ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) — Justin Greaves defied Sri Lanka’s bowling attack for over eight hours to leave the second Test likely to end in a draw heading into Tuesday’s final day.

Greaves’ knock of 180 off 325 balls sucked the life out of any hopes Sri Lanka had of pushing for victory on Monday’s penultimate day, as the West Indies were dismissed for a creditable 499 in 165.5 overs at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, giving their opponents a 50-run first innings lead.

West Indies then struck back in the final session by grabbing two wickets to reduce the visitors to 92 for two – an overall lead of 142 runs.

The home side commenced the day in a strong position of 318 for four, with Shai Hope on 86 and Greaves on 85.

Greaves overtook his partner when he drove pacer Asitha Fernando exquisitely through cover for four, but Hope responded with a boundary off Milan Rathnayake to move to 98.

Moments later, Hope finally scored his first Test century in the Caribbean and fifth overall by driving Rathnayake through cover for a single to see the Windies progress to 349 for four.

A single off the first ball of the next over by Hope ensured the West Indies avoided the follow-on and after being stuck on 99 for some time, Greaves brought up the next milestone by reaching just his third Test hundred — and second at the venue — with a quick single to mid-on.

The pair then chose to work the ball around the ground for singles and twos with the lunch time break fast approaching.

But just minutes away from that interval with the score 386 for four, Hope was stumped in peculiar fashion. Left-arm spinner Sonal Dinusha’s delivery down the leg side was missed by Hope as he tried to pad it away, but the ball hit wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis’ glove and ricocheted onto the stumps with the batter out of his crease to dismiss him for 112.

Shamar Joseph (left) of West Indies appeals for lbw against Sri Lanka’s Lahiru Udara during the fourth day of the second Test between Sri Lanka and West Indies at Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium in North Sound, Antigua and Barbuda, on July 6, 2026. (Photo: AFP)

He faced 243 balls and spent just over six hours at the crease.

With captain Roston Chase joining Greaves, the Windies went to lunch comfortably placed at 406 for five.

The duo put on 52 for the sixth wicket, but after being struck a couple times with short deliveries Chase was eventually undone by another short ball from Fernando, which he could only edge behind to the keeper to be caught for 23.

Fernando then dismissed Anderson Phillip for a duck and Rathnayake had Alzarri Joseph caught at fine leg for 13 to leave the Windies 465 for eight.

Greaves added 34 crucial runs with tailenders Shamar Joseph and Jayden Seales, before he was the last man out to bring his eight-and-a-half-hours innings, in which he struck 14 fours and two sixes, to an end.

Fernando was the pick of Sri Lanka’s bowlers with 5-130, while Jayasuriya took 3-131.

Sri Lanka needed quick runs in their second innings, but instead found themselves in early trouble when Shamar Joseph trapped Lahiru Udara lbw with just two runs on the board.

Things got worse when Nishan Fernando could only parry a short delivery from Alzarri Joseph to slip where John Campbell took a spectacular catch at full stretch to see them slip to 32 for two.

However, Dinesh Chandimal who ended the day unbeaten on 40, and Kamindu Mendis who is on 30 not out, shared a 62-run partnership while scoring at over five runs an over to see them through to the close of play.

SCOREBOARD

SRI LANKA 1st innings 549-9 dec’d

WEST INDIES 1st innings

(overnight 318 for four)

John Campbell c Chandimal b Fernando 72

Brandon King c Mendis b Fernando 17

Kavem Hodge c +Mendis b Jayasuriya 31

Amir Jangoo c Fernando b Jayasuriya 9

+Shai Hope st +Mendis b Dinusha 112

Justin Greaves c Fernando b Jayasuriya 180

*Roston Chase c +Mendis b Fernando 23

Anderson Phillip c +Mendis b Fernando 0

Alzarri Joseph c Igalagamage b Rathnayake 13

Shamar Joseph c K Mendis b Fernando 5

Jayden Seales not out 2

Extras (b19, lb5, nb4, w7) 35

TOTAL (all out; 165.5 overs) 499

Fall of wickets: 1-33, 2-122, 3-135, 4-144, 5-386, 6-438, 7-441, 8-465,

9-478, 10-499.

Bowling: Fernando 40-7-130-5, Wijesundara 29-2-108-0,

Rathnayaka 31-5-74-1, Jayasuriya 55.5-8-131-3, De Silva 2-1-3-0,

Dinusha 8-0-29-1

SRI LANKA 2nd innings

Nishan Fernando c Campbell b A Joseph 20

Lahiru Udara lbw b S Joseph 0

Dinesh Chandimal not out 40

Kamindu Mendis not out 30

Extras (lb1, nb1) 2

TOTAL (two wickets; 22 overs) 92

Yet to bat: *Dhananjaya de Silva, +Kusal Mendis, Sonal Dinusha,

Prabath Jayasuriya, Milan Rathnayake, Isitha Wijesundara,

Asitha Fernando.

Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-32.

Bowling: Seales 7-0-26-0, S Joseph 7-1-27-1, A Joseph 4-0-17-1,

Phillip 4-1-21-0.

Position: Sri Lanka lead West Indies by 142 runs with eight wickets

remaining.

Umpires: Ahsan Raza, Paul Reiffel.

TV: Umpire: Sharfuddoulla.

Reserve Umpire: Deighton Butler.

Match Referee: Javagal Srinath.