Sri Lanka defeats Bangladesh to preserve their campaign ongoing

ICC Women's World Cup, Navi Mumbai

The Lankan team 202 (48.4 overs): Hasini Perera 85 (99); Shorna Akter 3-27

The Bangladeshi team 195-9 (50 overs): Joty 77 (98); Chamari Athapaththu 4-42

The Lankan side win by seven runs

The Lankan cricket team took four wickets in the last innings segment to complete a heart-stopping win over their opponents and keep their faint aspirations of making it for the World Cup semi-finals ongoing.

Needing a below-par score of 203 on a good batting surface in Navi Mumbai, Bangladesh required nine runs from the remaining six balls.

However, Sri Lanka captain Athapaththu secured three wickets in four bowls and de Silva ran out Nahida Akter to secure a dramatic win for the Lankan team.

The win – the Lankan team's initial of the competition after three defeats and two no-results against the Australian team and the Kiwi side – elevates them level on four tournament points with India and the New Zealand side, who meet each other on the coming Thursday.

Bangladesh, in contrast, experienced a fifth successive setback since securing victory in their first match against Pakistan and have been removed from contention.

Although Bangladesh got off to the perfect start, with Marufa striking with the initial ball of the encounter to dismiss Vishmi Gunaratne, they were deservedly punished for a poor fielding display.

They gifted reprieves to Hasini Perera, who was spilled on three occasions, and Athapaththu.

Even though Athapaththu could not capitalise, sent back lbw for 46 a single bowl after being dropped by Rabeya Khan, Hasini Perera forced the opposition suffer.

She registered a maiden international 50-run score, scoring 85 from 99 bowls and building an crucial 74-run stand fifth-wicket with De Silva.

Bangladesh, guided by Shorna's 3-27, dragged themselves back to the game, with Nilakshi's wicket in the 34th over initiating a Lankan collapse from 174 with four wickets down to 202 total.

In reply, Sri Lanka's initial pace attack Malki Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani restricted Bangladesh to 23 for one in a disappointing opening overs and they were subsequently brought down to 44-3.

Sharmin and Nigar Sultana Joty rebuilt their batting effort, putting on 82 for the fourth wicket collaboration before the batter retired hurt for a determined 64 in the 36th bowling phase.

It was advantage Bangladesh approaching the final two overs, with just 12 additional runs required.

Yet, Sugandika Dasanayaka removed Ritu and allowed only three runs before the captain's decisive intervention, with Rabeya Khan, Nahida Akter, captain Joty and Marufa Akter all dismissed as the Lankan team seized the victory at the death.

Finally, it was a game of nerves. The highly experienced Lankan captain, who moved aside a few of teammates as she prepared to deliver the decisive over, maintained her nerve. The opposition did not.

There will be many inquiries about the team's batting display. They might well have been pursuing 270 or 280 with Sri Lanka seeming comfortable on 159 for four in the 30th over, but in contrast the target was much lower.

Yet, Bangladesh lacked intent from the very beginning, accumulating runs at less than 2.5 scoring rate during the opening overs, undergoing a initial wicket loss, and eventually forcing themselves overwhelming to achieve.

But whatever difficulties there are with their batting approach, if they had accepted their catches in the fielding area, that 203-run goal would have been significantly less.

It took them three tries to terminate the 72-run partnership second-wicket collaboration, with keeper Joty being unable to hold a challenging opportunity as wicketkeeper to dismiss Perera on her score of 23 before Athapaththu survived from a caught and bowled chance possibility against Rabeya.

The batter was missed once more on 55 and her score of 63, the final opportunity traveling straight to Jhilik at cover, before finally being dismissed lbw by Shorna as she tried to accelerate the scoring with partners getting out near her.

Subsequently in the innings, there was also a stumping chance missed and a run-out opportunity lost, while the latter was a somewhat unfortunate, with Jhilik standing in with the gloves following an injury to the regular keeper.

Sadly for Bangladesh, such fielding woes are far from a one-off. They've missed 14 chances from a possible 27 chances at this tournament and have the lowest catch efficiency (48.1 percent) of the eight teams.

They are a squad who are overall heading in the right direction – they are participating in just their second ODI World Cup ultimately – but inadequate fielding is a glaring issue which demands attention.