Sri Lanka defeats Bangladesh to preserve their World Cup tournament hopes ongoing

Women's Cricket World Cup, Navi Mumbai

Sri Lanka 202 (48.4 overs): Hasini Perera 85 (99); Shorna Akter 3-27

Bangladesh 195-9 (50 overs): Joty 77 (98); Chamari Athapaththu 4-42

The Lankan side emerge victorious by seven runs margin

The Lankan cricket team took four crucial dismissals in the decisive innings segment to complete a heart-stopping win over Bangladesh and maintain their narrow chances of qualifying for the World Cup semi-finals ongoing.

Needing a below-par score of 203 on a batting-friendly pitch in Navi Mumbai, Bangladesh required nine runs from the remaining six bowls.

However, Lankan skipper Athapaththu claimed three wickets in four deliveries and Nilakshi de Silva dismissed via run-out Nahida to secure a exciting win for Sri Lanka.

The win – Sri Lanka's initial of the World Cup after three losses and two abandoned games against Australia and the Kiwi side – moves them tied on four match points with the Indian team and the New Zealand side, who confront each other on the coming Thursday.

Bangladesh, however, suffered a fifth consecutive setback since winning their first match against Pakistan and have been eliminated.

Even though Bangladesh made the ideal beginning, with Marufa taking a wicket with the initial ball of the encounter to dismiss Vishmi Gunaratne, they were deservedly made to pay for a subpar fielding effort.

They offered second chances to Perera, who was spilled on three occasions, and Athapaththu.

Although Athapaththu was unable to make it count, dismissed lbw for 46 one ball after being missed by Rabeya Khan, Perera made the opposition regret it.

She scored a maiden international half-century, scoring 85 from 99 bowls and building an crucial 74-run stand fifth-wicket with De Silva.

Bangladesh, led by Shorna's three wickets for 27 runs, dragged themselves back to the game, with De Silva's dismissal in the 34th over triggering a Sri Lanka batting collapse from 174-4 to 202 all out.

In reply, the Lankan team's opening bowlers Malki Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani limited Bangladesh to 23-1 in a lacklustre powerplay and they were subsequently diminished to 44 for three.

Sharmin Akter and Joty restored their score, contributing an 82-run partnership for the fourth wicket before the batter left the field injured for a stubborn 64 in the 36th over.

It was leaning toward Bangladesh entering the remaining two bowling phases, with only 12 runs necessary.

Nevertheless, Dasanayaka removed Ritu and gave away just three runs before the captain's dramatic spell, with Rabeya Khan, Nahida, captain Joty and Marufa Akter all dismissed as the Lankan team snatched the victory at the final moment.

In the end, it was a contest of nerve. The seasoned Lankan captain, who directed away a handful of fellow players as she prepared to deliver the decisive over, kept hers. The opposition could not.

There will be many doubts about the team's batting display. They possibly have been chasing 270 to 280 with Sri Lanka appearing settled on 159-4 in the 30th over, but instead the required total was considerably smaller.

Yet, the batting side showed little intent from ball one, making runs at under 2.5 runs each over during the opening overs, undergoing a top-order collapse, and eventually forcing themselves overwhelming to achieve.

But no matter what problems there are with their batting approach, if they had seized their chances in the field, that 203-run target would have been significantly smaller.

It required them three attempts to break the 72-run stand second-wicket association, with wicketkeeper Nigar Sultana being unable to grab a tough opportunity while keeping to remove Hasini Perera on her score of 23 before Athapaththu survived from a return catch opportunity against Rabeya Khan.

The batter was missed further on 55 and 63 runs, the last attempt traveling right to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover, before ultimately being dismissed leg before wicket by Shorna Akter as she attempted to increase the tempo with batting partners falling beside her.

Afterwards in the innings, there was also a missed stumping and a run-out opportunity lost, while the run-out chance was a little unfortunate, with Rubya Haider deputising with the gloves due to an physical problem to the regular keeper.

Sadly for the team, such fielding woes are far from a one-off. They've missed 14 chances from a potential 27 opportunities at this tournament and have the poorest catching success rate (less than 50%) of the competing sides.

They are a squad who are generally moving in the right direction – they are participating in merely their second 50-over World Cup after all – but inadequate fielding standards is a prominent problem which needs focus.