The Lankan team overcomes Bangladesh to preserve their campaign alive

Women's Cricket World Cup, Mumbai

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

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

Sri Lanka win by seven runs margin

Sri Lanka took four crucial dismissals in the final innings segment to seal a thrilling triumph over their opponents and preserve their narrow aspirations of making it for the tournament knockout stage intact.

Needing a modest target of 203 on a batting-friendly pitch in Navi Mumbai, Bangladesh wanted nine runs from the last six deliveries.

However, Sri Lanka captain Athapaththu claimed three wickets in four balls and Nilakshi de Silva ran out Nahida to bring about a thrilling win for Sri Lanka.

The victory – Sri Lanka's initial of the competition after three losses and two no-results against Australia and New Zealand – pushes them tied on four points with India and New Zealand, who meet each other on Thursday.

The Bangladeshi team, however, experienced a fifth successive defeat since winning their initial game against the Pakistani team and have been knocked out.

Although the Bangladeshi side made the perfect start, with Marufa taking a wicket with the initial ball of the match to dismiss Vishmi Gunaratne, they were rightfully punished for a subpar fielding effort.

They gifted second chances to Perera, who was missed three times, and Athapaththu.

Even though the Sri Lankan skipper was unable to take advantage, dismissed leg before wicket for 46 one ball after being dropped by Rabeya Khan, Perera made the opposition pay.

She achieved a maiden international 50-run score, making 85 from 99 balls and sharing an crucial 74-run stand fifth-wicket with De Silva.

Bangladesh, spearheaded by Shorna's three wickets for 27 runs, pulled themselves back to the contest, with Nilakshi's removal in the 34th over initiating a Sri Lanka batting collapse from 174 with four wickets down to 202 all out.

In reply, Sri Lanka's starting bowlers Madara and Prabodhani restricted the opposition to 23-1 in a disappointing powerplay and they were subsequently brought down to 44 with three wickets lost.

Sharmin and Nigar Sultana Joty rebuilt their batting effort, contributing 82 for the fourth wicket before the batter left the field injured for a determined 64 in the 36th innings segment.

It was leaning toward the chasing team heading into the remaining two bowling phases, with just 12 additional runs necessary.

Yet, Dasanayaka sent back Ritu Moni and allowed merely three scoring runs before Athapaththu's dramatic spell, with Rabeya, Nahida Akter, skipper Joty and Marufa Akter all sent back as Sri Lanka grabbed the win at the death.

Finally, it was a match of nerves. The very experienced Athapaththu, who directed away a few of team-mates as she got ready to bowl the last over, maintained hers. The opposition failed to.

There will be many doubts about Bangladesh's batting effort. They possibly have been chasing 270 or 280 with Sri Lanka appearing comfortable on 159 for four in the 30th innings segment, but rather the required total was much lower.

Yet, Bangladesh showed little aggression from the very beginning, scoring at under 2.5 runs per over during the initial phase, suffering a top-order collapse, and finally forcing themselves too much to do.

But no matter what difficulties there are with their batting approach, if they had seized their opportunities in the fielding department, that 203 total goal would have been substantially smaller.

It took them three efforts to break the 72-run second-wicket association, with keeper Joty not managing to grab a tough chance behind the stumps to send back Hasini Perera on 23 before Athapaththu got a reprieve from a return catch chance against Rabeya Khan.

The batter was dropped once more on 55 runs and 63 runs, the latter chance traveling straight to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover, before ultimately being dismissed leg before wicket by Shorna as she attempted to up the ante with batting partners getting out beside her.

Afterwards in the innings, there was furthermore a stumping chance missed and a failed run-out, while the latter was a little unlucky, with Jhilik deputising with the keeping duties after an fitness issue to the regular keeper.

Regrettably for Bangladesh, such fielding woes are not at all a isolated incident. They've dropped 14 opportunities from a potential 27 chances at this World Cup and display the lowest fielding effectiveness (48.1 percent) of the competing sides.

They are a side who are overall moving in the proper way – they are playing in just their second ODI World Cup after all – but inadequate fielding is a prominent concern which needs improvement.