian Premier League in Mumbai on Friday, dismissed Michael Lumb (18), Hales and Moeen Ali CORNELLA: Barcelona’s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi (center) vies with CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh: Scoreboard of the World Twenty20 Super-10 Group one match (10) to jolt England after they were off to a 46-run start by the Espanyol’s Mexican defender Hector Alfredo Moreno (left) and Espanyol’s between South Africa and England played at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury stadium yesterday. fifth over. Uruguayan forward Christian Stuani (right) during the Spanish League football Hales hit six boundaries and a six off 22 balls but once he match. —AFP South Africa England departed the target continued to climb on England with 45 Hashim Amla c Hales b Broad 56 M. Lumb c Miller b Parnell 18 needed off the last three overs and 22 off Dale Steyn’s final Q. de Kock st Buttler b Tredwell 29 A. Hales c Miller b Parnell 38 over. Moeen Ali c de Kock b Parnell 10 Bayern held by Hoffenheim AB de Villiers not out 69 South Africa’s total was built around a swashbuckling 28- E. Morgan c de Kock b Tahir 14 ball 69 not out by De Villiers and a 37-ball 56 by Amla. De JP Duminy run out 5 BERLIN: Champions Bayern Munich drew Bosnia midfielder Sejad Salihovic curled in J. Buttler c Morkel b Tahir 34 Villiers was ruthless in the final overs, taking 26 off Jade only their third Bundesliga match of the sea- a 44th-minute free-kick to make it 3-2 at the D. Miller c Ali b Jordan 19 R. Bopara c Miller b Steyn 31 Dernbach’s 18th over and reached his fifty with a towering six son yesterday when they were held 3-3 at break. Hoffenheim grabbed the crucial A. Morkel b Bresnan 3 C. Jordan c de Villiers b Hendricks 16 off just 23 balls. home to Hoffenheim. equaliser on 75 minutes when Brazilian left- Extras: (b4, lb2, nb1, w8) 15 T. Bresnan not out 17 In all he hit nine boundaries and three sixes to help South Bayern were confirmed German league wing Roberto Firmino darted onto a through S. Broad not out 1 Total: (for five wkts; 20 overs) 196 Africa during an innings stopped twice for floodlight failure. winners for the 24th time with a record seven ball and his shot beat both Bayern centre- Extras: (lb4, nb1, w9) 14 Did not bat: Farhan Behardien, W. Parnell, D. South Africa smashed 75 in the last five overs. Amla and games to spare after Tuesday’s 3-1 win at back Dante and goalkeeper Tom Starke. Total: (for seven wkts; 20 overs) 193 Quinton de Kock (29) helped South Africa to 90 without loss Hertha Berlin and after partying through the Despite the draw, Bayern still remain 22 Steyn, B. Hendricks, Imran Tahir. Did not bat: J. Tredwell, J. Dernbach. in the 11th over with the former in a punishing mood. night in the capital, they suffered a slight points clear in the table and extended their Fall of wickets: 1-90 (Amla), 2-98 (de Kock), 3- Fall of wickets: 1-46 (Lumb), 2-73 (Hales), 3-73 The bearded Amla hit six boundaries and two sixes before hangover in Munich. record unbeaten Bundesliga run to 53 match- 120 (Duminy), 4-174 (Miller), 5-196 (Morkel). (Ali), 4-105 (Morgan), 5-131 (Buttler), 6-167 he was caught at deep mid-wicket off Stuart Broad. South Hoffenheim ended Bayern’s record run of es. Bowling: Ali 2-0-17-0 (1w), Dernbach 3-0-44- (Jordan), 7-175 (Bopara) Africa made two changes from the line-up which beat the 19 consecutive Bundesliga wins before Germany winger Marco Reus netted a hat- Bowling: Duminy 2-0-18-0 (1w), Morkel 2-0- 0 (1nb, 3w), Bresnan 3-0-28-1, Netherlands in their last game, with Farhan Behardien and Munich head to England for Tuesday’s trick as Borussia Dortmund fought back from 19-0 (1nb, 1w), Hendricks 4-0-50-1 (2w), Steyn Parnell in for regular skipper Faf Du Plessis-suspended for Champions League quarter-final at 2-0 down to win 3-2 at ten-man VfB Stuttgart. Jordan 3-0-30-1 (3w), Tredwell 3-0-25-1, 4-0-44-1, Parnell 4-0-31-3 (3w), Tahir 4-0-27-2. one match due to a slow over-rate-and Lonwabo Tsotsobe. Manchester United. Dortmund face Real Madrid away on Broad 4-0-33-1, Bopara 2-0-13-0 (1w) Result: South Africa won by three runs. New Zealand sent the Netherlands out of the tournament Bayern midfielder Thiago Alcantara will Wednesday in the Champions League quar- with a clinical six-wicket win earlier in the day. —AFP miss the Manchester match with a knee ter-finals and some woeful defending left injury after limping off after only 25 minutes them 2-0 down after just 20 minutes.