Navi Mumbai, Oct 20 (IANS) Hasini Perera’s outstanding knock of 85 off 99 balls was the lone bright spot as Sri Lanka Women collapsed to 202 all out in 48.4 overs after opting to bat first against Bangladesh Women on a good surface in the 21st match of the ICC Women’s World Cup at the DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai, on Monday.

What once looked like a platform for a total of around 270-280 unravelled completely under the pressure of Bangladesh’s spin attack, led brilliantly by leg-spinner Shorna Akter, who returned impressive figures of 3 for 27.

The innings began on a shaky note when opener Vishmi Gunaratne was dismissed off the very first ball of the match — a superb inswinger from Marufa Akter that rattled the stumps. However, captain Chamari Athapaththu and Perera steadied the innings with a fluent 72-run stand for the second wicket, playing some crisp strokes and rotating the strike smartly.

After Athapaththu’s dismissal, the innings lost momentum as wickets began to tumble. Sri Lanka soon found themselves struggling at 100 for 4 after 19 overs. Once again, it was Hasini Perera who stood firm amid the collapse, stitching together another valuable partnership — this time a 70-odd run stand with Nilakshi de Silva for the fifth wicket. Perera’s knock, composed and authoritative, was the backbone of the innings and also went down as Sri Lanka Women’s second-highest individual score in a World Cup fixture.

However, the game turned sharply in Bangladesh’s favour once the partnership was broken. Shorna Akter, with her disciplined and intelligent leg spin, ran through the middle order. She bowled four maidens and picked up three crucial wickets, leaving the Sri Lankan batters searching for answers. Her leg-spin partner Rabeya Khan also played a significant role, claiming two wickets and maintaining the pressure from the other end.

The collapse was dramatic — from looking comfortable, Sri Lanka lost their last six wickets for just 28 runs. Between the 31st and 40th overs, they could manage only 27 runs while losing four wickets, which completely derailed their innings. Only a stubborn ninth-wicket stand between Malki Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani, lasting more than 12 overs for a mere 18 runs, delayed the inevitable.

Sri Lanka’s innings could have folded even earlier had Bangladesh not been poor in the field — several simple catches went down, allowing the innings to drag on longer than it should have. Despite that, it was Shorna’s control and consistency that defined the innings.

Sri Lanka’s total of 202 will feel well below par after the promising start they had, but with quality spinners in their ranks and a red-soil wicket offering grip and turn, they will still back themselves to make Bangladesh work hard for the 203-run chase.

Brief scores:

Sri Lanka 202 all out in 48.4 overs (Hasini Perera 85, Chamari Athapaththu 46, Nilakshika Silva 37; Shorna Akter 3-27, Rabeya Khan 2-39) against Bangladesh

–IANS

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