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

Women's Cricket World Cup, Navi Mumbai

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

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

Sri Lanka win by seven runs margin

Sri Lanka claimed four crucial dismissals in the last innings segment to seal a thrilling triumph over their opponents and keep their slim chances of qualifying for the World Cup semi-finals ongoing.

Pursuing a attainable total of 203 on a favorable wicket in Navi Mumbai, the Bangladeshi team wanted nine runs from the last six bowls.

Yet, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu secured three crucial wickets in four deliveries and Nilakshi de Silva ran out Nahida to secure a exciting success for the Lankan team.

The win – Sri Lanka's maiden of the tournament after three unsuccessful matches and two abandoned games against Australia and the Kiwi side – moves them level on four points with the Indian team and the New Zealand side, who meet each other on Thursday.

Bangladesh, however, experienced a fifth consecutive loss since securing victory in their first match against Pakistan and have been removed from contention.

Although the Bangladeshi side got off to the perfect start, with Marufa Akter striking with the first delivery of the encounter to dismiss Gunaratne, they were appropriately penalized for a disappointing fielding display.

They gifted second chances to Hasini Perera, who was spilled on three occasions, and the Lankan captain.

While the Sri Lankan skipper failed to make it count, sent back lbw for 46 one ball after being dropped by Rabeya, Hasini Perera forced the opposition pay.

She scored a first international 50-run score, accumulating 85 from 99 balls and building an crucial 74-run fifth-wicket with Nilakshi de Silva.

The Bangladeshi team, spearheaded by Shorna's impressive bowling figures, pulled themselves back to the game, with De Silva's removal in the 34th innings segment triggering a Lankan batting collapse from 174 for four to 202 complete.

While batting second, the Lankan team's starting bowlers Malki Madara and Prabodhani limited the opposition to 23 for one in a lacklustre opening overs and they were later brought down to 44 with three wickets lost.

Sharmin and Nigar Sultana Joty reconstructed their score, adding 82 for the fourth wicket stand before Sharmin withdrew due to injury for a resolute 64 in the 36th bowling phase.

It was advantage the chasing team approaching the last two overs, with merely 12 additional runs required.

Nevertheless, Dasanayaka dismissed Ritu and conceded just three scoring runs before the captain's chaos, with Rabeya, Nahida Akter, captain Joty and Marufa Akter all dismissed as the Lankan team grabbed the win at the very end.

In the end, it was a match of nerve. The seasoned Athapaththu, who ushered away a handful of fellow players as she set herself to deliver the decisive over, kept hers. Bangladesh did not.

There will be many inquiries about the team's batting display. They might well have been needing 270 to 280 with the Lankan team looking comfortable on 159 with four wickets down in the 30th over, but in contrast the target was much lower.

Nevertheless, the batting side lacked intent from ball one, accumulating runs at below 2.5 runs each over during the initial phase, undergoing a early batting collapse, and eventually making themselves overwhelming to do.

But no matter what issues there are with their batting lineup, if they had seized their catches in the field, that 203-run target objective would have been substantially smaller.

It required them three attempts to terminate the 72-run stand second-wicket, with wicketkeeper Nigar Sultana being unable to hold a tough catch behind the stumps to remove Perera on 23 runs before Athapaththu was spared from a caught and bowled chance chance against Rabeya.

The batter was missed again on her score of 55 and 63 runs, the last attempt flying directly to Jhilik at cover position, before eventually being trapped leg before wicket by Shorna Akter as she attempted to accelerate the scoring with teammates falling near her.

Later in the game, there was also a stumping chance missed and a failed run-out, although the run-out chance was a slightly regrettable, with Jhilik standing in with the gloves after an physical problem to Joty.

Unfortunately for the team, such fielding issues are not at all a isolated incident. They've dropped 14 catches from a available 27 at this tournament and display the poorest catch efficiency (less than 50%) of the eight teams.

They are a team who are typically heading in the correct path – they are participating in merely their second ODI World Cup ultimately – but poor fielding standards is a obvious concern which demands focus.