Sri Lanka overcomes Bangladesh to preserve their World Cup campaign breathing

Women's Cricket World Cup, Navi Mumbai

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

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

The Lankan side win by seven runs

The Lankan cricket team took four crucial dismissals in the decisive innings segment to achieve a thrilling triumph over their opponents and preserve their faint chances of qualifying for the tournament knockout stage intact.

Chasing a modest total of 203 on a batting-friendly pitch in the Mumbai stadium, Bangladesh needed nine more runs from the last six bowls.

However, Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu claimed three crucial wickets in four balls and Nilakshi de Silva ran out Nahida Akter to bring about a dramatic victory for the Lankan team.

The victory – the Lankan team's first of the tournament after three defeats and two abandoned games against Australia and the Kiwi side – elevates them tied on four tournament points with India and New Zealand, who face each other on Thursday.

Bangladesh, in contrast, suffered a fifth straight defeat since securing victory in their initial game against the Pakistani team and have been removed from contention.

While Bangladesh got off to the ideal beginning, with Marufa taking a wicket with the first delivery of the encounter to dismiss Vishmi Gunaratne, they were rightfully punished for a disappointing fielding performance.

They provided lifelines to Perera, who was spilled multiple times, and the Lankan captain.

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

She registered a first international fifty, accumulating 85 from 99 deliveries and sharing an significant 74-run stand fifth-wicket collaboration with Nilakshi de Silva.

Bangladesh, led by Shorna Akter's impressive bowling figures, pulled themselves back to the game, with De Silva's dismissal in the 34th innings segment triggering a Sri Lanka collapse from 174 with four wickets down to 202 complete.

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

Sharmin Akter and Joty reconstructed their score, putting on an 82-run partnership for the fourth wicket collaboration before the batter withdrew due to injury for a determined 64 in the 36th over.

It was in favor of the chasing team entering the remaining two innings segments, with just 12 runs required.

Yet, Dasanayaka removed Ritu and conceded merely three scoring runs before Athapaththu's decisive intervention, with Rabeya Khan, Nahida, captain Joty and Marufa Akter all dismissed as the Lankan team grabbed the win at the final moment.

Ultimately, it was a game of nerves. The seasoned Athapaththu, who ushered away a few of team-mates as she prepared to bowl the final over, kept hers. Bangladesh did not.

There will be many doubts about Bangladesh's batting display. They possibly have been chasing around 270-280 with Sri Lanka looking at ease on 159 with four wickets down in the 30th bowling phase, but in contrast the target was much lower.

However, the batting side displayed insufficient purpose from ball one, scoring at less than 2.5 runs each over during the opening overs, suffering a initial wicket loss, and finally making themselves overwhelming to do.

But whatever difficulties there are with their batting approach, if they had accepted their catches in the fielding area, that 203-run target goal would have been significantly lower.

It needed them three efforts to end the 72-run stand second-wicket association, with wicketkeeper Nigar Sultana being unable to take a tough catch behind the stumps to remove Hasini Perera on her score of 23 before the captain got a reprieve from a return catch opportunity against Rabeya Khan.

Perera was spilled further on her score of 55 and 63 runs, the final opportunity traveling straight to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover, before ultimately being dismissed lbw by Shorna Akter as she sought to up the ante with partners falling beside her.

Later in the game, there was additionally a missed stumping and a failed run-out, although the run-out chance was a somewhat unlucky, with Rubya Haider standing in with the wicketkeeping gloves due to an injury to Joty.

Unfortunately for the team, such fielding issues are not at all a isolated incident. They've dropped 14 catches from a available 27 at this World Cup and boast the worst catching success rate (48.1 percent) of the participating teams.

They are a team who are overall heading in the right direction – they are playing in merely their second ODI World Cup after all – but substandard fielding is a prominent issue which demands attention.