The Lankan team beats the Bangladeshi side to keep their campaign breathing

ICC Women's World Cup, Mumbai

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

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

Sri Lanka emerge victorious by seven runs

Sri Lanka secured four crucial dismissals in the final over to complete a heart-stopping win over their opponents and maintain their slim hopes of making it for the World Cup semi-finals ongoing.

Chasing a modest total of 203 on a favorable wicket in Navi Mumbai, Bangladesh required nine runs from the remaining six balls.

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

The triumph – Sri Lanka's initial of the World Cup after three losses and two abandoned games against the Australian team and New Zealand – moves them level on four tournament points with India and New Zealand, who meet each other on Thursday.

Bangladesh, in contrast, endured a fifth consecutive defeat since securing victory in their tournament opener against Pakistan and have been knocked out.

Even though Bangladesh got off to the perfect start, with Marufa Akter taking a wicket with the opening bowl of the encounter to dismiss Vishmi Gunaratne, they were appropriately penalized for a poor fielding effort.

They provided reprieves to Perera, who was missed multiple times, and Athapaththu.

Even though the Sri Lankan skipper was unable to make it count, sent back lbw for 46 just one delivery after being put down by Rabeya, Perera forced the opposition pay.

She registered a first international fifty, accumulating 85 from 99 balls and sharing an important 74-run partnership fifth-wicket association with De Silva.

The Bangladeshi team, led by Shorna's 3-27, dragged themselves back into the contest, with Nilakshi's removal in the 34th over causing a Sri Lanka downfall from 174 with four wickets down to 202 complete.

In reply, Sri Lanka's starting bowlers Madara and Prabodhani contained Bangladesh to 23-1 in a disappointing initial phase and they were afterwards brought down to 44 for three.

Sharmin Akter and Joty rebuilt their innings, adding an 82-run partnership for the fourth wicket stand before Sharmin left the field injured for a determined 64 in the 36th over.

It was advantage the chasing team heading into the last two overs, with merely 12 additional runs required.

However, Sugandika Dasanayaka sent back Ritu and gave away only three runs before the captain's dramatic spell, with Rabeya, Nahida, captain Joty and Marufa all sent back as Sri Lanka seized the triumph at the very end.

Ultimately, it was a game of composure. The seasoned Lankan captain, who directed away a few of teammates as she got ready to deliver the final over, maintained hers. The opposition failed to.

There will be plenty of questions about the team's batting display. They could easily have been chasing around 270-280 with Sri Lanka appearing at ease on 159 with four wickets down in the 30th bowling phase, but rather the target was considerably smaller.

Nevertheless, the batting side displayed insufficient purpose from ball one, accumulating runs at less than 2.5 runs each over during the opening overs, undergoing a initial wicket loss, and finally leaving themselves excessive to do.

But whatever issues there are with their batting lineup, if they had seized their opportunities in the field, that 203 total target would have been considerably less.

It required them three tries to break the 72-run partnership second-wicket association, with keeper Joty being unable to hold a challenging chance behind the stumps to dismiss Hasini Perera on 23 runs before Athapaththu was spared from a caught and bowled possibility against Rabeya.

The batter was spilled once more on 55 and 63 runs, the latter chance traveling directly to Jhilik at cover position, before eventually being dismissed leg before wicket by Shorna Akter as she attempted to up the ante with batting partners falling near her.

Subsequently in the game, there was also a failed stumping and a missed run-out, although the run-out chance was a slightly regrettable, with Rubya Haider standing in with the wicketkeeping gloves due to an injury to Joty.

Regrettably for Bangladesh, such fielding problems are not at all a single occurrence. They've missed 14 opportunities from a available 27 opportunities at this World Cup and have the lowest catching success rate (48.1%) of the eight teams.

They are a side who are generally heading in the proper way – they are playing in merely their second 50-over World Cup in the end – but poor fielding standards is a glaring problem which requires improvement.