Navi Mumbai, Oct 20 (NationPress) Hasini Perera delivered a remarkable innings, scoring 85 runs off 99 balls, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Sri Lanka Women from collapsing to 202 all out in 48.4 overs after choosing to bat first against Bangladesh Women in the 21st match of the ICC Women's World Cup at the DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai, on Monday.

What initially appeared to be a solid platform for a total ranging from 270 to 280 quickly fell apart under the intense pressure from Bangladesh’s spin attack, spearheaded by leg-spinner Shorna Akter, who finished with remarkable figures of 3 for 27.

The innings got off to a rough start when opener Vishmi Gunaratne was dismissed on the very first ball of the match—an outstanding inswinger from Marufa Akter that sent the stumps flying. However, captain Chamari Athapaththu and Perera managed to stabilize the innings with a fluent 72-run partnership for the second wicket, showcasing crisp strokes and smart rotation of strike.

Following Athapaththu’s departure, the innings lost momentum as wickets began to fall rapidly. Sri Lanka soon found themselves in a precarious position at 100 for 4 after 19 overs. Once again, it was Hasini Perera who held the fort, forming a vital partnership of approximately 70 runs with Nilakshi de Silva for the fifth wicket. Perera’s composed and authoritative innings became the backbone of the team’s performance, marking her as Sri Lanka Women’s second-highest individual score in a World Cup match.

However, the game shifted dramatically in favor of Bangladesh once the partnership was broken. Shorna Akter, through her disciplined and intelligent leg-spin bowling, dismantled the middle order. She bowled four maiden overs and claimed three critical wickets, leaving the Sri Lankan batters in search of answers. Her leg-spin partner Rabeya Khan also played a pivotal role, securing two wickets and applying pressure from the other end.

The collapse was striking—after appearing comfortable, Sri Lanka lost their last six wickets for just 28 runs. Between the 31st and 40th overs, they managed only 27 runs while losing four wickets, which completely derailed their innings. A stubborn ninth-wicket partnership between Malki Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani, lasting over 12 overs for a mere 18 runs, only delayed the inevitable.

Sri Lanka’s innings could have concluded even sooner if not for Bangladesh’s poor fielding—numerous straightforward catches were dropped, allowing the innings to extend longer than necessary. Nonetheless, it was Shorna’s control and consistency that defined the innings.

With a total of 202, Sri Lanka will feel they are significantly below par after their promising start; however, with quality spinners in their lineup and a red-soil wicket providing 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