Sri Lanka overcomes Bangladesh to maintain their World Cup tournament hopes ongoing

Women's Cricket World Cup, Mumbai

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

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

Sri Lanka emerge victorious by seven runs

The Lankan cricket team claimed four crucial dismissals in the decisive innings segment to complete a heart-stopping victory over Bangladesh and keep their slim aspirations of making it for the World Cup semi-finals intact.

Chasing a attainable target of 203 on a favorable wicket in the Mumbai stadium, Bangladesh wanted nine runs from the remaining six bowls.

However, Sri Lanka captain Athapaththu claimed three wickets in four deliveries and de Silva dismissed via run-out Nahida Akter to achieve a dramatic win for the Lankan team.

The win – Sri Lanka's initial of the tournament after three defeats and two no-results against Australia and the Kiwi side – pushes them equal on four points with India and the New Zealand side, who confront each other on the coming Thursday.

Bangladesh, on the other hand, endured a fifth straight loss since winning their first match against the Pakistani team and have been removed from contention.

While the Bangladeshi side made the excellent commencement, with Marufa Akter striking with the initial ball of the encounter to send back Vishmi Gunaratne, they were deservedly penalized for a poor fielding effort.

They provided second chances to Perera, who was spilled three times, and Athapaththu.

Although Athapaththu was unable to make it count, 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 contributing to an significant 74-run fifth-wicket with Nilakshi de Silva.

The Bangladeshi team, spearheaded by Shorna Akter's 3-27, fought themselves back into the game, with De Silva's removal in the 34th innings segment initiating a Sri Lanka downfall from 174 with four wickets down to 202 complete.

During their chase, Sri Lanka's starting bowlers Malki Madara and Prabodhani limited the opposition to 23-1 in a lacklustre powerplay and they were later brought down to 44-3.

Sharmin and Nigar Sultana Joty restored their score, adding 82 for the fourth wicket collaboration before Sharmin retired hurt for a resolute 64 in the 36th bowling phase.

It was leaning toward Bangladesh entering the final two bowling phases, with just 12 additional runs necessary.

Nevertheless, Sugandika Dasanayaka sent back Ritu and gave away only three runs before the captain's dramatic spell, with Rabeya, Nahida, skipper Joty and Marufa Akter all dismissed as the Lankan team grabbed the victory at the death.

Finally, it was a match of nerve. The highly experienced Athapaththu, who directed away a several of fellow players as she prepared to deliver the last over, held hers. The opposition failed to.

There will be plenty of doubts about the team's batting performance. They could easily have been pursuing 270 or 280 with the Lankan team appearing at ease on 159 with four wickets down in the 30th bowling phase, but in contrast the target was significantly less.

However, Bangladesh lacked intent from the start, making runs at below 2.5 runs each over during the opening overs, experiencing a top-order collapse, and finally leaving themselves too much to accomplish.

But no matter what difficulties there are with their batting approach, if they had taken their catches in the fielding area, that 203 total target would have been considerably less.

It needed them three efforts to break the 72-run second-wicket association, with keeper Joty not managing to grab a difficult opportunity as wicketkeeper to dismiss Hasini Perera on her score of 23 before the captain survived from a caught and bowled chance opportunity against Rabeya Khan.

The batter was dropped further on her score of 55 and 63 runs, the final opportunity traveling right to Jhilik at cover position, before ultimately being trapped lbw by Shorna Akter as she tried to up the ante with batting partners getting out beside her.

Afterwards in the game, there was also a failed stumping and a run-out opportunity lost, even though the latter was a little unlucky, with Jhilik standing in with the gloves due to an physical problem to Joty.

Regrettably for the team, such fielding problems are nowhere near a single occurrence. They've missed 14 catches from a possible 27 chances at this World Cup and display the lowest catch efficiency (less than 50%) of the eight teams.

They are a team who are generally heading in the proper way – they are playing in just their second 50-over World Cup ultimately – but inadequate fielding standards is a prominent problem which needs attention.