The Lankan team overcomes the Bangladeshi side to maintain their World Cup tournament hopes alive

ICC Women's World Cup, Mumbai

The Lankan team 202 (48.4 overs): Perera 85 (99); Shorna 3-27

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

Sri Lanka emerge victorious by seven runs margin

Sri Lanka secured four wickets in the last innings segment to complete a thrilling triumph over their opponents and keep their faint chances of making it for the tournament knockout stage intact.

Pursuing a attainable score of 203 on a good batting surface in the Mumbai stadium, the Bangladeshi team needed nine additional runs from the remaining six bowls.

Yet, Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu claimed three wickets in four deliveries and Nilakshi de Silva dismissed via run-out Nahida to achieve a thrilling success for the Lankan team.

The triumph – Sri Lanka's initial of the World Cup after three unsuccessful matches and two no-results against Australia and New Zealand – elevates them level on four points with the Indian team and the New Zealand side, who confront each other on the coming Thursday.

The Bangladeshi team, however, endured a fifth consecutive loss since securing victory in their first match against Pakistan and have been removed from contention.

Even though Bangladesh got off to the excellent commencement, with Marufa Akter striking with the first delivery of the game to dismiss Vishmi Gunaratne, they were deservedly penalized for a disappointing fielding effort.

They offered lifelines to Hasini Perera, who was missed three times, and Athapaththu.

Although Athapaththu was unable to take advantage, removed lbw for 46 one ball after being dropped by Rabeya, Hasini Perera made the opposition regret it.

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

Bangladesh, guided by Shorna Akter's impressive bowling figures, fought themselves back into the contest, with Nilakshi's wicket in the 34th over triggering a Lankan collapse from 174-4 to 202 all out.

While batting second, the Lankan team's opening bowlers Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani limited the opposition to 23 with one wicket down in a uninspiring opening overs and they were later brought down to 44 with three wickets lost.

Sharmin Akter and Joty reconstructed their score, putting on 82 for the fourth wicket before Sharmin left the field injured for a resolute 64 in the 36th bowling phase.

It was leaning toward Bangladesh approaching the remaining two bowling phases, with merely 12 more runs needed.

Yet, Dasanayaka removed Ritu Moni and conceded just three scoring runs before the captain's dramatic spell, with Rabeya, Nahida Akter, skipper Joty and Marufa Akter all removed as Sri Lanka snatched the victory at the death.

Ultimately, it was a contest of nerves. The highly experienced Lankan captain, who directed away a several of teammates as she got ready to bowl the decisive over, maintained her composure. The opposition could not.

There will be numerous questions about the team's batting effort. They possibly have been pursuing 270 or 280 with Sri Lanka looking at ease on 159 for four in the 30th bowling phase, but in contrast the chase was significantly less.

Nevertheless, Bangladesh displayed insufficient intent from the start, making runs at below 2.5 scoring rate during the opening overs, experiencing a early batting collapse, and eventually making themselves excessive to achieve.

But whatever issues there are with their batting approach, if they had accepted their chances in the fielding department, that 203-run goal would have been significantly lower.

It needed them three attempts to end the 72-run stand second-wicket, with keeper Nigar Sultana failing to hold a difficult opportunity behind the stumps to dismiss Perera on her score of 23 before the captain survived from a caught and bowled possibility against Rabeya.

The batter was spilled once more on 55 runs and 63 runs, the latter chance going right to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover position, before ultimately being given out lbw by Shorna as she sought to increase the tempo with partners getting out beside her.

Subsequently in the batting effort, there was also a failed stumping and a missed run-out, although the run-out chance was a little unlucky, with Rubya Haider substituting with the wicketkeeping gloves due to an injury to Joty.

Sadly for the team, such fielding woes are nowhere near a single occurrence. They've failed to catch 14 opportunities from a potential 27 opportunities at this World Cup and boast the poorest catch efficiency (less than 50%) of the participating teams.

They are a squad who are overall heading in the proper way – they are competing in only their second 50-over World Cup after all – but inadequate fielding standards is a prominent issue which requires improvement.