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.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

FILE - West Indies' Justin Greaves celebrates after scoring fifty runs on the fourth day of the second cricket test match between India and West Indies at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, India, Oct. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup, File)

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Spain broke a World Cup record with its sixth consecutive clean sheet and goalkeeper Unai Simón extended his record for the tournament's longest scoreless streak to 609 minutes in Monday's 1-0 win over Portugal.

Spain broke a tie with Italy (1990) and Switzerland (2006-10) for the most consecutive World Cup matches without allowing a goal. Spain’s streak began with a 0-0 draw in the round of 16 in 2022, when Morocco advanced after a penalty shootout.

There was also a surprising scoreless draw against Cape Verde to open group play in this tournament, followed by four consecutive shutout victories to advance to the quarterfinals.

Simón surpassed the previous record of 517 consecutive scoreless minutes during a 3-0 blanking of Austria to open the knockout round Thursday. Famed Italy goalkeeper Walter Zenga set the standard in 1990 with five consecutive clean sheets in his home World Cup.

Simón's shutout streak started in 2022 in Qatar when he entered a 2-1 loss to Japan in a group play finale.

He came into the Portugal game having made only four saves in this World Cup — Austria had no shots on target — and on Monday at the home of the Dallas Cowboys, Simón had to make two saves in the first half against Portugal, both on shots by Cristiano Ronaldo.

The second of those saves was an impressive diving stop, when he was still in midair after reaching back to grab the ball with both hands. Ronaldo took that shot after teammate João Félix's header went off the shoulder of the 29-year-old Athletic Bilbao keeper, who didn't face a shot on target after halftime.

Simón hasn't surrendered a goal in international play since a 2-2 draw with Turkey in a World Cup qualifier last November.

“This record is the result of all of his teammates as well,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said in translated remarks. “Their solidarity, their generosity, their effort, their sacrifice. Everybody runs for one another.”

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

Spain's Unai Simón, left, grabs the ball past Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Portugal and Spain in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Sam Hodde)

Spain's Unai Simón (23) blocks a shot by Portugal as Aymeric Laporte (14) looks on during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Portugal and Spain in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Sam Hodde)

Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon (23) saves the ball during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Portugal and Spain in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Jessica Tobias)