Sri Lanka overcomes Bangladesh to preserve their campaign breathing

ICC Women's World Cup, Navi Mumbai

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

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

The Lankan side win by seven runs

Sri Lanka took four wickets in the final over to complete a thrilling triumph over their opponents and preserve their faint chances of qualifying for the World Cup semi-finals alive.

Chasing a attainable target of 203 on a batting-friendly pitch in Navi Mumbai, the Bangladeshi team needed nine additional runs from the final six bowls.

Yet, Sri Lanka captain Athapaththu claimed three wickets in four balls and de Silva ran out Nahida Akter to bring about a exciting success for the Lankan team.

The victory – the Lankan team's maiden of the World Cup after three unsuccessful matches and two abandoned games against Australia and the Kiwi side – elevates them tied on four points with the Indian team and the New Zealand side, who meet each other on the coming Thursday.

Bangladesh, in contrast, experienced a fifth successive loss since winning their initial game against Pakistan and have been removed from contention.

While the Bangladeshi side got off to the perfect start, with Marufa Akter striking with the initial ball of the encounter to remove Vishmi Gunaratne, they were appropriately punished for a subpar fielding display.

They gifted reprieves to Perera, who was spilled multiple times, and Athapaththu.

Even though Athapaththu was unable to capitalise, sent back lbw for 46 just one delivery after being missed by Rabeya, Perera forced Bangladesh regret it.

She achieved a debut international 50-run score, making 85 from 99 bowls and building an significant 74-run stand fifth-wicket association with Nilakshi de Silva.

Bangladesh, led by Shorna's 3-27, dragged themselves back to the match, with Nilakshi's dismissal in the 34th bowling segment triggering a Sri Lanka downfall from 174 for four to 202 all out.

During their chase, Sri Lanka's initial pace attack Malki Madara and Prabodhani contained the opposition to 23 with one wicket down in a disappointing powerplay and they were afterwards diminished to 44 with three wickets lost.

Sharmin Akter and Joty restored their score, putting on 82 for the fourth wicket stand before the batter retired hurt for a determined 64 in the 36th innings segment.

It was leaning toward the chasing team entering the remaining two overs, with only 12 additional runs necessary.

However, Sugandika Dasanayaka dismissed Ritu and conceded just three scoring runs before Athapaththu's dramatic spell, with Rabeya Khan, Nahida Akter, captain Joty and Marufa Akter all sent back as the Lankan team grabbed the triumph at the very end.

In the end, it was a game of nerves. The seasoned Athapaththu, who directed away a several of team-mates as she set herself to deliver the final over, held her composure. The opposition failed to.

There will be numerous doubts about the team's batting performance. They could easily have been chasing around 270-280 with Sri Lanka appearing at ease on 159 with four wickets down in the 30th innings segment, but rather the required total was much lower.

However, the batting side displayed insufficient aggression from the very beginning, making runs at less than 2.5 runs each over during the opening overs, experiencing a initial wicket loss, and ultimately forcing themselves excessive to do.

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

It needed them three tries to break the 72-run partnership second-wicket association, with keeper Nigar Sultana not managing to grab a difficult opportunity as wicketkeeper to remove Hasini Perera on 23 runs before Athapaththu survived from a return catch chance against Rabeya Khan.

Perera was spilled once more on 55 runs and 63, the final opportunity traveling directly to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover, before ultimately being dismissed lbw by Shorna as she attempted to increase the tempo with partners being dismissed near her.

Later in the game, there was also a failed stumping and a missed run-out, even though the run-out chance was a somewhat unlucky, with Jhilik substituting with the keeping duties after an fitness issue to the regular keeper.

Unfortunately for the team, such fielding issues are far from a one-off. They've missed 14 opportunities from a potential 27 at this World Cup and boast the worst catching success rate (48.1%) of the competing sides.

They are a side who are generally heading in the correct path – they are participating in merely their second 50-over World Cup after all – but inadequate fielding standards is a obvious issue which demands attention.