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

Women's Cricket World Cup, 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); Chamari Athapaththu 4-42

The Lankan side win by seven runs

The Lankan cricket team claimed four wickets in the decisive innings segment to seal a nail-biting win over their opponents and keep their narrow hopes of making it for the tournament knockout stage intact.

Chasing a modest total of 203 on a good batting surface in Navi Mumbai, the Bangladeshi team required nine more runs from the remaining six deliveries.

However, Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu secured three wickets in four balls and de Silva dismissed via run-out Nahida Akter to achieve a dramatic victory for the Lankan team.

The victory – Sri Lanka's maiden of the tournament after three unsuccessful matches and two washed-out matches against the Australian team and New Zealand – pushes them equal on four tournament points with the Indian team and the New Zealand side, who meet each other on Thursday.

The Bangladeshi team, on the other hand, suffered a fifth successive loss since winning their tournament opener against Pakistan and have been knocked out.

Although the Bangladeshi side made the ideal beginning, with Marufa Akter taking a wicket with the opening bowl of the encounter to remove Gunaratne, they were deservedly punished for a disappointing fielding effort.

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

Although the Sri Lankan skipper was unable to make it count, dismissed lbw for 46 a single bowl after being put down by Rabeya Khan, Hasini Perera forced Bangladesh regret it.

She registered a debut international fifty, making 85 from 99 deliveries and building an crucial 74-run fifth-wicket with De Silva.

Bangladesh, guided by Shorna Akter's 3-27, dragged themselves back in the contest, with De Silva's removal in the 34th bowling segment causing a Lankan downfall from 174-4 to 202 all out.

In reply, the Lankan team's opening bowlers Malki Madara and Prabodhani limited the opposition to 23 for one in a uninspiring initial phase and they were subsequently brought down to 44 for three.

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

It was in favor of Bangladesh entering the remaining two bowling phases, with merely 12 additional runs needed.

Nevertheless, Dasanayaka removed Ritu and conceded merely three runs before Athapaththu's chaos, with Rabeya Khan, Nahida Akter, skipper Joty and Marufa Akter all sent back as Sri Lanka seized the victory at the death.

Ultimately, it was a match of nerves. The seasoned Lankan captain, who directed away a few of fellow players as she got ready to bowl the last over, maintained hers. Bangladesh could not.

There will be many inquiries about Bangladesh's batting display. They might well have been chasing 270 to 280 with Sri Lanka looking settled on 159-4 in the 30th innings segment, but rather the target was much lower.

Yet, Bangladesh showed little purpose from the very beginning, making runs at under 2.5 runs per over during the initial phase, suffering a top-order collapse, and eventually leaving themselves overwhelming to accomplish.

But no matter what difficulties there are with their batting lineup, if they had accepted their opportunities in the fielding area, that 203-run goal would have been considerably lower.

It needed them three tries to terminate the 72-run stand second-wicket collaboration, with keeper Nigar Sultana failing to hold a difficult opportunity as wicketkeeper to remove Hasini Perera on 23 runs before Athapaththu survived from a return catch possibility against Rabeya Khan.

The batter was spilled further on her score of 55 and her score of 63, the final opportunity flying directly to Jhilik at cover field, before ultimately being trapped leg before wicket by Shorna as she attempted to accelerate the scoring with teammates falling beside her.

Later in the game, there was additionally a stumping chance missed and a failed run-out, even though the latter was a slightly regrettable, with Jhilik deputising with the gloves following an fitness issue to Joty.

Regrettably for the team, such fielding problems are far from a isolated incident. They've dropped 14 opportunities from a potential 27 opportunities at this tournament and boast the worst catch efficiency (48.1 percent) of the eight teams.

They are a team who are generally moving in the right direction – they are participating in merely their second 50-over World Cup after all – but inadequate fielding is a prominent issue which demands improvement.