Composed Athapaththu ensures Sri Lanka seal thriller vs B'desh
Mumbai, Oct. 21 -- Composed bowling by Chamari Athapaththu and reckless batting by Bangladesh at the end gave Sri Lanka a seemingly unlikely win in their group stage match of the Women's World Cup, at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
Bangladesh, chasing a target of 202, were in a good position to win their second match of the tournament, needing nine off the last over. But with Bangladesh at 194/5 at the start of the 50th over, Sri Lanka picked up four wickets in the first four balls to set up a seven-run win.
Crucially for Bangladesh, their captain Nigar Sultana Joty, who on 77 had set the team's record of highest individual score by a Bangladeshi woman in an ODI chase, was at the non-striker's end at the start of the last over.
Athapaththu began by dismissing Rabeya Khatun leg-before wicket. In the next ball, Nilakshi de Silva's direct hit from mid-off caught Nahida Akter short of her ground. With the pressure building and partners running out, Joty tried to clear the ropes but instead handed De Silva a straightforward catch.
With a team hat-trick complete, Marufa Akter was out LBW, putting Sri Lanka on the cusp of a dramatic win.
A single off the penultimate ball effectively handed Sri Lanka the win.
Brief scores: Sri Lanka 202 (Hasini Perera 85, Chamari Athapaththu 46, Nilakshi de Silva 37; Shorna Akter 3/27) beat Bangladesh 195/9 (Nigar Sultana Joty 77, Sharmin Akhter 64; Athapaththu 4/42) by 7 runs....
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