NORTH SOUND, Antigua (AP):
Justin Greaves’ dogged innings of 180 from 325 balls against Sri Lanka yesterday played West Indies into a strong position to claim their first Test cricket series victory in four years.
Greaves was the last batter out when West Indies were dismissed for 499 on Day Four of the second Test in reply to Sri Lanka’s first innings of 549-9, reducing the deficit to just 50 runs.
Sri Lanka lost first-innings century-maker Lahiru Udara to a four-ball duck and Nishan Fernando for 20 before reaching 92-2 at stumps, increasing their overall lead to 142 with a day remaining.
Dinesh Chandimal was 40 and Kamindu Mendis was 30 not out in a partnership worth 60 by close of play.
Sri Lanka scored at more than four runs an over through the last 22 overs of the day and would have to continue at that rate to have any chance of playing themselves into a winning position. It can only do so only by putting up a defendable total and then bowling out West Indies on a pitch which might deteriorate late on the final day.
West Indies won the opening match in the two-Test series by an innings and 217 runs and needs only a draw to claim their first series win in the World Test Championship since beating Bangladesh in the Caribbean in 2022.
On a pitch on which only 21 wickets fell on the first four days and 1,140 runs were scored, the odds are in favour of the home team.
Greaves achieved his third Test century and second-highest score in a fifth-wicket partnership of 242 with Shai Hope, who made 112. The stand was reminiscent of the 196 the pair put on against New Zealand in December when Hope made 140 and Greaves 202 not out to claim a draw.
Their latest partnership guided West Indies from 144-4 to 386-5 and toward a position from which a draw could be secured. Greaves then did his best to marshal the lower order, enabling West Indies to add 113 for the last five wickets.
The Sri Lanka bowlers kept up pressure throughout the day, making good use of short-pitched bowling to limit the scoring. Asitha Fernando took 5-130 from 40 overs, his third five-wicket haul in Tests, and Prabath Jayasuriya returned 3-131.
Hope was out stumped in bizarre fashion close to lunch. He tried to pad away left-arm spinner Sonal Dinusha’s length ball down the leg side but missed and in the process came out of his crease. Wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis couldn’t collect the ball cleanly but it ricocheted onto the stumps from his gloves.
Hope hit 10 boundaries and dominated not only the pacers but also Jayasuriya by using his feet well against the spinner.
The West Indies had resumed Monday on 318-4 and Hope should have been out without adding to his overnight score of 86 when he edged Milan Rathnayake’s second ball down the leg side. However, Sri Lanka didn’t review the on-field umpire’s not out decision.
Hope missed the first Test due to a shoulder injury in training but returned and compiled his hundred – his third in his last five Tests – off 199 balls.
Greaves, who resumed Monday on 85, raised his second Test hundred in Antigua off 201 balls with a quick single.
