Sri Lanka overcomes the Bangladeshi side to preserve their World Cup campaign alive

ICC Women's World Cup, Navi Mumbai

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

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

The Lankan side win by seven runs margin

The Lankan cricket team took four crucial dismissals in the decisive innings segment to achieve a heart-stopping win over Bangladesh and maintain their slim chances of qualifying for the tournament knockout stage ongoing.

Needing a modest total of 203 on a favorable wicket in the Mumbai stadium, the Bangladeshi team required nine additional runs from the remaining six deliveries.

Yet, Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu took three wickets in four bowls and Nilakshi de Silva dismissed via run-out Nahida Akter to achieve a thrilling victory for Sri Lanka.

The triumph – Sri Lanka's maiden of the tournament after three defeats and two no-results against Australia and the Kiwi side – elevates them tied on four tournament points with the Indian team and the New Zealand side, who confront each other on Thursday.

Bangladesh, however, endured a fifth straight setback since winning their tournament opener against the Pakistani team and have been knocked out.

While Bangladesh made the excellent commencement, with Marufa taking a wicket with the opening bowl of the match to remove Vishmi Gunaratne, they were appropriately punished for a disappointing fielding display.

They gifted reprieves to Hasini Perera, who was spilled multiple times, and Athapaththu.

Although Athapaththu was unable to make it count, dismissed lbw for 46 one ball after being missed by Rabeya, Hasini Perera made the opposition regret it.

She scored a maiden international half-century, scoring 85 from 99 deliveries and building an significant 74-run partnership fifth-wicket with Nilakshi de Silva.

The Bangladeshi team, led by Shorna's three wickets for 27 runs, dragged themselves back in the match, with De Silva's wicket in the 34th innings segment initiating a Lankan collapse from 174 with four wickets down to 202 complete.

While batting second, the Lankan team's starting bowlers Madara and Prabodhani limited Bangladesh to 23 with one wicket down in a uninspiring opening overs and they were afterwards brought down to 44-3.

Sharmin and Nigar Sultana Joty restored their innings, adding an 82-run partnership for the fourth wicket collaboration before Sharmin retired hurt for a stubborn 64 in the 36th over.

It was leaning toward Bangladesh approaching the final two bowling phases, with merely 12 additional runs necessary.

Nevertheless, Sugandika Dasanayaka removed Ritu and allowed only three runs before Athapaththu's dramatic spell, with Rabeya, Nahida, captain Joty and Marufa all dismissed as Sri Lanka seized the win at the very end.

In the end, it was a contest of composure. The very experienced Lankan captain, who moved aside a several of fellow players as she prepared to bowl the final over, kept her composure. Bangladesh failed to.

There will be many doubts about the team's batting display. They possibly have been needing around 270-280 with the Lankan team appearing comfortable on 159-4 in the 30th innings segment, but in contrast the target was significantly less.

Yet, the batting side displayed insufficient intent from the very beginning, accumulating runs at below 2.5 scoring rate during the initial phase, undergoing a top-order collapse, and finally leaving themselves excessive to achieve.

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

It took them three efforts to end the 72-run partnership second-wicket association, with wicketkeeper Nigar Sultana being unable to grab a challenging chance behind the stumps to dismiss Perera on her score of 23 before Athapaththu got a reprieve from a caught and bowled opportunity against Rabeya.

The batter was dropped further on her score of 55 and 63 runs, the latter chance going straight to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover position, before eventually being dismissed leg before wicket by Shorna Akter as she sought to increase the tempo with teammates getting out around her.

Later in the game, there was also a failed stumping and a failed run-out, while the latter was a somewhat unlucky, with Rubya Haider deputising with the keeping duties due to an physical problem to the regular keeper.

Regrettably for Bangladesh, such fielding problems are not at all a isolated incident. They've missed 14 catches from a potential 27 chances at this competition and boast the worst fielding effectiveness (48.1%) of the participating teams.

They are a team who are overall progressing in the proper way – they are playing in only their second one-day World Cup ultimately – but inadequate fielding standards is a prominent concern which needs focus.