The Lankan team beats Bangladesh to preserve their World Cup tournament hopes ongoing

Women's Cricket World Cup, Navi Mumbai

Sri Lanka 202 (48.4 overs): Hasini 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 margin

Sri Lanka claimed four crucial dismissals in the final over to complete a nail-biting win over their opponents and keep their slim hopes of making it for the tournament knockout stage intact.

Needing a below-par total of 203 on a favorable wicket in the Mumbai stadium, Bangladesh required nine runs from the last six balls.

Yet, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu claimed three crucial wickets in four deliveries and Nilakshi de Silva ran out Nahida to bring about a dramatic success for Sri Lanka.

The victory – the Lankan team's initial of the tournament after three losses and two washed-out matches against the Australian team and New Zealand – elevates them equal on four tournament points with India and New Zealand, who meet each other on Thursday.

Bangladesh, on the other hand, experienced a fifth straight loss since winning their initial game against the Pakistani team and have been removed from contention.

Even though Bangladesh got off to the excellent commencement, with Marufa taking a wicket with the opening bowl of the encounter to dismiss Vishmi Gunaratne, they were appropriately punished for a poor fielding effort.

They offered lifelines to Perera, who was dropped three times, and Athapaththu.

Although the Sri Lankan skipper failed to capitalise, removed leg before wicket for 46 one ball after being dropped by Rabeya Khan, Perera forced Bangladesh pay.

She scored a debut international fifty, making 85 from 99 bowls and building an significant 74-run partnership fifth-wicket with Nilakshi de Silva.

Bangladesh, guided by Shorna's three wickets for 27 runs, pulled themselves back in the contest, with Nilakshi's removal in the 34th over triggering a Lankan collapse from 174 with four wickets down to 202 total.

In reply, the Lankan team's starting bowlers Malki Madara and Prabodhani restricted the opposition to 23 for one in a uninspiring opening overs and they were later brought down to 44 for three.

Sharmin and Nigar Sultana Joty restored their innings, putting on 82 for the fourth wicket collaboration before Sharmin left the field injured for a stubborn 64 in the 36th innings segment.

It was in favor of Bangladesh approaching the final two innings segments, with merely 12 runs required.

Yet, Dasanayaka sent back Ritu Moni and conceded merely three runs before the captain's dramatic spell, with Rabeya, Nahida Akter, captain Joty and Marufa Akter all dismissed as Sri Lanka snatched the triumph at the very end.

Ultimately, it was a game of nerve. The seasoned Athapaththu, who ushered away a few of team-mates as she prepared to deliver the last over, kept her nerve. The opposition did not.

There will be plenty of doubts about the team's batting effort. They possibly have been chasing 270 or 280 with Sri Lanka appearing settled on 159 for four in the 30th bowling phase, but rather the chase was much lower.

Nevertheless, Bangladesh lacked purpose from the very beginning, making runs at below 2.5 scoring rate during the powerplay, suffering a top-order collapse, and eventually making themselves excessive to do.

But whatever issues there are with their batting approach, if they had seized their catches in the field, that 203 total goal would have been considerably less.

It needed them three attempts to end the 72-run second-wicket association, with keeper Joty not managing to take a tough chance as wicketkeeper to send back Hasini Perera on her score of 23 before Athapaththu got a reprieve from a caught and bowled possibility against Rabeya Khan.

Perera was missed once more on her score of 55 and 63 runs, the latter chance going right to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover field, before eventually being trapped leg before wicket by Shorna Akter as she tried to increase the tempo with batting partners falling beside her.

Afterwards in the batting effort, there was furthermore a failed stumping and a run-out opportunity lost, although the run-out chance was a somewhat regrettable, with Jhilik substituting with the gloves following an fitness issue to the regular keeper.

Sadly for the team, such fielding issues are far from a isolated incident. They've missed 14 opportunities from a possible 27 opportunities at this tournament and boast the lowest catching success rate (less than 50%) of the eight teams.

They are a side who are typically progressing in the proper way – they are participating in only their second one-day World Cup ultimately – but inadequate fielding standards is a prominent issue which requires attention.