The Lankan team defeats Bangladesh to keep their tournament hopes ongoing

ICC Women's World Cup, Navi Mumbai

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

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

The Lankan side win by seven runs

Sri Lanka took four wickets in the final innings segment to complete a heart-stopping victory over their opponents and maintain their narrow hopes of qualifying for the World Cup semi-finals ongoing.

Chasing a below-par target of 203 on a good batting surface in the Mumbai stadium, Bangladesh wanted nine additional runs from the last six bowls.

Nevertheless, Lankan skipper Athapaththu secured three wickets in four balls and de Silva dismissed via run-out Nahida to bring about a thrilling victory for the Lankan team.

The win – Sri Lanka's first of the World Cup after three unsuccessful matches and two no-results against Australia and New Zealand – pushes them level on four points with India and the New Zealand side, who face each other on the coming Thursday.

Bangladesh, in contrast, endured a fifth straight setback since securing victory in their initial game against Pakistan and have been knocked out.

Even though Bangladesh got off to the excellent commencement, with Marufa striking with the first delivery of the game to remove Vishmi Gunaratne, they were rightfully penalized for a poor fielding display.

They gifted reprieves to Perera, who was dropped three times, and the Lankan captain.

While the Sri Lankan skipper could not make it count, removed leg before wicket for 46 a single bowl after being missed by Rabeya, Perera forced Bangladesh pay.

She registered a debut international 50-run score, accumulating 85 from 99 balls and contributing to an crucial 74-run stand fifth-wicket with De Silva.

Bangladesh, led by Shorna Akter's 3-27, fought themselves back into the match, with Nilakshi's removal in the 34th bowling segment triggering a Sri Lanka batting collapse from 174 for four to 202 all out.

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

Sharmin Akter and Nigar Sultana Joty restored their innings, adding 82 for the fourth wicket stand before Sharmin retired hurt for a stubborn 64 in the 36th bowling phase.

It was leaning toward Bangladesh approaching the last two bowling phases, with only 12 additional runs necessary.

However, Dasanayaka sent back Ritu and conceded only three runs before the captain's chaos, with Rabeya, Nahida Akter, captain Joty and Marufa all sent back as the Lankan team snatched the triumph at the very end.

In the end, it was a game of nerves. The seasoned Athapaththu, who moved aside a few of team-mates as she set herself to bowl the last over, held her nerve. Bangladesh failed to.

There will be plenty of doubts about Bangladesh's batting display. They might well have been needing around 270-280 with the Lankan team appearing at ease on 159-4 in the 30th bowling phase, but instead the required total was significantly less.

Yet, the batting side lacked intent from the start, scoring at less than 2.5 scoring rate during the initial phase, suffering a initial wicket loss, and finally making themselves excessive to achieve.

But whatever difficulties there are with their batting, if they had taken their chances in the fielding department, that 203-run goal would have been significantly less.

It took them three attempts to end the 72-run second-wicket collaboration, with wicketkeeper Nigar Sultana not managing to grab a tough opportunity behind the stumps to dismiss Perera on her score of 23 before Athapaththu survived from a return catch possibility against Rabeya.

The batter was spilled again on 55 and 63, the latter chance traveling right to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover field, before finally being dismissed lbw by Shorna as she attempted to accelerate the scoring with partners getting out near her.

Afterwards in the innings, there was additionally a missed stumping and a run-out opportunity lost, while the run-out chance was a little regrettable, with Jhilik substituting with the gloves after an injury to the regular keeper.

Sadly for the team, such fielding problems are far from a single occurrence. They've failed to catch 14 opportunities from a possible 27 at this World Cup and display the poorest catch efficiency (48.1%) of the competing sides.

They are a team who are overall progressing in the proper way – they are competing in just their second one-day World Cup ultimately – but substandard fielding performance is a obvious issue which requires improvement.