The Lankan team beats Bangladesh to preserve their World Cup campaign ongoing
The Lankan team will face Pakistan in their crucial final group game
ICC Women's World Cup, Mumbai
Sri Lanka 202 (48.4 overs): Hasini Perera 85 (99); Shorna 3-27
Bangladesh 195-9 (50 overs): Nigar Sultana Joty 77 (98); Chamari Athapaththu 4-42
Sri Lanka emerge victorious by seven runs margin
The Lankan cricket team took four crucial dismissals in the decisive over to achieve a nail-biting triumph over Bangladesh and keep their slim hopes of making it for the tournament knockout stage intact.
Needing a attainable score of 203 on a good batting surface in the Mumbai stadium, the Bangladeshi team wanted nine additional runs from the last six bowls.
Yet, Lankan skipper Athapaththu claimed three crucial wickets in four balls and Nilakshi de Silva ran out Nahida Akter to secure a exciting win for Sri Lanka.
The triumph – the Lankan team's initial of the competition after three defeats and two abandoned games against the Australian team and the Kiwi side – elevates them level on four tournament 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 defeat since securing victory in their first match against Pakistan and have been eliminated.
Although the Bangladeshi side got off to the perfect start, with Marufa Akter taking a wicket with the initial ball of the encounter to send back Vishmi Gunaratne, they were appropriately made to pay for a disappointing fielding performance.
They provided second chances to Perera, who was spilled multiple times, and the Lankan captain.
Even though Athapaththu was unable to take advantage, removed lbw for 46 one ball after being dropped by Rabeya Khan, Perera forced the opposition suffer.
She registered a first international 50-run score, making 85 from 99 deliveries and building an important 74-run stand fifth-wicket with De Silva.
The Bangladeshi team, spearheaded by Shorna Akter's 3-27, fought themselves back in the contest, with Nilakshi's dismissal in the 34th bowling segment triggering a Sri Lanka downfall from 174-4 to 202 all out.
In reply, the Lankan team's starting bowlers Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani contained the opposition to 23 for one in a disappointing powerplay and they were subsequently reduced to 44-3.
Sharmin Akter and Joty rebuilt their score, putting on an 82-run partnership for the fourth wicket collaboration before Sharmin retired hurt for a stubborn 64 in the 36th innings segment.
It was advantage the chasing team heading into the last two bowling phases, with only 12 more runs required.
Nevertheless, Dasanayaka dismissed Ritu and gave away merely three scoring runs before the captain's decisive intervention, with Rabeya, Nahida, captain Joty and Marufa Akter all removed as the Lankan team grabbed the victory at the very end.
The Bangladeshi team cannot hold nerve - and catches
Ultimately, it was a contest of composure. The seasoned Lankan captain, who ushered away a several of teammates as she got ready to bowl the final over, held her composure. Bangladesh did not.
There will be many doubts about Bangladesh's batting effort. They might well have been chasing 270 to 280 with the Lankan team looking settled on 159 for four in the 30th bowling phase, but in contrast the chase was significantly less.
Yet, Bangladesh lacked aggression from the very beginning, making runs at under 2.5 runs each over during the powerplay, undergoing a top-order collapse, and finally leaving themselves too much to do.
But whatever difficulties there are with their batting, if they had taken their chances in the fielding department, that 203 total goal would have been significantly lower.
It took them three attempts to break the 72-run partnership second-wicket, with keeper Joty being unable to grab a tough opportunity as wicketkeeper to remove Perera on 23 before the captain survived from a return catch chance against Rabeya Khan.
The batter was missed again on 55 runs and her score of 63, the final opportunity traveling right to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover field, before ultimately being dismissed lbw by Shorna Akter as she attempted to up the ante with batting partners falling near her.
Subsequently in the innings, there was also a missed stumping and a failed run-out, even though the latter was a somewhat unlucky, with Rubya Haider substituting with the wicketkeeping gloves due to an fitness issue to the regular keeper.
Sadly for Bangladesh, such fielding woes are nowhere near a isolated incident. They've missed 14 chances from a potential 27 at this tournament and display the poorest catching success rate (less than 50%) of the eight teams.
They are a squad who are typically moving in the correct path – they are playing in just their second 50-over World Cup ultimately – but poor fielding standards is a prominent issue which needs focus.
