The Lankan team beats the Bangladeshi side to preserve their tournament hopes alive

Women's Cricket World Cup, Mumbai

Sri Lanka 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

The Lankan side win by seven runs margin

Sri Lanka claimed four crucial dismissals in the decisive innings segment to seal a heart-stopping victory over Bangladesh and preserve their narrow aspirations of making it for the World Cup semi-finals ongoing.

Chasing a attainable target of 203 on a favorable wicket in Navi Mumbai, the Bangladeshi team needed nine runs from the remaining six balls.

However, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu secured three crucial wickets in four balls and de Silva dismissed via run-out Nahida Akter to achieve a exciting victory for the Lankan team.

The triumph – the Lankan team's initial of the tournament after three losses and two washed-out matches against the Australian team and the Kiwi side – elevates them tied on four match points with India and New Zealand, who face each other on the coming Thursday.

The Bangladeshi team, on the other hand, suffered a fifth consecutive loss since securing victory in their tournament opener against the Pakistani team and have been removed from contention.

Even though Bangladesh got off to the perfect start, with Marufa Akter taking a wicket with the opening bowl of the game to send back Vishmi Gunaratne, they were deservedly penalized for a poor fielding display.

They provided second chances to Hasini Perera, who was spilled three times, and the Lankan captain.

Although the Sri Lankan skipper could not take advantage, dismissed leg before wicket for 46 just one delivery after being put down by Rabeya, Hasini Perera made Bangladesh regret it.

She registered a debut international 50-run score, accumulating 85 from 99 balls and contributing to an significant 74-run stand fifth-wicket collaboration with De Silva.

The Bangladeshi team, spearheaded by Shorna Akter's 3-27, pulled themselves back in the game, with Nilakshi's removal in the 34th innings segment initiating a Lankan downfall from 174 for four to 202 all out.

While batting second, the Lankan team's starting bowlers Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani restricted Bangladesh to 23-1 in a disappointing initial phase and they were subsequently diminished to 44-3.

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

It was advantage the chasing team heading into the remaining two overs, with only 12 more runs needed.

Nevertheless, Dasanayaka dismissed Ritu Moni and conceded only three scoring runs before the captain's dramatic spell, with Rabeya Khan, Nahida, captain Joty and Marufa all removed as Sri Lanka grabbed the victory at the very end.

Finally, it was a game of nerves. The seasoned Lankan captain, who ushered away a handful of fellow players as she prepared to deliver the decisive over, maintained her composure. Bangladesh did not.

There will be plenty of doubts about Bangladesh's batting performance. They possibly have been chasing 270 to 280 with the Lankan team appearing at ease on 159 for four in the 30th over, but in contrast the target was considerably smaller.

Nevertheless, the batting side showed little aggression from the very beginning, accumulating runs at below 2.5 runs each over during the opening overs, experiencing a initial wicket loss, and finally making themselves too much to do.

But whatever problems there are with their batting, if they had accepted their chances in the field, that 203-run target goal would have been significantly lower.

It took them three tries to break the 72-run stand second-wicket, with keeper Joty being unable to hold a challenging chance as wicketkeeper to remove Perera on her score of 23 before Athapaththu was spared from a caught and bowled possibility against Rabeya Khan.

The batter was dropped again on her score of 55 and 63, the final opportunity traveling straight to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover field, before finally being given out leg before wicket by Shorna as she tried to accelerate the scoring with partners being dismissed beside her.

Later in the innings, there was also a missed stumping and a failed run-out, while the latter was a little unlucky, with Jhilik substituting with the gloves following an fitness issue to Joty.

Regrettably for Bangladesh, such fielding problems are far from a single occurrence. They've dropped 14 opportunities from a possible 27 chances at this World Cup and boast the worst catching success rate (less than 50%) of the competing sides.

They are a squad who are typically moving in the right direction – they are competing in only their second one-day World Cup after all – but poor fielding is a prominent concern which demands focus.