Following an exciting finish in Navi Mumbai on Monday, Sri Lanka pulled off their first Women's World Cup victory, defeating Bangladesh by seven runs. After Bangladesh was cruising with only three runs from the penultimate over and only nine runs needed from the final over with five wickets remaining, captain Chamari Athapaththu took the ball herself and completely changed the course of the match. Bangladesh imploded, losing five wickets for just two runs, with four wickets falling in four deliveries. Athapaththu finished with career-best numbers of 4-42, remaining composed under duress. Rabeya Khan was run out right after being trapped leg before wicket on the opening delivery, setting up the drama. After captain Nigar Sultana advanced down the track only to be caught at long range, Bangladesh's ambitions suffered yet another setback. Athapaththu had accomplished the unfathomable by protecting nine runs while giving up just one in the over when Marufa Akter was declared leg before wicket on the following delivery. "We handled the pressure well. We knew that if we took the game deep, teams could crumble. It wasn't perfect, batting collapses and dropped catches hurt us, but luck smiled at us today," Athapaththu said. With four points, they are level with New Zealand and India, though they will need other results to go their way to secure the last semi-final spot. Australia, South Africa, and England have already booked places in the last four. After a campaign marred by squandered opportunities, rain delays, and uneven batting, Sri Lanka finally found success. Hasini Perera scored 85 from 99 balls, including 13 fours and a six, to record her first ODI half-century. She achieved the milestone of 1,000 ODI runs and anchored Sri Lanka's score of 202 all out. Sri Lanka got off to a good start with a 74-run partnership with Nilakshika de Silva, but six wickets fell for only 28 runs in another collapse. Nevertheless, the Sri Lankans maintained composure in the last overs to complete the victory and move up to sixth place in the rankings. They are tied with India and New Zealand with four points, but they will need other outcomes to guarantee the final semi-final position. England, South Africa, and Australia have already secured spots in the last four. "We kept losing wickets at crucial times," admitted Bangladesh skipper Sultana, whose fighting 77 went in vain as her side were eliminated. "I tried to take the pressure off with a boundary, but it just didn't come off."
4 Wickets In 4 Balls! Sri Lanka’s Final Over Fury Topples Bangladesh, Keep Semi-Final Hopes Alive With Miracle Win
Following an exciting finish in Navi Mumbai on Monday, Sri Lanka pulled off their first Women's World Cup victory, defeating Bangladesh by seven runs. After Bangladesh was cruising with only three runs from the penultimate over and only nine runs needed from the final over with five wickets remaining, captain Chamari Athapaththu took the ball herself and completely changed the course of the match. Bangladesh imploded, losing five wickets for just two runs, with four wickets falling in four deliveries. Athapaththu finished with career-best numbers of 4-42, remaining composed under duress. Rabeya Khan was run out right after being trapped leg before wicket on the opening delivery, setting up the drama. After captain Nigar Sultana advanced down the track only to be caught at long range, Bangladesh's ambitions suffered yet another setback. Athapaththu had accomplished the unfathomable by protecting nine runs while giving up just one in the over when Marufa Akter was declared leg before wicket on the following delivery. "We handled the pressure well. We knew that if we took the game deep, teams could crumble. It wasn't perfect, batting collapses and dropped catches hurt us, but luck smiled at us today," Athapaththu said. With four points, they are level with New Zealand and India, though they will need other results to go their way to secure the last semi-final spot. Australia, South Africa, and England have already booked places in the last four. After a campaign marred by squandered opportunities, rain delays, and uneven batting, Sri Lanka finally found success. Hasini Perera scored 85 from 99 balls, including 13 fours and a six, to record her first ODI half-century. She achieved the milestone of 1,000 ODI runs and anchored Sri Lanka's score of 202 all out. Sri Lanka got off to a good start with a 74-run partnership with Nilakshika de Silva, but six wickets fell for only 28 runs in another collapse. Nevertheless, the Sri Lankans maintained composure in the last overs to complete the victory and move up to sixth place in the rankings. They are tied with India and New Zealand with four points, but they will need other outcomes to guarantee the final semi-final position. England, South Africa, and Australia have already secured spots in the last four. "We kept losing wickets at crucial times," admitted Bangladesh skipper Sultana, whose fighting 77 went in vain as her side were eliminated. "I tried to take the pressure off with a boundary, but it just didn't come off."
