Sri Lanka beats Bangladesh to maintain their campaign breathing

Women's Cricket World Cup, Mumbai

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

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

The Lankan side emerge victorious by seven runs

Sri Lanka claimed four crucial dismissals in the last innings segment to complete a thrilling triumph over their opponents and keep their narrow hopes of making it for the tournament knockout stage ongoing.

Needing a attainable score of 203 on a batting-friendly pitch in the Mumbai stadium, the Bangladeshi team needed nine more runs from the remaining six deliveries.

Nevertheless, Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu secured three crucial wickets in four balls and de Silva dismissed via run-out Nahida to bring about a thrilling win for Sri Lanka.

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

Bangladesh, on the other hand, endured a fifth successive defeat since securing victory in their tournament opener against Pakistan and have been removed from contention.

Even though Bangladesh got off to the ideal beginning, with Marufa Akter taking a wicket with the initial ball of the match to dismiss Gunaratne, they were rightfully made to pay for a poor fielding display.

They offered lifelines to Perera, who was dropped three times, and the Lankan captain.

Even though Athapaththu could not make it count, sent back leg before wicket for 46 one ball after being missed by Rabeya, Perera forced Bangladesh pay.

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

The Bangladeshi team, spearheaded by Shorna's three wickets for 27 runs, dragged themselves back into the game, with Nilakshi's removal in the 34th bowling segment causing a Lankan batting collapse from 174 with four wickets down to 202 total.

In reply, Sri Lanka's opening bowlers Malki Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani limited Bangladesh to 23-1 in a disappointing initial phase and they were later diminished to 44-3.

Sharmin Akter and Joty restored their innings, contributing 82 for the fourth wicket before the batter withdrew due to injury for a determined 64 in the 36th innings segment.

It was in favor of Bangladesh entering the final two overs, with just 12 runs necessary.

Nevertheless, Dasanayaka dismissed Ritu and gave away only three runs before the captain's decisive intervention, with Rabeya Khan, Nahida Akter, skipper Joty and Marufa Akter all removed as Sri Lanka grabbed the triumph at the death.

Finally, it was a game of nerves. The very experienced Lankan captain, who ushered away a several of team-mates as she set herself to bowl the last over, held her nerve. The opposition failed to.

There will be numerous questions about Bangladesh's batting performance. They possibly have been needing 270 to 280 with Sri Lanka seeming comfortable on 159 with four wickets down in the 30th bowling phase, but instead the required total was much lower.

Yet, the batting side showed little intent from ball one, making runs at less than 2.5 runs per over during the opening overs, undergoing a early batting collapse, and ultimately making themselves too much to accomplish.

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

It required them three attempts to end the 72-run partnership second-wicket collaboration, with wicketkeeper Joty failing to take a tough opportunity behind the stumps to remove Hasini Perera on her score of 23 before the captain survived from a caught and bowled chance possibility against Rabeya.

Perera was spilled again on 55 and her score of 63, the last attempt going directly to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover, before eventually being given out leg before wicket by Shorna as she tried to up the ante with partners being dismissed beside her.

Afterwards in the batting effort, there was additionally a failed stumping and a run-out opportunity lost, while the run-out chance was a slightly regrettable, with Rubya Haider deputising with the wicketkeeping gloves due to an physical problem to the regular keeper.

Sadly for the team, such fielding woes are not at all a one-off. They've missed 14 opportunities from a potential 27 chances at this World Cup and boast the worst catch efficiency (48.1%) of the participating teams.

They are a team who are typically heading in the right direction – they are playing in merely their second ODI World Cup after all – but inadequate fielding standards is a glaring concern which demands focus.