The Lankan team defeats Bangladesh to maintain their World Cup tournament hopes alive

Women's Cricket World Cup, Mumbai

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

Bangladesh 195-9 (50 overs): Joty 77 (98); Athapaththu 4-42

Sri Lanka win by seven runs

Sri Lanka secured four wickets in the last innings segment to complete a heart-stopping triumph over their opponents and maintain their slim chances of qualifying for the World Cup semi-finals ongoing.

Chasing a below-par total of 203 on a good batting surface in Navi Mumbai, the Bangladeshi team required nine more runs from the final six balls.

However, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu secured three wickets in four balls and de Silva dismissed via run-out Nahida Akter to secure a thrilling success for Sri Lanka.

The win – the Lankan team's first of the competition after three unsuccessful matches and two abandoned games against Australia and the Kiwi side – elevates them tied on four points with the Indian team and New Zealand, who face each other on Thursday.

The Bangladeshi team, however, experienced a fifth consecutive defeat since securing victory in their initial game against the Pakistani team and have been removed from contention.

While Bangladesh made the ideal beginning, with Marufa striking with the initial ball of the encounter to remove Vishmi Gunaratne, they were rightfully made to pay for a poor fielding display.

They offered reprieves to Perera, who was missed multiple times, and Athapaththu.

While Athapaththu was unable to make it count, dismissed lbw for 46 one ball after being missed by Rabeya Khan, Hasini Perera made the opposition suffer.

She registered a first international 50-run score, scoring 85 from 99 deliveries and contributing to an important 74-run fifth-wicket collaboration with De Silva.

Bangladesh, led by Shorna's impressive bowling figures, fought themselves back to the contest, with De Silva's removal in the 34th over causing a Lankan downfall from 174 for four to 202 all out.

During their chase, Sri Lanka's opening bowlers Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani limited Bangladesh to 23 for one in a uninspiring opening overs and they were afterwards brought down to 44 for three.

Sharmin Akter and Joty restored their score, adding 82 runs for the fourth wicket stand before the batter retired hurt for a resolute 64 in the 36th innings segment.

It was advantage the chasing team heading into the remaining two bowling phases, with only 12 additional runs required.

Yet, Dasanayaka dismissed Ritu and gave away just three scoring runs before the captain's dramatic spell, with Rabeya Khan, Nahida, skipper Joty and Marufa Akter all removed as the Lankan team snatched the victory at the very end.

Ultimately, it was a contest of composure. The very experienced Lankan captain, who moved aside a handful of fellow players as she set herself to bowl the decisive over, held hers. Bangladesh did not.

There will be plenty of inquiries about the team's batting performance. They possibly have been chasing 270 to 280 with the Lankan team seeming comfortable on 159-4 in the 30th innings segment, but rather the chase was significantly less.

Nevertheless, Bangladesh displayed insufficient purpose from the very beginning, scoring at less than 2.5 runs each over during the powerplay, suffering a initial wicket loss, and finally making themselves overwhelming to accomplish.

But no matter what difficulties there are with their batting approach, if they had taken their catches in the field, that 203 total target would have been significantly less.

It needed them three tries to break the 72-run partnership second-wicket collaboration, with wicketkeeper Joty not managing to hold a tough chance behind the stumps to send back Perera on 23 before Athapaththu was spared from a return catch opportunity against Rabeya Khan.

Perera was missed once more on 55 and 63 runs, the final opportunity going straight to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover position, before finally being dismissed leg before wicket by Shorna Akter as she sought to up the ante with teammates falling near her.

Later in the batting effort, there was additionally a missed stumping and a failed run-out, although the run-out chance was a slightly unlucky, with Rubya Haider standing in with the keeping duties after an fitness issue to Joty.

Unfortunately for the team, such fielding issues are not at all a one-off. They've dropped 14 catches from a potential 27 at this competition and boast the worst fielding effectiveness (less than 50%) of the eight teams.

They are a squad who are overall progressing in the right direction – they are competing in just their second 50-over World Cup in the end – but poor fielding standards is a obvious issue which needs attention.