Sri Lanka defeats the Bangladeshi side to preserve their World Cup tournament hopes alive

Women's Cricket 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); Chamari Athapaththu 4-42

The Lankan side emerge victorious by seven runs margin

The Lankan cricket team secured four wickets in the decisive over to complete a nail-biting victory over Bangladesh and keep their slim hopes of making it for the tournament knockout stage ongoing.

Pursuing a below-par target of 203 on a batting-friendly pitch in the Mumbai stadium, Bangladesh needed nine runs from the remaining six balls.

However, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu secured three crucial wickets in four balls and Nilakshi de Silva ran out Nahida Akter to secure a dramatic victory for the Lankan team.

The triumph – the Lankan team's initial of the World Cup after three losses and two no-results against the Australian team and the Kiwi side – elevates them equal on four tournament points with the Indian team and the New Zealand side, who confront each other on Thursday.

Bangladesh, however, suffered a fifth consecutive loss since securing victory in their tournament opener against the Pakistani team and have been eliminated.

Even though the Bangladeshi side got off to the excellent commencement, with Marufa Akter striking with the opening bowl of the game to send back Vishmi Gunaratne, they were deservedly punished for a poor fielding effort.

They provided lifelines to Perera, who was dropped three times, and Athapaththu.

While the Sri Lankan skipper could not take advantage, sent back leg before wicket for 46 one ball after being put down by Rabeya, Perera forced Bangladesh regret it.

She achieved a maiden international half-century, scoring 85 from 99 balls and sharing an crucial 74-run partnership fifth-wicket collaboration with Nilakshi de Silva.

The Bangladeshi team, guided by Shorna's impressive bowling figures, dragged themselves back into the contest, with De Silva's dismissal in the 34th bowling segment initiating a Sri Lanka collapse from 174 with four wickets down to 202 complete.

During their chase, the Lankan team's opening bowlers Madara and Prabodhani limited Bangladesh to 23 with one wicket down in a uninspiring initial phase and they were subsequently brought down to 44 for three.

Sharmin and Joty restored their innings, contributing an 82-run partnership for the fourth wicket stand before Sharmin retired hurt for a determined 64 in the 36th bowling phase.

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

Yet, Sugandika Dasanayaka sent back Ritu and allowed merely three scoring runs before Athapaththu's dramatic spell, with Rabeya Khan, Nahida, skipper Joty and Marufa all sent back as the Lankan team seized the victory at the very end.

In the end, it was a game of composure. The very experienced Lankan captain, who directed away a few of team-mates as she got ready to bowl the final over, maintained her composure. The opposition failed to.

There will be many doubts about the team's batting effort. They possibly have been chasing 270 or 280 with the Lankan team appearing settled on 159 for four in the 30th bowling phase, but instead the chase was much lower.

However, the batting side showed little intent from the start, making runs at under 2.5 runs each over during the powerplay, suffering a early batting collapse, and eventually making themselves too much to do.

But whatever difficulties there are with their batting, if they had seized their chances in the fielding department, that 203 total goal would have been significantly smaller.

It needed them three efforts to end the 72-run stand second-wicket collaboration, with wicketkeeper Joty being unable to take a tough opportunity while keeping to remove Hasini Perera on 23 before Athapaththu was spared from a caught and bowled chance opportunity against Rabeya Khan.

Perera was missed once more on 55 and her score of 63, the last attempt flying right to Jhilik at cover field, before finally being dismissed leg before wicket by Shorna as she sought to up the ante with partners falling around her.

Later in the game, there was additionally a missed stumping and a failed run-out, while the latter was a little unfortunate, with Rubya Haider deputising with the gloves after an physical problem to Joty.

Unfortunately for the team, such fielding problems are not at all a isolated incident. They've dropped 14 chances from a available 27 opportunities at this competition and boast the poorest fielding effectiveness (48.1%) of the eight teams.

They are a squad who are typically progressing in the proper way – they are playing in merely their second ODI World Cup in the end – but poor fielding is a obvious issue which demands focus.