ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC):
Unbeaten half-centuries from Shai Hope and Justin Greaves enabled the West Indies to claw their way back into the second Test against Sri Lanka after spending the first two days on the back foot.
With the Windies in serious trouble at 144 for four, Hope and Greaves combined in an unbroken partnership of 174 runs for the fifth wicket to guide the hosts to 318 for four at the close of play on the third day at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.
The West Indies still trail Sri Lanka’s imposing first-innings total by 229 runs, but more importantly, they are now within touching distance of avoiding the follow-on heading into Monday’s penultimate day.
Resuming on 58 for one, John Campbell and Kavem Hodge continued where they had left off the previous day, with Campbell impressing through his positive stroke play.
He pulled pacer Asitha Fernando over deep midwicket for six before following up with a boundary off the very next ball to move into the 40s.
Campbell then reached his fourth Test half-century in scintillating fashion, pulling Milan Rathnayake in front of square for another boundary two overs later.
The pair looked set to carry the Windies safely to lunch before Campbell threw away his wicket, attempting to hook a bouncer from Asitha Fernando out of the ground. Instead, he found the fielder at deep midwicket and was dismissed for 72 from 154 balls, leaving the score at 122 for two.
Sri Lanka struck again immediately after the interval when Prabath Jayasuriya had Amir Jangoo caught at short leg for just nine. Nine runs later, Jayasuriya also ended Hodge’s painstaking innings of 31 from 139 deliveries, having him caught behind to reduce the West Indies to 144 for four.
Still requiring another 206 runs to avoid the follow-on, the home side were rescued by the determined partnership between Hope and Greaves.
The stand almost ended as soon as it began when Greaves set off for a quick single after driving Jayasuriya to mid-on. However, the return throw narrowly missed the stumps, with the batter well short of his ground.
Hope, who missed the opening Test because of a shoulder injury, looked in excellent touch from the outset, with none of Sri Lanka’s bowlers able to trouble him on a placid batting surface.
The pair guided the score to 219 for four at tea, with Hope unbeaten on 38 and Greaves on 36.
Hope brought up his seventh Test half-century shortly after the resumption by clipping Isitha Wijesundara through the leg side for a couple of runs. Greaves soon followed, reaching his second Test fifty with a single off Fernando.
Hope did survive one anxious moment when he inside-edged a delivery from Wijesundara behind, but the wicketkeeper was unable to hold on to the difficult chance.
From there, it was smooth sailing for the pair, who finished the day within sight of centuries after posting the West Indies’ highest fifth-wicket partnership against Sri Lanka in Test cricket.
Hope is unbeaten on 86 from 173 balls, with nine fours, while Greaves has compiled an unbeaten 85 from 162 deliveries, including 10 boundaries.
For Sri Lanka, Asitha Fernando (2-74) and Prabath Jayasuriya (2-77) have claimed two wickets apiece.