The Lankan team beats the Bangladeshi side to maintain their World Cup campaign breathing

ICC Women's World Cup, Navi Mumbai

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

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

The Lankan side emerge victorious by seven runs margin

The Lankan cricket team claimed four crucial dismissals in the decisive over to achieve a heart-stopping triumph over Bangladesh and keep their narrow aspirations of making it for the World Cup semi-finals intact.

Pursuing a attainable score of 203 on a good batting surface in the Mumbai stadium, Bangladesh wanted nine more runs from the remaining six deliveries.

However, Sri Lanka captain Athapaththu secured three wickets in four balls and de Silva ran out Nahida to secure a thrilling victory for Sri Lanka.

The win – the Lankan team's first of the tournament after three unsuccessful matches and two washed-out matches against the Australian team and the Kiwi side – elevates them equal on four tournament points with India and the New Zealand side, who confront each other on Thursday.

Bangladesh, in contrast, suffered a fifth successive loss since securing victory in their initial game against Pakistan and have been knocked out.

Although the Bangladeshi side got off to the ideal beginning, with Marufa striking with the opening bowl of the match to dismiss Gunaratne, they were rightfully made to pay for a poor fielding display.

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

Although Athapaththu was unable to take advantage, dismissed lbw for 46 just one delivery after being dropped by Rabeya Khan, Perera forced the opposition regret it.

She scored a debut international fifty, making 85 from 99 deliveries and contributing to an significant 74-run fifth-wicket with De Silva.

Bangladesh, guided by Shorna's 3-27, dragged themselves back in the match, with Nilakshi's dismissal in the 34th innings segment causing a Lankan downfall from 174 with four wickets down to 202 all out.

While batting second, the Lankan team's opening bowlers Malki Madara and Prabodhani contained the opposition to 23-1 in a lacklustre initial phase and they were afterwards brought down to 44 with three wickets lost.

Sharmin and Joty rebuilt their batting effort, adding 82 runs for the fourth wicket stand before the batter left the field injured for a resolute 64 in the 36th over.

It was in favor of Bangladesh approaching the last two innings segments, with just 12 runs necessary.

Yet, Sugandika Dasanayaka removed Ritu Moni and allowed just three runs before the captain's dramatic spell, with Rabeya, Nahida, skipper Joty and Marufa Akter all sent back as the Lankan team snatched the triumph at the final moment.

In the end, it was a game of nerve. The highly experienced Athapaththu, who moved aside a several of fellow players as she prepared to bowl the decisive over, maintained hers. Bangladesh could not.

There will be plenty of questions about Bangladesh's batting performance. They possibly have been pursuing around 270-280 with Sri Lanka appearing settled on 159 for four in the 30th bowling phase, but rather the chase was significantly less.

Yet, Bangladesh lacked purpose from the very beginning, scoring at below 2.5 runs per over during the initial phase, suffering a initial wicket loss, and eventually making themselves excessive to achieve.

But no matter what issues there are with their batting approach, if they had seized their chances in the fielding department, that 203 total target would have been substantially lower.

It required them three attempts to end the 72-run partnership second-wicket collaboration, with wicketkeeper Joty being unable to hold a challenging chance while keeping to remove Perera on 23 before Athapaththu was spared from a return catch opportunity against Rabeya Khan.

The batter was dropped further on 55 and 63 runs, the latter chance going right to Jhilik at cover position, before eventually being dismissed leg before wicket by Shorna Akter as she tried to accelerate the scoring with teammates getting out around her.

Afterwards in the batting effort, there was furthermore a failed stumping and a missed run-out, while the second one was a slightly unfortunate, with Jhilik substituting with the keeping duties due to an physical problem to Joty.

Unfortunately for Bangladesh, such fielding issues are far from a isolated incident. They've failed to catch 14 catches from a potential 27 at this tournament and have the lowest fielding effectiveness (less than 50%) of the competing sides.

They are a team who are generally heading in the correct path – they are competing in merely their second 50-over World Cup in the end – but poor fielding performance is a obvious problem which demands attention.