The Lankan team defeats the Bangladeshi side to preserve their World Cup tournament hopes ongoing
The Lankan team will confront the Pakistani side in their crucial final group game
ICC Women's World Cup, Navi Mumbai
Sri Lanka 202 (48.4 overs): Perera 85 (99); Shorna Akter 3-27
Bangladesh 195-9 (50 overs): Nigar Sultana Joty 77 (98); Athapaththu 4-42
Sri Lanka emerge victorious by seven runs margin
The Lankan cricket team took four crucial dismissals in the decisive innings segment to complete a heart-stopping win over Bangladesh and maintain their slim hopes of qualifying for the World Cup semi-finals intact.
Chasing a below-par score of 203 on a batting-friendly pitch in Navi Mumbai, the Bangladeshi team wanted nine more runs from the remaining six balls.
Nevertheless, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu secured three important dismissals in four deliveries and Nilakshi de Silva dismissed via run-out Nahida Akter to bring about a dramatic success for the Lankan team.
The victory – the Lankan team's first of the World Cup after three unsuccessful matches and two no-results against the Australian team and New Zealand – moves them level on four match points with the Indian team and New Zealand, who confront each other on the coming Thursday.
The Bangladeshi team, on the other hand, experienced a fifth consecutive setback since securing victory in their tournament opener against the Pakistani team and have been knocked out.
While the Bangladeshi side got off to the perfect start, with Marufa Akter taking a wicket with the opening bowl of the match to remove Gunaratne, they were deservedly punished for a disappointing fielding performance.
They offered reprieves to Hasini Perera, who was missed three times, and Athapaththu.
Although Athapaththu could not take advantage, dismissed leg before wicket for 46 a single bowl after being put down by Rabeya, Perera made Bangladesh regret it.
She achieved a debut international half-century, making 85 from 99 deliveries and sharing an significant 74-run partnership fifth-wicket with De Silva.
The Bangladeshi team, guided by Shorna's impressive bowling figures, dragged themselves back to the game, with De Silva's removal in the 34th bowling segment initiating a Lankan downfall from 174 with four wickets down to 202 all out.
During their chase, Sri Lanka's initial pace attack Madara and Prabodhani limited the opposition to 23-1 in a lacklustre powerplay and they were subsequently reduced to 44-3.
Sharmin Akter and Nigar Sultana Joty reconstructed their batting effort, putting on 82 for the fourth wicket collaboration before the batter withdrew due to injury for a determined 64 in the 36th innings segment.
It was in favor of the chasing team approaching the remaining two overs, with merely 12 more runs necessary.
Nevertheless, Sugandika Dasanayaka removed Ritu Moni and gave away only three runs before the captain's chaos, with Rabeya Khan, Nahida Akter, captain Joty and Marufa Akter all dismissed as the Lankan team seized the triumph at the death.
The Bangladeshi team are unable to keep calm - and fielding opportunities
Ultimately, it was a game of nerves. The very experienced Athapaththu, who ushered away a few of teammates as she set herself to deliver the final over, kept her nerve. The opposition did not.
There will be plenty of questions about Bangladesh's batting display. They possibly have been chasing 270 to 280 with the Lankan team looking settled on 159-4 in the 30th over, but in contrast the target was significantly less.
Yet, the batting side lacked purpose from ball one, scoring at less than 2.5 runs per over during the opening overs, suffering a top-order collapse, and finally leaving themselves too much to do.
But no matter what problems there are with their batting, if they had taken their opportunities in the field, that 203 total target would have been considerably less.
It required them three attempts to end the 72-run partnership second-wicket collaboration, with wicketkeeper Nigar Sultana not managing to hold a difficult catch as wicketkeeper to remove Perera on her score of 23 before Athapaththu survived from a caught and bowled chance chance against Rabeya.
Perera was dropped once more on 55 runs and her score of 63, the final opportunity going right to Jhilik at cover position, before ultimately being dismissed lbw by Shorna as she sought to increase the tempo with batting partners getting out beside her.
Subsequently in the game, there was additionally a stumping chance missed and a missed run-out, although the run-out chance was a slightly regrettable, with Rubya Haider substituting with the wicketkeeping gloves due to an injury to Joty.
Regrettably for the team, such fielding woes are not at all a isolated incident. They've failed to catch 14 catches from a available 27 opportunities at this tournament and boast the poorest catch efficiency (48.1 percent) of the participating teams.
They are a team who are typically heading in the proper way – they are participating in just their second one-day World Cup ultimately – but substandard fielding standards is a obvious concern which needs improvement.
