The Lankan team beats Bangladesh to preserve their tournament hopes ongoing
The Lankan team will meet the Pakistani side in their decisive last group game
ICC Women's 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); Chamari Athapaththu 4-42
The Lankan side win by seven runs margin
Sri Lanka claimed four wickets in the final innings segment to achieve a thrilling triumph over their opponents and keep their slim aspirations of qualifying for the World Cup semi-finals alive.
Needing a modest total of 203 on a batting-friendly pitch in the Mumbai stadium, the Bangladeshi team required nine additional runs from the remaining six balls.
Yet, Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu claimed three crucial wickets in four deliveries and de Silva ran out Nahida Akter to bring about a thrilling victory for Sri Lanka.
The win – the Lankan team's first of the World Cup after three unsuccessful matches and two no-results against Australia and New Zealand – elevates them equal on four tournament points with India and the New Zealand side, who face each other on the coming Thursday.
The Bangladeshi team, in contrast, experienced a fifth consecutive setback since securing victory in their initial game against Pakistan and have been removed from contention.
While the Bangladeshi side got off to the excellent commencement, with Marufa striking with the opening bowl of the encounter to remove Gunaratne, they were deservedly penalized for a poor fielding display.
They provided lifelines to Hasini Perera, who was missed on three occasions, and the Lankan captain.
Although the Sri Lankan skipper failed to capitalise, sent back lbw for 46 one ball after being put down by Rabeya Khan, Hasini Perera forced the opposition pay.
She achieved a maiden international half-century, making 85 from 99 deliveries and contributing to an significant 74-run fifth-wicket collaboration with De Silva.
The Bangladeshi team, led by Shorna's 3-27, fought themselves back into the contest, with De Silva's removal in the 34th innings segment triggering a Lankan downfall from 174-4 to 202 total.
During their chase, Sri Lanka's opening bowlers Malki Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani limited Bangladesh to 23-1 in a uninspiring opening overs and they were afterwards reduced to 44 with three wickets lost.
Sharmin Akter and Joty rebuilt their score, putting on 82 for the fourth wicket stand before the batter retired hurt for a resolute 64 in the 36th bowling phase.
It was advantage Bangladesh heading into the final two innings segments, with just 12 additional runs required.
Nevertheless, Dasanayaka removed Ritu and allowed just three runs before the captain's chaos, with Rabeya Khan, Nahida, skipper Joty and Marufa Akter all dismissed as the Lankan team seized the triumph at the death.
The Bangladeshi team are unable to hold nerve - and catches
Finally, it was a match of nerve. The highly experienced Athapaththu, who directed away a handful of team-mates as she prepared to deliver the last over, maintained her nerve. Bangladesh could not.
There will be plenty of doubts about Bangladesh's batting display. They might well have been chasing around 270-280 with Sri Lanka seeming settled on 159 for four in the 30th innings segment, but instead the target was significantly less.
Yet, the batting side lacked purpose from the very beginning, scoring at below 2.5 scoring rate during the opening overs, undergoing a early batting collapse, and finally making themselves excessive to accomplish.
But whatever problems there are with their batting lineup, if they had seized their opportunities in the fielding department, that 203 total target would have been considerably smaller.
It took them three attempts to terminate the 72-run stand second-wicket collaboration, with keeper Nigar Sultana not managing to hold a tough opportunity while keeping to dismiss Perera on 23 runs before Athapaththu was spared from a caught and bowled chance opportunity against Rabeya Khan.
Perera was dropped further on 55 and 63 runs, the last attempt traveling straight to Jhilik at cover field, before eventually being given out leg before wicket by Shorna as she tried to up the ante with partners getting out near her.
Subsequently in the innings, there was additionally a stumping chance missed and a failed run-out, even though the latter was a somewhat unlucky, with Jhilik substituting with the wicketkeeping gloves after an injury to Joty.
Unfortunately for the team, such fielding issues are far from a isolated incident. They've missed 14 chances from a available 27 opportunities at this World Cup and have the lowest catch efficiency (48.1%) of the competing sides.
They are a team who are overall heading in the correct path – they are playing in just their second 50-over World Cup ultimately – but inadequate fielding is a prominent concern which demands attention.
