Sri Lanka defeats Bangladesh to preserve their campaign ongoing

Women's Cricket World Cup, Navi Mumbai

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

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

Sri Lanka win by seven runs margin

Sri Lanka secured four crucial dismissals in the final innings segment to achieve a thrilling victory over their opponents and maintain their faint aspirations of making it for the tournament knockout stage alive.

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

Nevertheless, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu claimed three wickets in four bowls and de Silva ran out Nahida Akter to achieve a thrilling success for the Lankan team.

The win – Sri Lanka's first of the competition after three losses and two abandoned games against the Australian team and New Zealand – pushes them equal on four points with India and the New Zealand side, who face each other on the coming Thursday.

Bangladesh, however, suffered a fifth consecutive setback since winning their tournament opener against the Pakistani team and have been knocked out.

Even though Bangladesh got off to the perfect start, with Marufa taking a wicket with the opening bowl of the match to dismiss Vishmi Gunaratne, they were deservedly punished for a poor fielding effort.

They offered reprieves to Hasini Perera, who was missed multiple times, and Athapaththu.

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

She registered a first international half-century, making 85 from 99 bowls and contributing to an important 74-run partnership fifth-wicket association with De Silva.

The Bangladeshi team, led by Shorna's 3-27, pulled themselves back into the match, with Nilakshi's wicket in the 34th innings segment triggering a Sri Lanka downfall from 174 for four to 202 all out.

While batting second, Sri Lanka's initial pace attack Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani restricted the opposition to 23 for one in a uninspiring initial phase and they were later reduced to 44 for three.

Sharmin and Joty restored their batting effort, putting on 82 for the fourth wicket before the batter withdrew due to injury for a stubborn 64 in the 36th bowling phase.

It was leaning toward the chasing team heading into the final two overs, with just 12 runs needed.

Nevertheless, Dasanayaka sent back Ritu Moni and allowed just three scoring runs before Athapaththu's chaos, with Rabeya Khan, Nahida, captain Joty and Marufa all sent back as Sri Lanka snatched the victory at the death.

Ultimately, it was a match of nerve. The very experienced Athapaththu, who directed away a handful of fellow players as she prepared to deliver the decisive over, kept her composure. Bangladesh failed to.

There will be plenty of inquiries about the team's batting display. They could easily have been chasing 270 or 280 with Sri Lanka appearing at ease on 159-4 in the 30th innings segment, but in contrast the chase was much lower.

However, the batting side lacked purpose from the very beginning, accumulating runs at less than 2.5 runs per over during the opening overs, suffering a initial wicket loss, and eventually forcing themselves excessive to achieve.

But whatever issues there are with their batting lineup, if they had seized their chances in the field, that 203 total target would have been significantly less.

It took them three efforts to end the 72-run partnership second-wicket collaboration, with keeper Joty being unable to grab a difficult opportunity behind the stumps to remove Hasini Perera on 23 before the captain got a reprieve from a return catch opportunity against Rabeya Khan.

Perera was missed again on 55 runs and 63 runs, the last attempt going directly to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover position, before finally being given out leg before wicket by Shorna Akter as she tried to increase the tempo with partners being dismissed beside her.

Afterwards in the game, there was also a missed stumping and a missed run-out, even though the run-out chance was a slightly unfortunate, with Jhilik deputising with the wicketkeeping gloves after an injury to Joty.

Regrettably for the team, such fielding problems are nowhere near a one-off. They've missed 14 catches from a available 27 chances at this competition and have the lowest fielding effectiveness (less than 50%) of the competing sides.

They are a team who are typically progressing in the proper way – they are playing in merely their second 50-over World Cup ultimately – but inadequate fielding is a prominent issue which needs attention.