07/06/26 07:04:00
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07/06 19:00 CDT Greaves bats West Indies back into 2nd test against Sri Lanka
on day 4
Greaves bats West Indies back into 2nd test against Sri Lanka on day 4
NORTH SOUND, Antingua (AP) --- Justin Greaves' dogged innings of 180 from 325
balls against Sri Lanka on Monday played West Indies into a strong position to
claim its first test cricket series victory in four years.
Greaves was the last batter out when West Indies was dismissed for 499 on Day 4
of the second cricket test in reply to Sri Lanka's first innings of 549-9,
reducing the deficit to only 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 its overall
lead to 142 with a day remaining.
Dinesh Chandimal was 40 and Kamindu Mendis was 30 not out in a partnership
worth 60 runs 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
itself 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 its 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 favor 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-pitch 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.
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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
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