Sri Lanka overcomes Bangladesh to preserve their World Cup campaign ongoing

Women's Cricket World Cup, Navi Mumbai

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

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

The Lankan side emerge victorious by seven runs margin

The Lankan cricket team took four crucial dismissals in the final over to complete a heart-stopping triumph over their opponents and maintain their narrow hopes of making it for the World Cup semi-finals ongoing.

Pursuing a attainable score of 203 on a good batting surface in the Mumbai stadium, Bangladesh needed nine runs from the final six bowls.

However, Lankan skipper Athapaththu secured three important dismissals in four bowls and de Silva ran out Nahida Akter to achieve a exciting success for Sri Lanka.

The triumph – Sri Lanka's initial of the tournament after three unsuccessful matches and two abandoned games against the Australian team and the Kiwi side – elevates them equal on four tournament points with India and New Zealand, who face each other on Thursday.

Bangladesh, in contrast, suffered a fifth straight defeat since securing victory in their initial game against the Pakistani team and have been removed from contention.

Although the Bangladeshi side made the ideal beginning, with Marufa Akter striking with the opening bowl of the encounter to dismiss Gunaratne, they were rightfully penalized for a disappointing fielding display.

They gifted reprieves to Hasini Perera, who was missed multiple times, and the Lankan captain.

Even though the Sri Lankan skipper could not make it count, removed leg before wicket for 46 a single bowl after being missed by Rabeya, Hasini Perera made Bangladesh regret it.

She registered a first international 50-run score, making 85 from 99 deliveries and contributing to an important 74-run stand fifth-wicket with De Silva.

Bangladesh, guided by Shorna Akter's 3-27, pulled themselves back in the match, with Nilakshi's removal in the 34th over triggering a Lankan downfall from 174 for four to 202 total.

In reply, the Lankan team's initial pace attack Malki Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani contained the opposition to 23 with one wicket down in a disappointing initial phase and they were later brought down to 44-3.

Sharmin Akter and Nigar Sultana Joty restored their score, putting on 82 runs for the fourth wicket collaboration before Sharmin retired hurt for a resolute 64 in the 36th bowling phase.

It was in favor of the chasing team heading into the final two overs, with just 12 additional runs needed.

However, Dasanayaka sent back Ritu and gave away just three runs before Athapaththu's decisive intervention, with Rabeya, Nahida, captain Joty and Marufa Akter all removed as Sri Lanka grabbed the victory at the final moment.

Finally, it was a match of nerve. The highly experienced Athapaththu, who directed away a handful of teammates as she set herself to deliver the last over, maintained her nerve. Bangladesh did not.

There will be many doubts about Bangladesh's batting display. They could easily have been needing around 270-280 with the Lankan team appearing at ease on 159 with four wickets down in the 30th bowling phase, but in contrast the target was much lower.

Nevertheless, Bangladesh displayed insufficient intent from ball one, scoring at under 2.5 runs each over during the opening overs, suffering a initial wicket loss, and ultimately forcing themselves excessive to achieve.

But no matter what problems there are with their batting approach, if they had accepted their chances in the fielding department, that 203 total objective would have been substantially less.

It required them three tries to break the 72-run second-wicket collaboration, with wicketkeeper Joty not managing to take a tough chance behind the stumps to send back Perera on 23 before Athapaththu survived from a caught and bowled opportunity against Rabeya.

The batter was spilled further on 55 and her score of 63, the final opportunity flying directly to Jhilik at cover field, before ultimately being given out lbw by Shorna Akter as she tried to accelerate the scoring with batting partners falling around her.

Afterwards in the innings, there was furthermore a missed stumping and a failed run-out, while the second one was a somewhat unfortunate, with Jhilik substituting with the gloves following an injury to the regular keeper.

Unfortunately for the team, such fielding woes are nowhere near a isolated incident. They've dropped 14 catches from a available 27 chances at this tournament and have the poorest catching success rate (less than 50%) of the competing sides.

They are a squad who are overall heading in the correct path – they are participating in merely their second 50-over World Cup in the end – but poor fielding standards is a obvious issue which demands focus.