Sri Lanka overcomes Bangladesh to maintain their World Cup campaign breathing

Women's Cricket World Cup, Navi Mumbai

The Lankan team 202 (48.4 overs): Hasini 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 took four wickets in the decisive innings segment to seal a nail-biting victory over Bangladesh and preserve their slim chances of qualifying for the tournament knockout stage alive.

Chasing a attainable score of 203 on a batting-friendly pitch in Navi Mumbai, Bangladesh wanted nine runs from the final six deliveries.

However, Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu claimed three important dismissals in four deliveries and Nilakshi de Silva dismissed via run-out Nahida Akter to secure a thrilling win for the Lankan team.

The win – Sri Lanka's maiden of the tournament after three unsuccessful matches and two abandoned games against the Australian team and the Kiwi side – moves them level on four tournament points with the Indian team and the New Zealand side, who face each other on the coming Thursday.

The Bangladeshi team, on the other hand, suffered a fifth straight loss since securing victory in their tournament opener against Pakistan and have been eliminated.

Although the Bangladeshi side got off to the excellent commencement, with Marufa striking with the first delivery of the game to remove Gunaratne, they were appropriately made to pay for a disappointing fielding display.

They offered lifelines to Hasini Perera, who was dropped on three occasions, and Athapaththu.

Even though the Sri Lankan skipper could not take advantage, removed leg before wicket for 46 one ball after being put down by Rabeya, Hasini Perera made the opposition pay.

She scored a maiden international fifty, accumulating 85 from 99 deliveries and building an crucial 74-run stand fifth-wicket with De Silva.

Bangladesh, spearheaded by Shorna Akter's impressive bowling figures, dragged themselves back in the game, with Nilakshi's dismissal in the 34th over triggering a Sri Lanka collapse from 174 with four wickets down to 202 total.

In reply, the Lankan team's initial pace attack Malki Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani limited Bangladesh to 23 with one wicket down in a lacklustre powerplay and they were later reduced to 44 for three.

Sharmin Akter and Joty restored their innings, contributing 82 runs for the fourth wicket collaboration before Sharmin left the field injured for a resolute 64 in the 36th over.

It was advantage the chasing team heading into the remaining two bowling phases, with just 12 runs needed.

Yet, Dasanayaka dismissed Ritu and conceded only three runs before Athapaththu's decisive intervention, with Rabeya, Nahida, captain Joty and Marufa Akter all dismissed as Sri Lanka snatched the triumph at the death.

Ultimately, it was a match of composure. The very experienced Athapaththu, who moved aside a several of fellow players as she got ready to bowl the final over, maintained her nerve. Bangladesh failed to.

There will be numerous questions about the team's batting effort. They possibly have been pursuing 270 to 280 with Sri Lanka appearing at ease on 159-4 in the 30th bowling phase, but rather the required total was considerably smaller.

However, Bangladesh displayed insufficient purpose from the start, accumulating runs at less than 2.5 runs each over during the powerplay, undergoing a initial wicket loss, and finally making themselves too much to do.

But no matter what difficulties there are with their batting lineup, if they had taken their catches in the fielding department, that 203-run target would have been significantly smaller.

It needed them three attempts to terminate the 72-run stand second-wicket association, with wicketkeeper Joty not managing to grab a tough catch as wicketkeeper to remove Hasini Perera on 23 runs before Athapaththu got a reprieve from a caught and bowled chance opportunity against Rabeya.

Perera was spilled once more on 55 and 63 runs, the final opportunity going straight to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover position, before finally being trapped lbw by Shorna Akter as she attempted to accelerate the scoring with partners falling near her.

Afterwards in the game, there was additionally a failed stumping and a failed run-out, even though the latter was a slightly regrettable, with Rubya Haider deputising with the keeping duties after an physical problem to Joty.

Unfortunately for the team, such fielding issues are nowhere near a single occurrence. They've missed 14 catches from a available 27 chances at this tournament and boast the poorest catch efficiency (48.1%) of the eight teams.

They are a side who are typically progressing in the proper way – they are playing in just their second 50-over World Cup in the end – but poor fielding standards is a prominent issue which requires attention.