Sri Lanka beats Bangladesh to maintain their campaign ongoing

ICC Women's World Cup, Mumbai

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

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

Sri Lanka emerge victorious by seven runs

The Lankan cricket team claimed four crucial dismissals in the decisive over to complete a thrilling victory over Bangladesh and keep their slim hopes of qualifying for the tournament knockout stage intact.

Needing a attainable total of 203 on a good batting surface in Navi Mumbai, the Bangladeshi team needed nine more runs from the final six deliveries.

However, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu claimed three important dismissals in four bowls and de Silva dismissed via run-out Nahida to achieve a thrilling success for the Lankan team.

The victory – the Lankan team's maiden of the competition after three defeats and two washed-out matches against the Australian team and the Kiwi side – moves them level on four match points with the Indian team and the New Zealand side, who face each other on Thursday.

Bangladesh, however, suffered a fifth straight setback since securing victory in their initial game against Pakistan and have been removed from contention.

While the Bangladeshi side made the ideal beginning, with Marufa Akter striking with the initial ball of the encounter to remove Vishmi Gunaratne, they were rightfully made to pay for a poor fielding performance.

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

Even though the Sri Lankan skipper failed to capitalise, removed leg before wicket for 46 one ball after being missed by Rabeya, Perera made Bangladesh regret it.

She scored a first international half-century, accumulating 85 from 99 bowls and sharing an important 74-run fifth-wicket association with De Silva.

The Bangladeshi team, spearheaded by Shorna Akter's impressive bowling figures, dragged themselves back to the match, with De Silva's wicket in the 34th over causing a Sri Lanka downfall from 174 with four wickets down to 202 complete.

During their chase, the Lankan team's initial pace attack Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani restricted Bangladesh to 23-1 in a disappointing opening overs and they were later diminished to 44 for three.

Sharmin Akter and Joty rebuilt their innings, adding 82 for the fourth wicket stand before Sharmin retired hurt for a stubborn 64 in the 36th over.

It was advantage the chasing team approaching the remaining two overs, with only 12 additional runs needed.

Yet, Sugandika Dasanayaka sent back Ritu and allowed merely three runs before the captain's decisive intervention, with Rabeya, Nahida, captain Joty and Marufa Akter all dismissed as the Lankan team grabbed the win at the final moment.

Finally, it was a contest of composure. The highly experienced Athapaththu, who ushered away a several of teammates as she set herself to deliver the last over, maintained her nerve. Bangladesh failed to.

There will be plenty of doubts about the team's batting display. They possibly have been chasing 270 to 280 with the Lankan team appearing at ease on 159 for four in the 30th over, but in contrast the chase was considerably smaller.

However, Bangladesh showed little purpose from ball one, accumulating runs at under 2.5 scoring rate during the powerplay, suffering a top-order collapse, and ultimately leaving themselves overwhelming to accomplish.

But no matter what difficulties there are with their batting lineup, if they had seized their opportunities in the fielding area, that 203-run target objective would have been significantly less.

It needed them three attempts to terminate the 72-run partnership second-wicket collaboration, with keeper Nigar Sultana being unable to grab a difficult chance as wicketkeeper to dismiss Hasini Perera on 23 runs before Athapaththu got a reprieve from a caught and bowled opportunity against Rabeya Khan.

The batter was dropped further on 55 runs and 63, the final opportunity flying directly to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover position, before finally being trapped leg before wicket by Shorna as she tried to up the ante with partners being dismissed beside her.

Subsequently in the batting effort, there was also a missed stumping and a missed run-out, while the latter was a little regrettable, with Rubya Haider standing in with the wicketkeeping gloves due to an fitness issue to Joty.

Sadly for the team, such fielding problems are not at all a single occurrence. They've dropped 14 chances from a potential 27 at this World Cup and boast the lowest fielding effectiveness (48.1 percent) of the participating teams.

They are a side who are overall moving in the right direction – they are competing in merely their second 50-over World Cup after all – but substandard fielding performance is a prominent concern which needs improvement.