The Lankan team beats Bangladesh to keep their World Cup campaign ongoing

ICC Women's World Cup, Mumbai

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

The Bangladeshi team 195-9 (50 overs): Nigar Sultana 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 achieve a nail-biting triumph over Bangladesh and preserve their slim chances of making it for the World Cup semi-finals intact.

Needing a attainable total of 203 on a batting-friendly pitch in Navi Mumbai, Bangladesh wanted nine runs from the remaining six balls.

However, Lankan skipper Athapaththu took three crucial wickets in four deliveries and Nilakshi de Silva dismissed via run-out Nahida to bring about a exciting victory for Sri Lanka.

The win – the Lankan team's maiden of the World Cup after three unsuccessful matches and two no-results against the Australian team and New Zealand – pushes them level on four tournament points with the Indian team and the New Zealand side, who meet each other on Thursday.

Bangladesh, on the other hand, endured a fifth successive defeat since winning their tournament opener against the Pakistani team and have been knocked out.

Although Bangladesh made the ideal beginning, with Marufa Akter taking a wicket with the initial ball of the match 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.

While Athapaththu was unable to take advantage, removed lbw for 46 a single bowl after being put down by Rabeya Khan, Perera forced Bangladesh regret it.

She achieved a first international fifty, accumulating 85 from 99 bowls and sharing an significant 74-run stand fifth-wicket association with De Silva.

Bangladesh, guided by Shorna Akter's impressive bowling figures, dragged themselves back into the contest, with De Silva's wicket in the 34th over initiating a Lankan batting collapse from 174-4 to 202 complete.

In reply, Sri Lanka's opening bowlers Madara and Prabodhani restricted Bangladesh to 23-1 in a disappointing opening overs and they were subsequently reduced to 44 for three.

Sharmin Akter and Joty reconstructed their innings, putting on 82 runs for the fourth wicket stand before Sharmin left the field injured for a resolute 64 in the 36th bowling phase.

It was leaning toward the chasing team heading into the final two bowling phases, with just 12 more runs required.

Nevertheless, Sugandika Dasanayaka dismissed Ritu and allowed only three runs before Athapaththu's chaos, with Rabeya, Nahida, captain Joty and Marufa Akter all dismissed as the Lankan team seized the victory at the death.

Finally, it was a match of nerve. The highly experienced Lankan captain, who ushered away a few of fellow players as she got ready to bowl the decisive over, maintained her nerve. Bangladesh failed to.

There will be numerous inquiries about Bangladesh's batting display. They possibly have been needing 270 or 280 with the Lankan team seeming comfortable on 159 for four in the 30th innings segment, but in contrast the required total was significantly less.

Nevertheless, the batting side lacked intent from the start, making runs at less than 2.5 scoring rate during the powerplay, undergoing a initial wicket loss, and ultimately making themselves excessive to achieve.

But whatever issues there are with their batting lineup, if they had taken their catches in the fielding department, that 203-run target target would have been substantially less.

It required them three efforts to terminate the 72-run partnership second-wicket, with wicketkeeper Joty failing to grab a difficult chance while keeping to send back Perera on her score of 23 before Athapaththu survived from a return catch possibility against Rabeya Khan.

The batter was dropped once more on 55 runs and 63 runs, the final opportunity traveling directly to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover, before ultimately being dismissed leg before wicket by Shorna as she attempted to accelerate the scoring with batting partners being dismissed beside her.

Afterwards in the innings, there was furthermore a failed stumping and a failed run-out, even though the run-out chance was a somewhat regrettable, with Rubya Haider substituting with the keeping duties due to an physical problem to Joty.

Regrettably for Bangladesh, such fielding issues are not at all a single occurrence. They've missed 14 catches from a available 27 opportunities at this tournament and display the worst fielding effectiveness (48.1%) of the participating teams.

They are a squad who are overall progressing in the correct path – they are participating in just their second 50-over World Cup in the end – but poor fielding is a prominent problem which requires improvement.