Sri Lanka overcomes the Bangladeshi side to maintain their tournament hopes ongoing
The Lankan team will face Pakistan in their must-win last tournament game
Women's Cricket World Cup, Navi Mumbai
The Lankan team 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
Sri Lanka win by seven runs
Sri Lanka took four crucial dismissals in the last innings segment to achieve a heart-stopping triumph over their opponents and keep their narrow aspirations of qualifying for the tournament knockout stage alive.
Pursuing a modest target of 203 on a good batting surface in the Mumbai stadium, Bangladesh required nine runs from the remaining six deliveries.
However, Sri Lanka captain Athapaththu secured three wickets in four balls and Nilakshi de Silva dismissed via run-out Nahida to secure a exciting success for Sri Lanka.
The victory – the Lankan team's initial of the tournament after three unsuccessful matches and two washed-out matches against the Australian team and New Zealand – elevates them tied on four points with India and the New Zealand side, who confront each other on Thursday.
Bangladesh, however, endured a fifth straight loss since winning their initial game against Pakistan and have been removed from contention.
Although Bangladesh made the excellent commencement, with Marufa striking with the first delivery of the match to send back Vishmi Gunaratne, they were appropriately made to pay for a disappointing fielding display.
They gifted reprieves to Perera, who was spilled three times, and the Lankan captain.
Although Athapaththu was unable to take advantage, removed lbw for 46 just one delivery after being put down by Rabeya Khan, Hasini Perera made the opposition regret it.
She registered a first international 50-run score, making 85 from 99 deliveries and building an important 74-run stand fifth-wicket with Nilakshi de Silva.
The Bangladeshi team, guided by Shorna Akter's three wickets for 27 runs, fought themselves back into the contest, with De Silva's wicket in the 34th over causing a Lankan collapse from 174 with four wickets down to 202 all out.
During their chase, Sri Lanka's opening bowlers Malki Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani contained the opposition to 23-1 in a lacklustre powerplay and they were afterwards reduced to 44-3.
Sharmin Akter and Joty restored their batting effort, adding an 82-run partnership for the fourth wicket stand before Sharmin withdrew due to injury for a determined 64 in the 36th over.
It was advantage Bangladesh entering the final two bowling phases, with just 12 more runs necessary.
Nevertheless, Sugandika Dasanayaka sent back Ritu and gave away just three scoring runs before Athapaththu's dramatic spell, with Rabeya Khan, Nahida, skipper Joty and Marufa Akter all removed as Sri Lanka seized the win at the very end.
Bangladesh fail to keep calm - and catches
Finally, it was a game of nerves. The very experienced Lankan captain, who directed away a handful of teammates as she prepared to bowl the final over, held her composure. Bangladesh could not.
There will be many inquiries about the team's batting effort. They possibly have been chasing 270 to 280 with the Lankan team appearing comfortable on 159 for four in the 30th innings segment, but rather the chase was considerably smaller.
Nevertheless, the batting side lacked aggression from ball one, scoring at under 2.5 scoring rate during the powerplay, suffering a initial wicket loss, and ultimately leaving themselves excessive to do.
But no matter what problems there are with their batting approach, if they had accepted their chances in the fielding department, that 203-run objective would have been considerably smaller.
It took them three attempts to end the 72-run partnership second-wicket collaboration, with wicketkeeper Nigar Sultana not managing to hold a difficult opportunity while keeping to remove Hasini Perera on 23 before the captain was spared from a caught and bowled opportunity against Rabeya.
The batter was missed once more on 55 and 63 runs, the last attempt traveling straight to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover position, before finally being dismissed lbw by Shorna as she attempted to accelerate the scoring with partners getting out around her.
Afterwards in the game, there was additionally a stumping chance missed and a missed run-out, although the latter was a slightly unfortunate, with Rubya Haider standing in with the wicketkeeping gloves after an physical problem to Joty.
Regrettably for the team, such fielding woes are not at all a one-off. They've failed to catch 14 chances from a possible 27 at this World Cup and boast the worst catching success rate (48.1 percent) of the eight teams.
They are a side who are typically moving in the proper way – they are playing in just their second ODI World Cup after all – but substandard fielding is a prominent problem which requires improvement.
