NAVI MUMBAI, India: Sri Lanka Women secured a thrilling victory by 7 runs over Bangladesh Women in the ICC Women’s World Cup with a rare feat of four wickets on four balls in the last over.
Set a challenging target of 203 runs, Bangladesh fell agonizingly short, finishing at 195/9 in their 50 overs. Needing 9 runs off the final over, bowled by Chamari Athapaththu, Bangladesh’s hopes were dashed in dramatic fashion.
Athapaththu struck with the first ball, dismissing Rabeya Khan. On the second delivery, Nahida Akter was run out, followed by a wicket for Athapaththu on the third ball, removing Nigar Sultana.
The fourth delivery saw her claim the wicket of Marufa Akter, leaving Bangladesh needing 9 runs off just 2 balls.
The fifth ball was struck for a single, and the final delivery was a dot ball straight into the gloves of the wicketkeeper, sealing Sri Lanka’s 7-run victory.
Hasini Perera top-scored for Sri Lanka with a crucial 85 runs off 99 balls, anchoring the innings with solid stroke play was declared player of the match.
The match, which saw intense competition from both sides, was defined by Sri Lanka’s key performer Hasini Perera, who was named Player of the Match for her superb 85-run knock off 99 balls.
Perera’s gritty innings helped propel Sri Lanka to a total of 202 runs in 48.4 overs, despite late-order collapses that threatened to derail their progress.
Sri Lanka’s batting effort was built on strong contributions from Chamari Athapaththu (46) and Nilakshika Silva (37), with Hasini Perera providing the backbone of their total.
Bangladesh’s bowlers, led by Shorna Akter (3/27) and Rabeya Khan (2/39), did their best to stem the flow of runs, but Sri Lanka’s solid start ultimately proved enough.
Chasing 203, Bangladesh’s response got off to a rocky start as they lost Rubya Haider for a duck in the second over.
Fargana Hoque followed shortly after, leaving Bangladesh at 24/2. However, a determined partnership between Sharmin Akhter (64 off 103 balls) and captain Nigar Sultana (77 off 98 balls) revived Bangladesh’s chase.
Despite the efforts of these two key batters, Sri Lanka’s bowlers, led by Athapaththu (4/42) and Kumari (2/38), kept the pressure on.
Bangladesh lost wickets at crucial moments, including the dismissal of Shorna Akter (19) and Ritu Moni (7), leaving them at 193/9 with just a few balls remaining. The final over saw four back to back dismissals, sealing Sri Lanka’s victory.
Sri Lanka Women: 202 all out (48.4 overs)
Bangladesh Women: 195/9 (50 overs)
Sri Lanka Women won by 7 runs
Key Performances:
Hasini Perera (SL-W): 85 runs (99 balls)
Nigar Sultana (BAN-W): 77 runs (98 balls)
Sharmin Akhter (BAN-W): 64 runs (103 balls)
Sri Lanka Women will face India in their next match, while Bangladesh Women will look to regroup as they prepare for their upcoming fixtures.
