The Lankan team beats Bangladesh to preserve their tournament hopes ongoing

ICC Women's World Cup, Navi Mumbai

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

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

The Lankan side emerge victorious by seven runs margin

The Lankan cricket team claimed four wickets in the decisive innings segment to complete a nail-biting triumph over their opponents and keep their faint aspirations of making it for the tournament knockout stage intact.

Needing a below-par target of 203 on a good batting surface in Navi Mumbai, the Bangladeshi team needed nine runs from the final six deliveries.

Yet, Lankan skipper Athapaththu claimed three crucial wickets in four bowls and Nilakshi de Silva ran out Nahida Akter to bring about a exciting win for the Lankan team.

The victory – the Lankan team's maiden of the tournament after three unsuccessful matches and two washed-out matches against Australia and the Kiwi side – pushes them level on four tournament points with India and New Zealand, who meet each other on the coming Thursday.

The Bangladeshi team, in contrast, endured a fifth consecutive defeat since securing victory in their tournament opener against Pakistan and have been knocked out.

Even though Bangladesh made the ideal beginning, with Marufa striking with the first delivery of the game to remove Vishmi Gunaratne, they were appropriately made to pay for a disappointing fielding display.

They provided second chances to Perera, who was spilled three times, and the Lankan captain.

Even though the Sri Lankan skipper was unable to take advantage, removed lbw for 46 one ball after being missed by Rabeya, Hasini Perera forced the opposition regret it.

She scored a first international fifty, scoring 85 from 99 balls and contributing to an important 74-run fifth-wicket association with De Silva.

Bangladesh, spearheaded by Shorna's impressive bowling figures, fought themselves back to the game, with Nilakshi's wicket in the 34th innings segment causing a Lankan batting collapse from 174 with four wickets down to 202 all out.

While batting second, the Lankan team's initial pace attack Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani limited Bangladesh to 23-1 in a uninspiring initial phase and they were subsequently brought down to 44 for three.

Sharmin and Nigar Sultana Joty rebuilt their batting effort, adding 82 runs for the fourth wicket stand before Sharmin left the field injured for a determined 64 in the 36th over.

It was in favor of the chasing team entering the final two bowling phases, with only 12 runs needed.

Nevertheless, Dasanayaka dismissed Ritu Moni and allowed merely three scoring runs before Athapaththu's chaos, with Rabeya, Nahida Akter, skipper Joty and Marufa all removed as Sri Lanka seized the triumph at the very end.

In the end, it was a contest of composure. The highly experienced Athapaththu, who ushered away a several of fellow players as she set herself to deliver the last over, held her composure. The opposition failed to.

There will be many questions about the team's batting effort. They possibly have been needing around 270-280 with the Lankan team seeming at ease on 159 for four in the 30th over, but instead the required total was considerably smaller.

Yet, Bangladesh showed little purpose from the start, making runs at under 2.5 runs per over during the initial phase, experiencing a top-order collapse, and ultimately forcing themselves excessive to achieve.

But no matter what difficulties there are with their batting lineup, if they had taken their chances in the fielding department, that 203-run target target would have been significantly lower.

It needed them three attempts to break the 72-run partnership second-wicket association, with wicketkeeper Joty not managing to grab a difficult chance while keeping to send back Perera on 23 before the captain was spared from a return catch possibility against Rabeya.

Perera was missed again on 55 and her score of 63, the final opportunity going right to Jhilik at cover, before finally being dismissed leg before wicket by Shorna Akter as she attempted to up the ante with partners getting out beside her.

Later in the innings, there was also a stumping chance missed and a run-out opportunity lost, although the latter was a slightly unfortunate, with Jhilik deputising with the keeping duties due to an injury to Joty.

Unfortunately for the team, such fielding problems are not at all a one-off. They've dropped 14 chances from a potential 27 at this tournament and display the poorest catch efficiency (less than 50%) of the competing sides.

They are a side who are generally progressing in the proper way – they are playing in only their second one-day World Cup ultimately – but poor fielding performance is a glaring problem which demands focus.