Sri Lanka defeats the Bangladeshi side to preserve their World Cup campaign breathing
The Lankan team will confront Pakistan in their must-win last tournament match
Women's Cricket World Cup, Mumbai
The Lankan team 202 (48.4 overs): Hasini Perera 85 (99); Shorna 3-27
The Bangladeshi team 195-9 (50 overs): Nigar Sultana Joty 77 (98); Chamari Athapaththu 4-42
The Lankan side win by seven runs margin
Sri Lanka claimed four crucial dismissals in the decisive over to complete a heart-stopping triumph over Bangladesh and preserve their narrow aspirations of qualifying for the World Cup semi-finals ongoing.
Pursuing a below-par target of 203 on a favorable wicket in the Mumbai stadium, the Bangladeshi team wanted nine additional runs from the remaining six deliveries.
Yet, Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu took three wickets in four balls and de Silva ran out Nahida to bring about a exciting success for the Lankan team.
The win – Sri Lanka's maiden of the tournament after three unsuccessful matches and two abandoned games against the Australian team and New Zealand – pushes them level on four points with India and the New Zealand side, who face each other on the coming Thursday.
Bangladesh, on the other hand, suffered a fifth consecutive defeat since winning their tournament opener against Pakistan and have been removed from contention.
Although the Bangladeshi side got off to the ideal beginning, with Marufa Akter taking a wicket with the initial ball of the match to remove Vishmi Gunaratne, they were rightfully penalized for a poor fielding performance.
They offered lifelines to Hasini Perera, who was missed three times, and Athapaththu.
Even though the Sri Lankan skipper failed to make it count, removed leg before wicket for 46 one ball after being put down by Rabeya Khan, Perera forced the opposition suffer.
She achieved a first international half-century, scoring 85 from 99 balls and building an important 74-run stand fifth-wicket association with Nilakshi de Silva.
Bangladesh, led by Shorna's 3-27, dragged themselves back into the contest, with De Silva's removal in the 34th over triggering a Lankan downfall from 174 with four wickets down to 202 all out.
In reply, the Lankan team's opening bowlers Malki Madara and Prabodhani restricted Bangladesh to 23-1 in a lacklustre opening overs and they were subsequently diminished to 44-3.
Sharmin Akter and Joty restored their innings, adding 82 runs for the fourth wicket stand before Sharmin left the field injured for a stubborn 64 in the 36th over.
It was in favor of Bangladesh heading into the remaining two innings segments, with only 12 runs necessary.
Nevertheless, Dasanayaka dismissed Ritu Moni and conceded merely three scoring runs before the captain's dramatic spell, with Rabeya Khan, Nahida, skipper Joty and Marufa all removed as the Lankan team grabbed the win at the final moment.
Bangladesh fail to keep calm - and fielding opportunities
Finally, it was a contest of composure. The very experienced Athapaththu, who directed away a several of team-mates as she got ready to bowl the decisive over, maintained her nerve. The opposition did not.
There will be numerous doubts about Bangladesh's batting effort. They might well have been needing around 270-280 with Sri Lanka seeming at ease on 159-4 in the 30th over, but rather the chase was much lower.
Nevertheless, Bangladesh lacked intent from ball one, accumulating runs at below 2.5 scoring rate during the powerplay, undergoing a top-order collapse, and ultimately leaving themselves excessive to achieve.
But no matter what issues there are with their batting lineup, if they had taken their opportunities in the fielding area, that 203-run objective would have been substantially lower.
It needed them three tries to terminate the 72-run second-wicket association, with wicketkeeper Joty failing to grab a difficult chance behind the stumps to remove Perera on her score of 23 before Athapaththu survived from a caught and bowled chance against Rabeya.
The batter was dropped again on her score of 55 and 63 runs, the latter chance traveling straight to Jhilik at cover position, before finally being dismissed lbw by Shorna as she tried to up the ante with teammates being dismissed around her.
Later in the batting effort, there was additionally a stumping chance missed and a failed run-out, even though the second one was a somewhat regrettable, with Rubya Haider substituting with the keeping duties due to an fitness issue to Joty.
Sadly for Bangladesh, such fielding issues are nowhere near a one-off. They've missed 14 chances from a available 27 opportunities at this competition and boast the worst fielding effectiveness (less than 50%) of the participating teams.
They are a squad who are generally progressing in the right direction – they are participating in only their second ODI World Cup ultimately – but substandard fielding is a glaring concern which needs attention.
