Sri Lanka overcomes the Bangladeshi side to preserve their campaign alive

ICC Women's World Cup, Mumbai

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

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

The Lankan side emerge victorious by seven runs

The Lankan cricket team secured four wickets in the final innings segment to achieve a thrilling triumph over Bangladesh and maintain their narrow hopes of making it for the tournament knockout stage ongoing.

Chasing a attainable score of 203 on a favorable wicket in the Mumbai stadium, Bangladesh wanted nine additional runs from the final six bowls.

However, Lankan skipper Athapaththu claimed three important dismissals in four bowls and Nilakshi de Silva dismissed via run-out Nahida Akter to achieve a dramatic win for the Lankan team.

The victory – the Lankan team's initial of the competition after three defeats and two washed-out matches against Australia and the Kiwi side – elevates them level on four match points with India and the New Zealand side, who meet each other on the coming Thursday.

Bangladesh, in contrast, experienced a fifth successive defeat since winning their initial game against Pakistan and have been eliminated.

Although Bangladesh made the ideal beginning, with Marufa taking a wicket with the initial ball of the game to send back Vishmi Gunaratne, they were deservedly punished for a poor fielding display.

They offered reprieves to Perera, who was dropped multiple times, and Athapaththu.

While the Sri Lankan skipper failed to take advantage, sent back lbw for 46 just one delivery after being dropped by Rabeya Khan, Perera made the opposition suffer.

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

Bangladesh, guided by Shorna's three wickets for 27 runs, pulled themselves back to the game, with Nilakshi's removal in the 34th bowling segment triggering a Sri Lanka batting collapse from 174-4 to 202 complete.

While batting second, Sri Lanka's starting bowlers Madara and Prabodhani contained Bangladesh to 23 for one in a uninspiring powerplay and they were later diminished to 44-3.

Sharmin Akter and Nigar Sultana Joty restored their innings, putting on an 82-run partnership for the fourth wicket collaboration before the batter left the field injured for a stubborn 64 in the 36th bowling phase.

It was leaning toward Bangladesh entering the final two innings segments, with only 12 additional runs needed.

However, Sugandika Dasanayaka removed Ritu and allowed only three runs before Athapaththu's decisive intervention, with Rabeya, Nahida Akter, skipper Joty and Marufa all dismissed as Sri Lanka seized the triumph at the death.

In the end, it was a game of composure. The very experienced Lankan captain, who ushered away a several of team-mates as she got ready to deliver the last over, maintained hers. Bangladesh did not.

There will be plenty of inquiries about Bangladesh's batting display. They might well have been needing 270 or 280 with the Lankan team appearing settled on 159 with four wickets down in the 30th innings segment, but instead the chase was significantly less.

Nevertheless, Bangladesh displayed insufficient intent from ball one, accumulating runs at under 2.5 runs each over during the opening overs, undergoing a top-order collapse, and ultimately making themselves overwhelming to accomplish.

But whatever issues there are with their batting, if they had taken their opportunities in the fielding department, that 203 total target would have been significantly lower.

It required them three efforts to break the 72-run stand second-wicket association, with wicketkeeper Joty being unable to grab a tough catch behind the stumps to send back Perera on 23 before Athapaththu survived from a return catch chance against Rabeya.

Perera was dropped again on 55 and 63 runs, the latter chance flying right to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover, before eventually being given out leg before wicket by Shorna Akter as she sought to increase the tempo with partners getting out beside her.

Afterwards in the batting effort, there was also a missed stumping and a missed run-out, even though the second one was a somewhat regrettable, with Jhilik deputising with the keeping duties due to an fitness issue to the regular keeper.

Unfortunately for the team, such fielding issues are far from a isolated incident. They've failed to catch 14 opportunities from a available 27 at this tournament and have the worst fielding effectiveness (48.1%) of the competing sides.

They are a side who are generally moving in the correct path – they are playing in merely their second one-day World Cup ultimately – but poor fielding is a obvious issue which requires improvement.