The Lankan team defeats the Bangladeshi side to keep their tournament hopes alive

ICC Women's World Cup, Mumbai

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

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

Sri Lanka win by seven runs margin

Sri Lanka claimed four crucial dismissals in the decisive innings segment to complete a heart-stopping win over Bangladesh and maintain their faint chances of making it for the tournament knockout stage ongoing.

Needing a attainable score of 203 on a batting-friendly pitch in Navi Mumbai, Bangladesh wanted nine more runs from the final six deliveries.

Nevertheless, Sri Lanka captain Athapaththu claimed three crucial wickets in four deliveries and de Silva ran out Nahida to achieve a dramatic victory for Sri Lanka.

The victory – Sri Lanka's first of the World Cup after three losses and two abandoned games against the Australian team and New Zealand – moves them tied on four points with the Indian team and New Zealand, who meet each other on Thursday.

The Bangladeshi team, in contrast, experienced a fifth straight setback since securing victory in their tournament opener against Pakistan and have been eliminated.

Even though the Bangladeshi side got off to the excellent commencement, with Marufa Akter striking with the first delivery of the game to remove Gunaratne, they were rightfully penalized for a subpar fielding performance.

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

Even though the Sri Lankan skipper could not take advantage, removed lbw for 46 a single bowl after being missed by Rabeya, Perera made the opposition regret it.

She achieved a debut international fifty, scoring 85 from 99 bowls and building an significant 74-run fifth-wicket with Nilakshi de Silva.

The Bangladeshi team, guided by Shorna Akter's three wickets for 27 runs, fought themselves back in the game, with De Silva's wicket in the 34th bowling segment initiating a Lankan downfall from 174-4 to 202 total.

In reply, the Lankan team's opening bowlers Madara and Prabodhani limited Bangladesh to 23 for one in a disappointing initial phase and they were subsequently brought down to 44 with three wickets lost.

Sharmin and Joty reconstructed their score, putting on 82 for the fourth wicket stand before the batter withdrew due to injury for a resolute 64 in the 36th bowling phase.

It was leaning toward Bangladesh approaching the remaining two innings segments, with only 12 more runs needed.

Nevertheless, Dasanayaka sent back Ritu Moni and gave away only three runs before the captain's dramatic spell, with Rabeya, Nahida, captain Joty and Marufa all sent back as the Lankan team seized the triumph at the final moment.

Finally, it was a match of nerve. The highly experienced Lankan captain, who moved aside a few of fellow players as she set herself to deliver the last over, maintained her composure. Bangladesh did not.

There will be numerous doubts about the team's batting display. They could easily have been pursuing 270 to 280 with Sri Lanka looking comfortable on 159 for four in the 30th bowling phase, but instead the target was significantly less.

Nevertheless, the batting side lacked purpose from the very beginning, accumulating runs at less than 2.5 runs each over during the initial phase, experiencing a early batting collapse, and ultimately forcing themselves excessive to do.

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

It required them three attempts to end the 72-run second-wicket, with keeper Nigar Sultana not managing to hold a difficult opportunity as wicketkeeper to remove Perera on her score of 23 before the captain got a reprieve from a return catch possibility against Rabeya Khan.

The batter was spilled further on 55 and 63 runs, the latter chance flying directly to Jhilik at cover field, before finally being dismissed leg before wicket by Shorna Akter as she tried to accelerate the scoring with partners getting out near her.

Later in the batting effort, there was also a missed stumping and a failed run-out, even though the second one was a little unfortunate, with Jhilik deputising with the wicketkeeping gloves following an physical problem to Joty.

Unfortunately for Bangladesh, such fielding woes are far from a isolated incident. They've failed to catch 14 catches from a potential 27 chances at this competition and boast the worst catch efficiency (less than 50%) of the eight teams.

They are a side who are overall progressing in the right direction – they are participating in only their second one-day World Cup in the end – but inadequate fielding standards is a prominent issue which requires attention.