The Lankan team beats Bangladesh to preserve their World Cup tournament hopes ongoing

Women's Cricket World Cup, Mumbai

Sri Lanka 202 (48.4 overs): Perera 85 (99); Shorna Akter 3-27

The Bangladeshi team 195-9 (50 overs): Nigar Sultana Joty 77 (98); Chamari Athapaththu 4-42

Sri Lanka emerge victorious by seven runs margin

Sri Lanka claimed four wickets in the decisive over to complete a nail-biting victory over Bangladesh and maintain their faint chances of making it for the tournament knockout stage intact.

Pursuing a modest target of 203 on a batting-friendly pitch in the Mumbai stadium, the Bangladeshi team needed nine runs from the final six balls.

Nevertheless, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu secured three wickets in four bowls and Nilakshi de Silva dismissed via run-out Nahida Akter to secure a dramatic win for Sri Lanka.

The triumph – Sri Lanka's first of the World Cup after three defeats and two no-results against the Australian team and the Kiwi side – pushes them level on four tournament points with India and the New Zealand side, who confront each other on Thursday.

Bangladesh, in contrast, endured a fifth successive defeat since securing victory in their first match against Pakistan and have been removed from contention.

Although Bangladesh made the excellent commencement, with Marufa Akter taking a wicket with the opening bowl of the game to dismiss Gunaratne, they were deservedly punished for a disappointing fielding display.

They provided second chances to Hasini Perera, who was dropped multiple times, and Athapaththu.

While the Sri Lankan skipper was unable to make it count, sent back leg before wicket for 46 just one delivery after being put down by Rabeya Khan, Hasini Perera forced Bangladesh regret it.

She achieved a debut international 50-run score, accumulating 85 from 99 bowls and sharing an significant 74-run fifth-wicket association with Nilakshi de Silva.

Bangladesh, guided by Shorna Akter's three wickets for 27 runs, dragged themselves back in the match, with Nilakshi's removal in the 34th over triggering a Lankan downfall from 174 with four wickets down to 202 total.

In reply, Sri Lanka's opening bowlers Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani contained the opposition to 23-1 in a uninspiring initial phase and they were later diminished to 44 with three wickets lost.

Sharmin and Nigar Sultana Joty restored their innings, adding an 82-run partnership for the fourth wicket collaboration before Sharmin withdrew due to injury for a stubborn 64 in the 36th over.

It was advantage the chasing team approaching the remaining two overs, with just 12 runs necessary.

Yet, Dasanayaka dismissed Ritu and gave away merely three scoring runs before Athapaththu's decisive intervention, with Rabeya, Nahida Akter, captain Joty and Marufa Akter all removed as Sri Lanka grabbed the victory at the final moment.

Ultimately, it was a match of nerve. The highly experienced Athapaththu, who directed away a handful of teammates as she prepared to bowl the last over, held hers. The opposition failed to.

There will be numerous inquiries about the team's batting display. They possibly have been needing around 270-280 with Sri Lanka looking comfortable on 159-4 in the 30th bowling phase, but rather the required total was considerably smaller.

However, Bangladesh showed little intent from ball one, making runs at less than 2.5 runs each over during the powerplay, suffering a initial wicket loss, and finally forcing themselves overwhelming to do.

But whatever problems there are with their batting approach, if they had taken their catches in the fielding area, that 203-run target would have been considerably lower.

It required them three efforts to break the 72-run partnership second-wicket association, with wicketkeeper Nigar Sultana being unable to hold a difficult chance behind the stumps to remove Hasini Perera on 23 runs before the captain was spared from a return catch chance against Rabeya.

Perera was spilled further on 55 runs and 63, the final opportunity traveling directly to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover field, before finally being given out leg before wicket by Shorna as she attempted to accelerate the scoring with batting partners being dismissed near her.

Subsequently in the innings, there was furthermore a failed stumping and a failed run-out, while the latter was a somewhat regrettable, with Jhilik deputising with the keeping duties after an injury to the regular keeper.

Regrettably for the team, such fielding woes are far from a single occurrence. They've failed to catch 14 chances from a potential 27 opportunities at this World Cup and display the lowest catch efficiency (48.1%) of the competing sides.

They are a side who are overall moving in the right direction – they are competing in just their second ODI World Cup in the end – but inadequate fielding is a glaring concern which needs attention.