The Lankan team overcomes Bangladesh to keep their World Cup tournament hopes ongoing

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 emerge victorious by seven runs margin

The Lankan cricket team secured four wickets in the decisive innings segment to seal a thrilling triumph over Bangladesh and maintain their narrow chances of qualifying for the World Cup semi-finals intact.

Pursuing a modest total of 203 on a favorable wicket in Navi Mumbai, Bangladesh required nine additional runs from the last six bowls.

Nevertheless, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu claimed three important dismissals in four bowls and de Silva dismissed via run-out Nahida Akter to secure a thrilling victory for Sri Lanka.

The triumph – Sri Lanka's maiden of the World Cup after three defeats and two washed-out matches against Australia and New Zealand – elevates them equal on four match points with the Indian team and New Zealand, who confront each other on Thursday.

The Bangladeshi team, however, suffered a fifth consecutive defeat since winning their tournament opener against Pakistan and have been removed from contention.

While the Bangladeshi side got off to the perfect start, with Marufa Akter striking with the first delivery of the game to dismiss Gunaratne, they were deservedly punished for a poor fielding performance.

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

While Athapaththu failed to take advantage, dismissed lbw for 46 just one delivery after being missed by Rabeya, Perera made Bangladesh suffer.

She scored a maiden international fifty, accumulating 85 from 99 balls and building an crucial 74-run stand fifth-wicket with De Silva.

The Bangladeshi team, led by Shorna Akter's 3-27, pulled themselves back to the game, with Nilakshi's wicket in the 34th over causing a Sri Lanka collapse from 174-4 to 202 complete.

While batting second, the Lankan team's initial pace attack Malki Madara and Prabodhani contained the opposition to 23-1 in a uninspiring initial phase and they were subsequently diminished to 44-3.

Sharmin Akter and Joty rebuilt their batting effort, adding an 82-run partnership for the fourth wicket before Sharmin retired hurt for a resolute 64 in the 36th bowling phase.

It was leaning toward the chasing team approaching the remaining two overs, with only 12 additional runs necessary.

However, Dasanayaka removed Ritu Moni and gave away merely three runs before the captain's chaos, with Rabeya Khan, Nahida, captain Joty and Marufa Akter all removed as Sri Lanka snatched the triumph at the very end.

Ultimately, it was a game of nerves. The highly experienced Athapaththu, who ushered away a handful of team-mates as she prepared to bowl the decisive over, maintained hers. Bangladesh failed to.

There will be plenty of questions about Bangladesh's batting performance. They might well have been needing 270 or 280 with the Lankan team appearing comfortable on 159 for four in the 30th bowling phase, but in contrast the chase was significantly less.

Nevertheless, the batting side displayed insufficient aggression from ball one, accumulating runs at under 2.5 scoring rate during the powerplay, experiencing a early batting collapse, and eventually making themselves excessive to do.

But no matter what issues there are with their batting approach, if they had taken their catches in the fielding area, that 203 total goal would have been substantially lower.

It required them three efforts to terminate the 72-run second-wicket, with keeper Nigar Sultana being unable to take a challenging opportunity behind the stumps to remove Perera on 23 before Athapaththu survived from a caught and bowled chance chance against Rabeya Khan.

The batter was missed further on 55 runs and 63 runs, the final opportunity flying straight to Jhilik at cover position, before ultimately being dismissed lbw by Shorna as she tried to up the ante with teammates being dismissed beside her.

Afterwards in the batting effort, there was furthermore a stumping chance missed and a run-out opportunity lost, while the latter was a slightly regrettable, with Rubya Haider substituting with the gloves following an fitness issue to Joty.

Sadly for the team, such fielding problems are far from a isolated incident. They've missed 14 catches from a potential 27 at this World Cup and have the worst fielding effectiveness (48.1 percent) of the competing sides.

They are a side who are overall progressing in the correct path – they are competing in only their second one-day World Cup ultimately – but substandard fielding is a prominent problem which needs improvement.