The Lankan team defeats the Bangladeshi side to keep their World Cup tournament hopes alive

ICC Women's World Cup, Mumbai

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

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

Sri Lanka win by seven runs

The Lankan cricket team took four wickets in the final innings segment to seal a heart-stopping triumph over their opponents and preserve their faint aspirations of making it for the World Cup semi-finals ongoing.

Needing a attainable score of 203 on a batting-friendly pitch in Navi Mumbai, the Bangladeshi team needed nine more runs from the remaining six balls.

However, Sri Lanka captain Athapaththu claimed three important dismissals in four bowls and Nilakshi de Silva dismissed via run-out Nahida Akter to bring about a exciting success for the Lankan team.

The win – Sri Lanka's maiden of the World Cup after three defeats and two no-results against Australia and New Zealand – pushes them level on four points with India and New Zealand, who meet each other on Thursday.

The Bangladeshi team, on the other hand, experienced a fifth successive loss since securing victory in their tournament opener against Pakistan and have been removed from contention.

Even though Bangladesh made the ideal beginning, with Marufa Akter striking with the first delivery of the encounter to dismiss Gunaratne, they were rightfully made to pay for a disappointing fielding display.

They provided reprieves to Hasini Perera, who was missed three times, and Athapaththu.

Although the Sri Lankan skipper could not capitalise, sent back leg before wicket for 46 a single bowl after being put down by Rabeya, Hasini Perera forced the opposition regret it.

She registered a first international 50-run score, making 85 from 99 balls and contributing to an crucial 74-run fifth-wicket with Nilakshi de Silva.

The Bangladeshi team, guided by Shorna's impressive bowling figures, fought themselves back in the contest, with Nilakshi's dismissal in the 34th innings segment initiating a Sri Lanka collapse from 174 with four wickets down to 202 total.

In reply, the Lankan team's initial pace attack Madara and Prabodhani limited Bangladesh to 23 with one wicket down in a disappointing powerplay and they were subsequently brought down to 44 for three.

Sharmin Akter and Joty restored their innings, adding 82 runs for the fourth wicket before Sharmin left the field injured for a stubborn 64 in the 36th innings segment.

It was advantage the chasing team entering the remaining two overs, with merely 12 runs required.

Nevertheless, Sugandika Dasanayaka removed Ritu Moni and allowed only three scoring runs before Athapaththu's chaos, with Rabeya Khan, Nahida, skipper Joty and Marufa all dismissed as the Lankan team snatched the triumph at the death.

Ultimately, it was a contest of nerve. The very experienced Athapaththu, who moved aside a handful of fellow players as she set herself to deliver the last over, kept hers. The opposition could not.

There will be plenty of questions about Bangladesh's batting performance. They could easily have been chasing 270 to 280 with the Lankan team seeming settled on 159 for four in the 30th over, but rather the required total was significantly less.

Yet, the batting side displayed insufficient aggression from the very beginning, scoring at below 2.5 scoring rate during the initial phase, suffering a early batting collapse, and eventually making themselves excessive to accomplish.

But no matter what problems there are with their batting lineup, if they had taken their catches in the fielding department, that 203-run target would have been significantly lower.

It required them three tries to break the 72-run stand second-wicket collaboration, with keeper Nigar Sultana failing to hold a tough catch while keeping to send back Perera on her score of 23 before the captain was spared from a return catch chance against Rabeya Khan.

The batter was spilled again on 55 and 63, the latter chance going directly to Jhilik at cover field, before ultimately being trapped leg before wicket by Shorna Akter as she tried to accelerate the scoring with batting partners falling around her.

Subsequently in the innings, there was furthermore a missed stumping and a failed run-out, although the latter was a slightly unlucky, with Jhilik substituting with the gloves after an injury to the regular keeper.

Unfortunately for Bangladesh, such fielding issues are not at all a single occurrence. They've dropped 14 catches from a potential 27 at this World Cup and display the poorest fielding effectiveness (48.1%) of the participating teams.

They are a side who are typically moving in the correct path – they are playing in just their second ODI World Cup in the end – but inadequate fielding standards is a glaring issue which needs attention.