The Lankan team beats Bangladesh to preserve their World Cup tournament hopes breathing

ICC Women's World Cup, Navi Mumbai

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

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

Sri Lanka emerge victorious by seven runs

Sri Lanka claimed four crucial dismissals in the decisive over to complete a nail-biting victory over their opponents and keep their narrow hopes of qualifying for the World Cup semi-finals intact.

Chasing a attainable target of 203 on a favorable wicket in the Mumbai stadium, Bangladesh needed nine runs from the final six balls.

However, Lankan skipper Athapaththu claimed three wickets in four deliveries and de Silva ran out Nahida Akter to achieve a dramatic win for Sri Lanka.

The triumph – Sri Lanka's initial of the World Cup after three losses and two abandoned games against Australia and New Zealand – pushes them tied on four tournament points with India and the New Zealand side, who confront each other on Thursday.

The Bangladeshi team, on the other hand, suffered a fifth consecutive setback since winning their initial game against Pakistan and have been eliminated.

Even though the Bangladeshi side got off to the perfect start, with Marufa taking a wicket with the opening bowl of the encounter to send back Vishmi Gunaratne, they were rightfully punished for a subpar fielding effort.

They provided second chances to Hasini Perera, who was spilled three times, and Athapaththu.

Even though the Sri Lankan skipper failed to take advantage, dismissed leg before wicket for 46 just one delivery after being dropped by Rabeya Khan, Hasini Perera forced the opposition suffer.

She achieved a first international half-century, making 85 from 99 deliveries and sharing an crucial 74-run stand fifth-wicket collaboration with Nilakshi de Silva.

Bangladesh, spearheaded by Shorna's 3-27, dragged themselves back in the match, with De Silva's wicket in the 34th over causing a Sri Lanka downfall from 174-4 to 202 complete.

In reply, Sri Lanka's opening bowlers Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani contained Bangladesh to 23 with one wicket down in a disappointing initial phase and they were later brought down to 44-3.

Sharmin Akter and Joty rebuilt their score, putting on 82 for the fourth wicket before the batter retired hurt for a resolute 64 in the 36th over.

It was in favor of Bangladesh approaching the last two innings segments, with only 12 additional runs needed.

Nevertheless, Sugandika Dasanayaka sent back Ritu and conceded merely three scoring runs before Athapaththu's dramatic spell, with Rabeya Khan, Nahida Akter, skipper Joty and Marufa Akter all dismissed as Sri Lanka snatched the victory at the very end.

Ultimately, it was a contest of composure. The highly experienced Athapaththu, who directed away a handful of teammates as she got ready to bowl the last over, maintained her nerve. The opposition failed to.

There will be plenty of questions about the team's batting display. They possibly have been needing 270 to 280 with Sri Lanka appearing at ease on 159 for four in the 30th over, but rather the target was considerably smaller.

Nevertheless, Bangladesh showed little intent from the start, scoring at under 2.5 runs each over during the initial phase, suffering a top-order collapse, and finally leaving themselves too much to do.

But no matter what issues there are with their batting, if they had taken their chances in the fielding area, that 203-run target would have been considerably less.

It required them three tries to end the 72-run second-wicket association, with keeper Joty being unable to hold a challenging catch while keeping to remove Perera on her score of 23 before the captain survived from a caught and bowled chance against Rabeya Khan.

Perera was missed further on her score of 55 and her score of 63, the latter chance going right to Jhilik at cover, before finally being trapped leg before wicket by Shorna Akter as she sought to increase the tempo with partners falling near her.

Subsequently in the game, there was also a failed stumping and a run-out opportunity lost, even though the second one was a little regrettable, with Rubya Haider standing in with the gloves due to an physical problem to the regular keeper.

Sadly for Bangladesh, such fielding woes are nowhere near a isolated incident. They've dropped 14 chances from a available 27 chances at this World Cup and boast the worst fielding effectiveness (48.1%) of the competing sides.

They are a side who are generally heading in the proper way – they are playing in only their second ODI World Cup after all – but poor fielding standards is a obvious issue which demands focus.