Sri Lanka overcomes Bangladesh to keep their tournament hopes ongoing

ICC Women's World Cup, Navi Mumbai

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

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

Sri Lanka win by seven runs

The Lankan cricket team claimed four crucial dismissals in the final over to seal a heart-stopping win over their opponents and maintain their narrow chances of making it for the tournament knockout stage intact.

Needing a attainable score of 203 on a favorable wicket in the Mumbai stadium, the Bangladeshi team needed nine runs from the last six balls.

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

The victory – the Lankan team's initial of the World Cup after three defeats and two abandoned games against the Australian team and New Zealand – moves them equal on four points with the Indian team and the New Zealand side, who meet each other on the coming Thursday.

The Bangladeshi team, however, endured a fifth successive loss since securing victory in their first match against the Pakistani team and have been removed from contention.

Even though the Bangladeshi side got off to the excellent commencement, with Marufa taking a wicket with the initial ball of the game to dismiss Vishmi Gunaratne, they were appropriately made to pay for a subpar fielding display.

They offered lifelines to Perera, who was dropped on three occasions, and the Lankan captain.

While the Sri Lankan skipper could not take advantage, sent back leg before wicket for 46 a single bowl after being missed by Rabeya Khan, Hasini Perera forced the opposition pay.

She achieved a debut international 50-run score, accumulating 85 from 99 deliveries and building an important 74-run partnership fifth-wicket association with De Silva.

The Bangladeshi team, led by Shorna's impressive bowling figures, dragged themselves back in the match, with Nilakshi's dismissal in the 34th innings segment triggering a Sri Lanka downfall from 174 for four to 202 complete.

While batting second, Sri Lanka's starting bowlers Malki Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani restricted the opposition to 23 for one in a uninspiring initial phase and they were afterwards reduced to 44 with three wickets lost.

Sharmin and Nigar Sultana Joty restored their score, contributing 82 for the fourth wicket before the batter retired hurt for a stubborn 64 in the 36th over.

It was leaning toward the chasing team heading into the remaining two overs, with only 12 additional runs needed.

However, Dasanayaka sent back Ritu Moni and conceded merely three runs before Athapaththu's chaos, with Rabeya Khan, Nahida Akter, captain Joty and Marufa Akter all removed as the Lankan team grabbed the victory at the death.

In the end, it was a game of nerve. The very experienced Lankan captain, who ushered away a several of teammates as she set herself to bowl the last over, maintained her nerve. The opposition did not.

There will be many doubts about the team's batting effort. They possibly have been needing around 270-280 with Sri Lanka seeming settled on 159 for four in the 30th bowling phase, but instead the chase was significantly less.

However, Bangladesh lacked purpose from ball one, making runs at under 2.5 runs each over during the opening overs, experiencing a top-order collapse, and finally making themselves excessive to do.

But whatever problems there are with their batting lineup, if they had taken their opportunities in the fielding area, that 203 total target would have been significantly lower.

It required them three efforts to terminate the 72-run second-wicket, with wicketkeeper Joty being unable to hold a challenging opportunity as wicketkeeper to send back Hasini Perera on 23 before Athapaththu survived from a caught and bowled chance opportunity against Rabeya.

Perera was spilled further on her score of 55 and 63 runs, the final opportunity traveling straight to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover field, before ultimately being trapped lbw by Shorna as she attempted to increase the tempo with partners getting out beside her.

Afterwards in the batting effort, there was also a missed stumping and a missed run-out, while the second one was a somewhat regrettable, with Jhilik substituting with the wicketkeeping gloves following an fitness issue to the regular keeper.

Unfortunately for the team, such fielding issues are nowhere near a one-off. They've dropped 14 catches from a potential 27 at this competition and boast the lowest catch efficiency (48.1%) of the competing sides.

They are a squad who are generally moving in the correct path – they are playing in only their second one-day World Cup ultimately – but inadequate fielding standards is a glaring concern which needs attention.