Sri Lanka overcomes Bangladesh to maintain their tournament hopes breathing

Women's Cricket World Cup, Mumbai

The Lankan team 202 (48.4 overs): Hasini Perera 85 (99); Shorna Akter 3-27

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

Sri Lanka emerge victorious by seven runs margin

The Lankan cricket team claimed four crucial dismissals in the final innings segment to complete a thrilling triumph over Bangladesh and keep their narrow aspirations of making it for the tournament knockout stage ongoing.

Needing a modest score of 203 on a favorable wicket in Navi Mumbai, the Bangladeshi team required nine additional runs from the last six balls.

Yet, Sri Lanka captain Athapaththu claimed three crucial wickets in four deliveries and Nilakshi de Silva ran out Nahida Akter to bring about a exciting win for Sri Lanka.

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

Bangladesh, on the other hand, endured a fifth consecutive loss since winning their initial game against Pakistan and have been eliminated.

Even though the Bangladeshi side got off to the excellent commencement, with Marufa striking with the initial ball of the match to send back Gunaratne, they were deservedly penalized for a poor fielding effort.

They offered second chances to Hasini Perera, who was missed multiple times, and Athapaththu.

Although Athapaththu could not make it count, dismissed leg before wicket for 46 just one delivery after being put down by Rabeya Khan, Perera forced the opposition suffer.

She registered a debut international half-century, making 85 from 99 balls and contributing to an crucial 74-run partnership fifth-wicket collaboration with De Silva.

Bangladesh, spearheaded by Shorna Akter's impressive bowling figures, dragged themselves back to the contest, with De Silva's wicket in the 34th over triggering a Sri Lanka collapse from 174 with four wickets down to 202 all out.

During their chase, the Lankan team's opening bowlers Malki Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani contained the opposition to 23 with one wicket down in a uninspiring opening overs and they were subsequently reduced to 44 with three wickets lost.

Sharmin Akter and Joty reconstructed their innings, contributing an 82-run partnership for the fourth wicket collaboration before the batter left the field injured for a stubborn 64 in the 36th bowling phase.

It was in favor of Bangladesh entering the remaining two bowling phases, with just 12 more runs necessary.

Nevertheless, Dasanayaka sent back Ritu Moni and gave away just three scoring runs before the captain's dramatic spell, with Rabeya, Nahida, captain Joty and Marufa all removed as the Lankan team grabbed the triumph at the very end.

In the end, it was a game of nerve. The seasoned Lankan captain, who directed away a handful of teammates as she got ready to deliver the last over, kept hers. The opposition failed to.

There will be numerous doubts about Bangladesh's batting effort. They might well have been chasing around 270-280 with Sri Lanka looking at ease on 159 for four in the 30th over, but instead the chase was considerably smaller.

Nevertheless, Bangladesh lacked intent from the start, making runs at below 2.5 scoring rate during the opening overs, suffering a early batting collapse, and eventually making themselves excessive to do.

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

It took them three attempts to terminate the 72-run second-wicket, with wicketkeeper Nigar Sultana not managing to hold a tough opportunity while keeping to dismiss Hasini Perera on her score of 23 before the captain was spared from a return catch chance against Rabeya Khan.

The batter was missed once more on her score of 55 and her score of 63, the final opportunity flying directly to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover, before eventually being dismissed lbw by Shorna as she tried to up the ante with teammates being dismissed near her.

Subsequently in the innings, there was furthermore a stumping chance missed and a run-out opportunity lost, even though the latter was a somewhat regrettable, with Rubya Haider standing in with the wicketkeeping gloves due to an fitness issue to the regular keeper.

Unfortunately for the team, such fielding woes are nowhere near a single occurrence. They've dropped 14 opportunities from a potential 27 at this tournament and have the worst fielding effectiveness (48.1 percent) of the eight teams.

They are a team who are typically heading in the correct path – they are playing in only their second 50-over World Cup in the end – but poor fielding is a glaring concern which needs attention.