The Lankan team overcomes Bangladesh to preserve their World Cup campaign alive

ICC Women's World Cup, Mumbai

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

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

The Lankan side win by seven runs

Sri Lanka claimed four crucial dismissals in the last innings segment to complete a thrilling triumph over Bangladesh and preserve their slim chances of making it for the World Cup semi-finals alive.

Pursuing a modest target of 203 on a favorable wicket in the Mumbai stadium, the Bangladeshi team wanted nine runs from the last six deliveries.

Nevertheless, Lankan skipper Athapaththu claimed three crucial wickets in four deliveries and de Silva ran out Nahida to bring about a thrilling success for Sri Lanka.

The victory – Sri Lanka's first of the competition after three defeats and two washed-out matches against Australia and New Zealand – pushes them equal on four points with India and the New Zealand side, who confront each other on the coming Thursday.

The Bangladeshi team, in contrast, experienced a fifth straight setback since winning their first match against Pakistan and have been eliminated.

Although the Bangladeshi side got off to the perfect start, with Marufa Akter striking with the first delivery of the encounter to remove Vishmi Gunaratne, they were appropriately penalized for a poor fielding performance.

They gifted reprieves to Perera, who was dropped multiple times, and the Lankan captain.

While Athapaththu failed to take advantage, dismissed lbw for 46 just one delivery after being dropped by Rabeya Khan, Hasini Perera forced the opposition suffer.

She achieved a first international fifty, accumulating 85 from 99 deliveries and contributing to an crucial 74-run stand fifth-wicket with Nilakshi de Silva.

The Bangladeshi team, led by Shorna's three wickets for 27 runs, fought themselves back in the contest, with Nilakshi's removal in the 34th innings segment causing a Lankan downfall from 174-4 to 202 all out.

In reply, Sri Lanka's initial pace attack Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani restricted the opposition to 23 for one in a uninspiring powerplay and they were subsequently diminished to 44-3.

Sharmin Akter and Joty rebuilt their innings, contributing an 82-run partnership for the fourth wicket collaboration before the batter withdrew due to injury for a resolute 64 in the 36th over.

It was leaning toward Bangladesh entering the final two innings segments, with only 12 runs needed.

Nevertheless, Dasanayaka removed Ritu and conceded merely three runs before the captain's chaos, with Rabeya, Nahida Akter, captain Joty and Marufa Akter all sent back as Sri Lanka snatched the triumph at the final moment.

Ultimately, it was a contest of nerve. The highly experienced Lankan captain, who ushered away a handful of teammates as she set herself to deliver the final over, maintained hers. The opposition failed to.

There will be numerous doubts about Bangladesh's batting display. They could easily have been chasing 270 or 280 with Sri Lanka appearing settled on 159 for four in the 30th bowling phase, but instead the required total was considerably smaller.

Yet, Bangladesh lacked intent from the very beginning, making runs at under 2.5 runs per over during the initial phase, suffering a early batting collapse, and eventually forcing themselves excessive to accomplish.

But whatever difficulties there are with their batting, if they had seized their catches in the fielding area, that 203-run target target would have been significantly lower.

It required them three tries to break the 72-run second-wicket association, with keeper Joty failing to take a tough catch while keeping to remove Perera on 23 runs before the captain was spared from a return catch possibility against Rabeya Khan.

Perera was missed further on 55 runs and her score of 63, the final opportunity flying directly to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover field, before finally being given out lbw by Shorna as she tried to up the ante with teammates being dismissed near her.

Later in the batting effort, there was furthermore a failed stumping and a run-out opportunity lost, while the second one was a little unfortunate, with Jhilik substituting with the keeping duties following an physical problem to the regular keeper.

Unfortunately for the team, such fielding problems are not at all a one-off. They've missed 14 catches from a available 27 chances at this competition and boast the worst catching success rate (less than 50%) of the participating teams.

They are a side who are typically progressing in the right direction – they are playing in just their second ODI World Cup ultimately – but poor fielding is a glaring issue which demands attention.