Sri Lanka defeats Bangladesh to preserve their World Cup tournament hopes alive

ICC Women's World Cup, Navi Mumbai

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

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

The Lankan side emerge victorious by seven runs margin

The Lankan cricket team secured four crucial dismissals in the last innings segment to complete a heart-stopping win over Bangladesh and maintain their faint chances of qualifying for the World Cup semi-finals ongoing.

Chasing a below-par target of 203 on a favorable wicket in Navi Mumbai, Bangladesh required nine more runs from the last six balls.

However, Sri Lanka captain Athapaththu claimed three crucial wickets in four balls and de Silva ran out Nahida Akter to bring about a exciting win for Sri Lanka.

The win – Sri Lanka's initial of the competition after three unsuccessful matches and two no-results against the Australian team and the Kiwi side – pushes them tied on four match points with the Indian team and the New Zealand side, who meet each other on the coming Thursday.

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

While Bangladesh got off to the perfect start, with Marufa striking with the first delivery of the match to dismiss Vishmi Gunaratne, they were appropriately punished for a disappointing fielding performance.

They provided lifelines to Hasini Perera, who was missed on three occasions, and Athapaththu.

While the Sri Lankan skipper failed to capitalise, removed leg before wicket for 46 one ball after being dropped by Rabeya Khan, Perera forced the opposition regret it.

She achieved a first international half-century, scoring 85 from 99 deliveries and contributing to an important 74-run fifth-wicket association with Nilakshi de Silva.

Bangladesh, guided by Shorna Akter's three wickets for 27 runs, fought themselves back to the contest, with De Silva's wicket in the 34th innings segment initiating a Lankan collapse from 174-4 to 202 all out.

During their chase, Sri Lanka's initial pace attack 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 Nigar Sultana Joty reconstructed their batting effort, adding 82 for the fourth wicket collaboration before the batter withdrew due to injury for a resolute 64 in the 36th over.

It was in favor of Bangladesh approaching the final two overs, with merely 12 more runs needed.

Nevertheless, Sugandika Dasanayaka dismissed Ritu Moni and allowed only three scoring runs before the captain's dramatic spell, with Rabeya Khan, Nahida Akter, skipper Joty and Marufa Akter all dismissed as the Lankan team seized the triumph at the death.

In the end, it was a match of composure. The seasoned Athapaththu, who directed away a handful of fellow players as she got ready to deliver the last over, held hers. The opposition failed to.

There will be numerous inquiries about the team's batting display. They possibly have been pursuing 270 to 280 with Sri Lanka appearing comfortable on 159 with four wickets down in the 30th bowling phase, but instead the target was significantly less.

However, Bangladesh lacked purpose from ball one, scoring at less than 2.5 scoring rate during the opening overs, experiencing a early batting collapse, and finally forcing themselves excessive to achieve.

But whatever problems there are with their batting, if they had accepted their opportunities in the fielding department, that 203 total goal would have been considerably smaller.

It needed them three attempts to terminate the 72-run second-wicket association, with keeper Joty failing to take a tough opportunity as wicketkeeper to send back Hasini Perera on 23 runs before Athapaththu was spared from a caught and bowled opportunity against Rabeya Khan.

Perera was dropped again on 55 and her score of 63, the latter chance flying straight to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover position, before eventually being given out lbw by Shorna Akter as she tried to increase the tempo with batting partners falling near her.

Afterwards in the innings, there was also a missed stumping and a run-out opportunity lost, while the second one was a little unlucky, with Rubya Haider standing in with the gloves following an injury to the regular keeper.

Sadly for Bangladesh, such fielding issues are nowhere near a single occurrence. They've failed to catch 14 catches from a possible 27 opportunities at this competition and display the worst catching success rate (less than 50%) of the participating teams.

They are a side who are typically moving in the correct path – they are participating in merely their second ODI World Cup after all – but substandard fielding performance is a prominent concern which demands attention.