Sri Lanka defeats Bangladesh to preserve their World Cup tournament hopes breathing

Women's Cricket 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); Athapaththu 4-42

The Lankan side win by seven runs margin

Sri Lanka claimed four wickets in the decisive innings segment to seal a thrilling win over Bangladesh and keep their slim chances of qualifying for the World Cup semi-finals intact.

Pursuing a modest target of 203 on a good batting surface in Navi Mumbai, the Bangladeshi team wanted nine additional runs from the remaining six deliveries.

However, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu secured three important dismissals in four bowls and de Silva ran out Nahida Akter to secure a dramatic win for Sri Lanka.

The victory – Sri Lanka's initial of the tournament after three unsuccessful matches and two abandoned games against Australia and New Zealand – elevates them level on four match points with India and the New Zealand side, who face each other on Thursday.

Bangladesh, however, endured a fifth consecutive loss since winning their first match against Pakistan and have been eliminated.

While the Bangladeshi side made the perfect start, with Marufa taking a wicket with the opening bowl of the match to dismiss Vishmi Gunaratne, they were appropriately penalized for a subpar fielding display.

They provided second chances to Hasini Perera, who was dropped on three occasions, and the Lankan captain.

Although the Sri Lankan skipper failed to capitalise, removed leg before wicket for 46 a single bowl after being missed by Rabeya Khan, Hasini Perera forced Bangladesh suffer.

She achieved a maiden international 50-run score, accumulating 85 from 99 balls and building an crucial 74-run fifth-wicket with Nilakshi de Silva.

The Bangladeshi team, spearheaded by Shorna Akter's 3-27, dragged themselves back in the match, with Nilakshi's removal in the 34th over triggering a Lankan collapse from 174 for four to 202 complete.

In reply, Sri Lanka's starting bowlers Madara and Prabodhani contained Bangladesh to 23-1 in a uninspiring powerplay and they were later reduced to 44 for three.

Sharmin and Nigar Sultana Joty rebuilt their innings, adding 82 for the fourth wicket stand before Sharmin retired hurt for a resolute 64 in the 36th bowling phase.

It was in favor of Bangladesh entering the final two bowling phases, with just 12 additional runs needed.

Nevertheless, Dasanayaka dismissed Ritu and allowed just three scoring runs before Athapaththu's dramatic spell, with Rabeya, Nahida, captain Joty and Marufa Akter all sent back as Sri Lanka seized the win at the very end.

In the end, it was a match of composure. The very experienced Athapaththu, who moved aside a several of fellow players as she got ready to deliver the final over, kept her composure. Bangladesh could not.

There will be numerous questions about the team's batting effort. They could easily have been chasing 270 to 280 with the Lankan team appearing at ease on 159-4 in the 30th over, but instead the required total was much lower.

Yet, Bangladesh lacked aggression from ball one, scoring at below 2.5 runs per over during the powerplay, experiencing a top-order collapse, and finally leaving themselves excessive to achieve.

But whatever difficulties there are with their batting, if they had accepted their chances in the fielding department, that 203-run goal would have been considerably less.

It took them three efforts to terminate the 72-run stand second-wicket, with keeper Nigar Sultana being unable to grab a tough chance behind the stumps to dismiss Perera on 23 runs before the captain survived from a return catch possibility against Rabeya Khan.

The batter was missed once more on her score of 55 and her score of 63, the latter chance traveling straight to Jhilik at cover field, before finally being trapped lbw by Shorna as she sought to accelerate the scoring with batting partners getting out around her.

Later in the innings, there was additionally a missed stumping and a run-out opportunity lost, while the latter was a little unlucky, with Jhilik standing in with the keeping duties after an physical problem to the regular keeper.

Sadly for the team, such fielding issues are far from a isolated incident. They've failed to catch 14 catches from a available 27 opportunities at this competition and boast the lowest catch efficiency (less than 50%) of the participating teams.

They are a squad who are overall heading in the proper way – they are participating in just their second ODI World Cup after all – but poor fielding performance is a glaring problem which needs focus.