Sri Lanka beats Bangladesh to keep their tournament hopes alive

Women's Cricket World Cup, Mumbai

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

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

Sri Lanka emerge victorious by seven runs margin

Sri Lanka took four crucial dismissals in the decisive innings segment to complete a thrilling win over their opponents and maintain their slim aspirations of qualifying for the World Cup semi-finals alive.

Chasing a below-par target of 203 on a good batting surface in the Mumbai stadium, the Bangladeshi team required nine more runs from the remaining six bowls.

However, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu secured three important dismissals in four deliveries and de Silva ran out Nahida Akter to secure a exciting victory for Sri Lanka.

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

The Bangladeshi team, on the other hand, endured a fifth consecutive defeat since winning their initial game against Pakistan and have been removed from contention.

Although Bangladesh made the excellent commencement, with Marufa taking a wicket with the initial ball of the match to dismiss Gunaratne, they were deservedly penalized for a disappointing fielding display.

They gifted lifelines to Perera, who was dropped multiple times, and Athapaththu.

While the Sri Lankan skipper was unable to take advantage, removed lbw for 46 a single bowl after being missed by Rabeya, Hasini Perera made the opposition regret it.

She achieved a maiden international 50-run score, making 85 from 99 bowls and building an significant 74-run fifth-wicket association with De Silva.

Bangladesh, led by Shorna Akter's three wickets for 27 runs, dragged themselves back into the game, with Nilakshi's removal in the 34th bowling segment initiating a Sri Lanka batting collapse from 174 with four wickets down to 202 complete.

In reply, the Lankan team's initial pace attack Malki Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani contained Bangladesh to 23 for one in a uninspiring opening overs and they were subsequently brought down to 44-3.

Sharmin and Joty restored their score, adding an 82-run partnership for the fourth wicket stand before Sharmin retired hurt for a resolute 64 in the 36th over.

It was leaning toward the chasing team heading into the final two bowling phases, with merely 12 additional runs necessary.

However, Sugandika Dasanayaka sent back Ritu and conceded merely three runs before the captain's decisive intervention, with Rabeya Khan, Nahida, captain Joty and Marufa Akter all removed as Sri Lanka snatched the win at the final moment.

In the end, it was a match of composure. The seasoned Lankan captain, who directed away a handful of teammates as she got ready to bowl the final over, held hers. The opposition could not.

There will be numerous questions about Bangladesh's batting performance. They could easily have been pursuing 270 or 280 with Sri Lanka appearing at ease on 159-4 in the 30th over, but instead the chase was much lower.

Nevertheless, Bangladesh showed little purpose from ball one, accumulating runs at below 2.5 runs each over during the opening overs, undergoing a top-order collapse, and eventually making themselves too much to achieve.

But no matter what problems there are with their batting, if they had taken their catches in the fielding department, that 203 total target would have been significantly less.

It needed them three attempts to end the 72-run second-wicket collaboration, with wicketkeeper Nigar Sultana failing to hold a challenging chance behind the stumps to send back Perera on 23 runs before Athapaththu survived from a return catch opportunity against Rabeya Khan.

The batter was dropped further on 55 and 63, the latter chance going right to Jhilik at cover, before ultimately being trapped leg before wicket by Shorna as she attempted to increase the tempo with batting partners getting out beside her.

Later in the innings, there was additionally a failed stumping and a run-out opportunity lost, even though the latter was a slightly regrettable, with Rubya Haider deputising with the wicketkeeping gloves following an physical problem to Joty.

Sadly for the team, such fielding issues are far from a one-off. They've failed to catch 14 catches from a possible 27 at this World Cup and have the lowest catch efficiency (48.1 percent) of the eight teams.

They are a side who are generally heading in the proper way – they are participating in merely their second one-day World Cup ultimately – but inadequate fielding is a glaring problem which demands attention.