Sri Lanka overcomes Bangladesh to preserve their tournament hopes alive

Women's Cricket World Cup, Mumbai

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

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

Sri Lanka win by seven runs margin

The Lankan cricket team secured four crucial dismissals in the final innings segment to achieve a thrilling triumph over their opponents and preserve their slim chances of qualifying for the tournament knockout stage alive.

Needing a below-par target of 203 on a favorable wicket in Navi Mumbai, Bangladesh needed nine more runs from the final six bowls.

Nevertheless, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu secured three wickets in four bowls and Nilakshi de Silva dismissed via run-out Nahida to bring about a thrilling success for the Lankan team.

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

Bangladesh, however, endured a fifth consecutive defeat since winning their initial game against Pakistan and have been eliminated.

Even though the Bangladeshi side got off to the perfect start, with Marufa Akter taking a wicket with the first delivery of the game to dismiss Vishmi Gunaratne, they were deservedly punished for a subpar fielding effort.

They gifted second chances to Perera, who was spilled multiple times, and the Lankan captain.

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

She achieved a first international 50-run score, scoring 85 from 99 bowls and contributing to an important 74-run stand fifth-wicket collaboration with Nilakshi de Silva.

Bangladesh, guided by Shorna Akter's impressive bowling figures, pulled themselves back in the contest, with Nilakshi's removal in the 34th bowling segment initiating a Lankan downfall from 174 with four wickets down to 202 complete.

While batting second, 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 afterwards reduced to 44 for three.

Sharmin Akter and Joty restored their innings, putting on 82 for the fourth wicket before the batter retired hurt for a resolute 64 in the 36th over.

It was in favor of Bangladesh heading into the last two innings segments, with only 12 more runs required.

Yet, Sugandika Dasanayaka sent back Ritu Moni and gave away only three runs before Athapaththu's chaos, with Rabeya, Nahida Akter, skipper Joty and Marufa all sent back as the Lankan team snatched the victory at the final moment.

Ultimately, it was a contest of nerve. The very experienced Athapaththu, who moved aside a handful of fellow players as she set herself to deliver the decisive over, kept hers. Bangladesh did not.

There will be plenty of inquiries about the team's batting performance. They could easily have been needing 270 to 280 with the Lankan team seeming comfortable on 159 with four wickets down in the 30th innings segment, but in contrast the target was considerably smaller.

Nevertheless, the batting side showed little aggression from the very beginning, scoring at less than 2.5 scoring rate during the initial phase, experiencing a top-order collapse, and eventually making themselves overwhelming to achieve.

But whatever difficulties there are with their batting lineup, if they had accepted their chances in the fielding department, that 203-run target goal would have been substantially smaller.

It took them three efforts to terminate the 72-run partnership second-wicket association, with keeper Joty failing to take a challenging chance while keeping to dismiss Hasini Perera on 23 runs before Athapaththu survived from a caught and bowled chance against Rabeya.

Perera was spilled further on 55 runs and 63, the final opportunity flying straight to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover position, before finally being given out lbw by Shorna as she attempted to increase the tempo with batting partners getting out near her.

Later in the game, there was also a failed stumping and a failed run-out, although the second one was a slightly regrettable, with Jhilik substituting with the wicketkeeping gloves after an injury to Joty.

Regrettably for Bangladesh, such fielding issues are far from a one-off. They've failed to catch 14 opportunities from a available 27 chances at this competition and display the poorest catch efficiency (less than 50%) of the competing sides.

They are a squad who are typically progressing in the right direction – they are playing in just their second 50-over World Cup ultimately – but inadequate fielding is a obvious concern which demands improvement.