Sri Lanka defeats the Bangladeshi side to keep their campaign alive
The Lankan team will face Pakistan in their must-win last group match
Women's Cricket World Cup, Mumbai
The Lankan team 202 (48.4 overs): 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
Sri Lanka took four crucial dismissals in the final innings segment to achieve a nail-biting victory over Bangladesh and keep their faint hopes of qualifying for the tournament knockout stage ongoing.
Chasing a below-par score of 203 on a batting-friendly pitch in Navi Mumbai, Bangladesh needed nine runs from the remaining six bowls.
Nevertheless, Sri Lanka captain Athapaththu claimed three important dismissals in four deliveries and Nilakshi de Silva ran out Nahida to achieve a thrilling success for the Lankan team.
The triumph – Sri Lanka's maiden of the tournament after three losses and two no-results against Australia and the Kiwi side – elevates them level on four match points with the Indian team and the New Zealand side, who meet each other on Thursday.
Bangladesh, in contrast, experienced a fifth consecutive setback since winning their initial game against the Pakistani team and have been knocked out.
While the Bangladeshi side got off to the excellent commencement, with Marufa Akter taking a wicket with the opening bowl of the game to remove Gunaratne, they were deservedly punished for a disappointing fielding effort.
They offered reprieves to Perera, who was spilled three times, and Athapaththu.
Even though the Sri Lankan skipper failed to make it count, sent back lbw for 46 a single bowl after being put down by Rabeya, Hasini Perera forced the opposition regret it.
She registered a maiden international half-century, scoring 85 from 99 bowls and sharing an significant 74-run fifth-wicket association with De Silva.
The Bangladeshi team, spearheaded by Shorna's three wickets for 27 runs, dragged themselves back to the contest, with Nilakshi's removal in the 34th over initiating a Lankan batting collapse from 174 for four to 202 all out.
During their chase, Sri Lanka's opening bowlers Malki Madara and Prabodhani restricted Bangladesh to 23 for one in a disappointing powerplay and they were subsequently reduced to 44-3.
Sharmin Akter and Nigar Sultana Joty restored their score, adding 82 runs for the fourth wicket stand before Sharmin left the field injured for a resolute 64 in the 36th innings segment.
It was advantage the chasing team approaching the final two innings segments, with only 12 runs necessary.
Yet, Sugandika Dasanayaka removed Ritu Moni and allowed only three runs before the captain's chaos, with Rabeya Khan, Nahida Akter, skipper Joty and Marufa all removed as the Lankan team snatched the victory at the very end.
Bangladesh fail to maintain composure - and fielding opportunities
Finally, it was a contest of nerves. The highly experienced Athapaththu, who ushered away a handful of teammates as she set herself to deliver the final over, maintained her composure. Bangladesh did not.
There will be plenty of doubts about the team's batting effort. They possibly have been pursuing around 270-280 with the Lankan team seeming settled on 159 with four wickets down in the 30th over, but in contrast the target was significantly less.
However, Bangladesh lacked purpose from the start, making runs at less than 2.5 runs per over during the powerplay, undergoing a initial wicket loss, and ultimately forcing themselves too much to do.
But no matter what issues there are with their batting lineup, if they had accepted their chances in the fielding department, that 203-run target goal would have been substantially less.
It needed them three efforts to break the 72-run stand second-wicket collaboration, with wicketkeeper Nigar Sultana not managing to grab a challenging chance behind the stumps to dismiss Perera on 23 before the captain got a reprieve from a return catch chance against Rabeya Khan.
Perera was spilled once more on her score of 55 and 63, the latter chance traveling right to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover position, before ultimately being trapped leg before wicket by Shorna as she sought to up the ante with teammates being dismissed beside her.
Subsequently in the innings, there was furthermore a failed stumping and a run-out opportunity lost, even though the latter was a slightly unlucky, with Jhilik deputising with the gloves after an injury to the regular keeper.
Unfortunately for Bangladesh, such fielding problems are nowhere near a isolated incident. They've missed 14 catches from a available 27 at this tournament and display the lowest fielding effectiveness (48.1%) of the competing sides.
They are a side who are overall progressing in the proper way – they are playing in only their second 50-over World Cup after all – but poor fielding performance is a obvious problem which demands attention.
