Sri Lanka defeats Bangladesh to keep their campaign ongoing

ICC Women's World Cup, Mumbai

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

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

Sri Lanka emerge victorious by seven runs

The Lankan cricket team secured four crucial dismissals in the final over to seal a nail-biting victory over their opponents and maintain their narrow chances of qualifying for the World Cup semi-finals ongoing.

Chasing a below-par total of 203 on a favorable wicket in the Mumbai stadium, Bangladesh needed nine additional runs from the final six bowls.

Yet, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu secured three important dismissals in four balls and de Silva ran out Nahida to bring about a dramatic win for the Lankan team.

The win – the Lankan team's initial of the World Cup after three losses and two no-results against the Australian team and New Zealand – pushes them equal on four points with India and New Zealand, who meet each other on Thursday.

Bangladesh, however, endured a fifth consecutive setback since securing victory in their first match against Pakistan and have been removed from contention.

Even though Bangladesh got off to the excellent commencement, with Marufa Akter striking with the opening bowl of the encounter to remove Gunaratne, they were deservedly punished for a subpar fielding display.

They offered reprieves to Perera, who was missed multiple times, and the Lankan captain.

Even though the Sri Lankan skipper was unable to take advantage, sent back leg before wicket for 46 a single bowl after being dropped by Rabeya Khan, Perera made Bangladesh pay.

She achieved a first international half-century, scoring 85 from 99 deliveries and building an significant 74-run stand fifth-wicket collaboration with De Silva.

Bangladesh, guided by Shorna's 3-27, pulled themselves back to the game, with Nilakshi's dismissal in the 34th over initiating a Sri Lanka batting collapse from 174 for four to 202 total.

In reply, the Lankan team's opening bowlers Madara and Prabodhani restricted Bangladesh to 23-1 in a lacklustre initial phase and they were later brought down to 44 with three wickets lost.

Sharmin Akter and Joty restored their batting effort, putting on an 82-run partnership for the fourth wicket before Sharmin withdrew due to injury for a determined 64 in the 36th innings segment.

It was leaning toward Bangladesh approaching the final two overs, with just 12 more runs required.

Yet, Sugandika Dasanayaka dismissed Ritu Moni and conceded only three runs before the captain's chaos, with Rabeya, Nahida Akter, captain Joty and Marufa all removed as Sri Lanka grabbed the win at the final moment.

In the end, it was a game of nerve. The highly experienced Athapaththu, who moved aside a few of fellow players as she set herself to deliver the last over, held her nerve. The opposition did not.

There will be numerous questions about Bangladesh's batting effort. They could easily have been chasing 270 or 280 with the Lankan team looking at ease on 159 with four wickets down in the 30th over, but in contrast the target was much lower.

Nevertheless, Bangladesh showed little intent from ball one, accumulating runs at below 2.5 runs each over during the opening overs, suffering a initial wicket loss, and finally leaving themselves overwhelming to accomplish.

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

It required them three tries to break the 72-run second-wicket association, with keeper Joty being unable to take a tough catch while keeping to dismiss Perera on her score of 23 before the captain got a reprieve from a caught and bowled chance possibility against Rabeya Khan.

Perera was dropped once more on her score of 55 and 63, the latter chance going right to Jhilik at cover, before ultimately being dismissed leg before wicket by Shorna as she sought to increase the tempo with teammates being dismissed beside her.

Later in the innings, there was also a failed stumping and a run-out opportunity lost, while the run-out chance was a somewhat unlucky, with Rubya Haider substituting with the gloves following an physical problem to the regular keeper.

Unfortunately for the team, such fielding problems are nowhere near a one-off. They've failed to catch 14 chances from a potential 27 chances at this competition and display the worst fielding effectiveness (48.1 percent) of the participating teams.

They are a side who are overall moving in the correct path – they are participating in merely their second 50-over World Cup in the end – but substandard fielding performance is a glaring concern which demands improvement.