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

ICC Women's World Cup, Mumbai

The Lankan team 202 (48.4 overs): Hasini 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 win by seven runs

Sri Lanka claimed four crucial dismissals in the final innings segment to complete a heart-stopping win over their opponents and keep their slim hopes of making it for the World Cup semi-finals alive.

Needing a modest target of 203 on a good batting surface in Navi Mumbai, Bangladesh required nine additional runs from the final six balls.

However, Sri Lanka captain Athapaththu secured three important dismissals in four bowls and de Silva ran out Nahida to achieve a dramatic victory for Sri Lanka.

The win – Sri Lanka's first of the competition after three unsuccessful matches and two abandoned games against the Australian team and New Zealand – elevates them equal on four match points with India and New Zealand, who face each other on Thursday.

The Bangladeshi team, on the other hand, experienced a fifth straight defeat since winning their first match against Pakistan and have been eliminated.

While Bangladesh got off to the perfect start, with Marufa taking a wicket with the first delivery of the match to dismiss Vishmi Gunaratne, they were rightfully made to pay for a disappointing fielding display.

They offered reprieves to Perera, who was spilled three times, and the Lankan captain.

Even though the Sri Lankan skipper was unable to make it count, sent back leg before wicket for 46 one ball after being dropped by Rabeya, Perera forced the opposition suffer.

She scored a first international 50-run score, accumulating 85 from 99 deliveries and contributing to an crucial 74-run fifth-wicket association with De Silva.

Bangladesh, led by Shorna Akter's three wickets for 27 runs, pulled themselves back in the contest, with De Silva's dismissal in the 34th bowling segment causing a Sri Lanka collapse from 174-4 to 202 total.

While batting second, the Lankan team's starting bowlers Madara and Prabodhani limited the opposition to 23 for one in a disappointing initial phase and they were subsequently brought down to 44 with three wickets lost.

Sharmin Akter and Joty restored their batting effort, contributing an 82-run partnership for the fourth wicket before the batter left the field injured for a determined 64 in the 36th innings segment.

It was in favor of Bangladesh approaching the remaining two bowling phases, with just 12 additional runs required.

Yet, Dasanayaka dismissed Ritu and gave away only three runs before the captain's dramatic spell, with Rabeya, Nahida, captain Joty and Marufa Akter all dismissed as Sri Lanka seized the triumph at the very end.

Ultimately, it was a match of nerve. The seasoned Lankan captain, who ushered away a few of fellow players as she got ready to bowl the decisive over, held her nerve. The opposition could not.

There will be numerous questions about Bangladesh's batting display. They could easily have been chasing around 270-280 with the Lankan team seeming at ease on 159 with four wickets down in the 30th bowling phase, but rather the target was considerably smaller.

However, Bangladesh lacked intent from the start, scoring at less than 2.5 runs each over during the opening overs, experiencing a initial wicket loss, and eventually leaving themselves overwhelming to accomplish.

But whatever problems there are with their batting lineup, if they had seized their chances in the fielding area, that 203-run goal would have been considerably lower.

It took them three efforts to break the 72-run partnership second-wicket collaboration, with wicketkeeper Nigar Sultana being unable to grab a challenging opportunity as wicketkeeper to send back Perera on 23 before Athapaththu survived from a return catch chance against Rabeya Khan.

The batter was spilled once more on 55 runs and 63 runs, the final opportunity flying directly to Jhilik at cover field, before eventually being trapped lbw by Shorna as she attempted to up the ante with partners getting out around her.

Subsequently in the game, there was additionally a stumping chance missed and a run-out opportunity lost, while the second one was a little unlucky, with Rubya Haider standing in with the keeping duties due to an physical problem to the regular keeper.

Unfortunately for Bangladesh, such fielding issues are nowhere near a isolated incident. They've dropped 14 chances from a possible 27 at this World Cup and boast the lowest catching success rate (48.1%) of the competing sides.

They are a side who are overall heading in the correct path – they are competing in just their second 50-over World Cup after all – but inadequate fielding standards is a glaring issue which needs attention.