The Lankan team overcomes Bangladesh to keep their campaign breathing

Women's Cricket World Cup, Mumbai

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

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

The Lankan side win by seven runs margin

Sri Lanka claimed four crucial dismissals in the last over to seal a heart-stopping win over their opponents and preserve their slim hopes of qualifying for the tournament knockout stage ongoing.

Chasing a below-par score of 203 on a batting-friendly pitch in the Mumbai stadium, Bangladesh needed nine runs from the final six balls.

Yet, Lankan skipper Athapaththu took three wickets in four deliveries and Nilakshi de Silva dismissed via run-out Nahida to bring about a exciting win for the Lankan team.

The triumph – the Lankan team's first of the World Cup after three unsuccessful matches and two abandoned games against Australia and New Zealand – moves them tied on four match points with India and the New Zealand side, who meet each other on Thursday.

The Bangladeshi team, however, endured a fifth consecutive setback since winning their first match against Pakistan and have been knocked out.

Even though the Bangladeshi side got off to the perfect start, with Marufa taking a wicket with the first delivery of the match to remove Vishmi Gunaratne, they were appropriately penalized for a disappointing fielding display.

They provided second chances to Hasini Perera, who was spilled on three occasions, and Athapaththu.

Even though the Sri Lankan skipper failed to make it count, sent back leg before wicket for 46 just one delivery after being missed by Rabeya, Perera forced the opposition pay.

She scored a maiden international half-century, accumulating 85 from 99 deliveries and contributing to an significant 74-run partnership fifth-wicket collaboration with De Silva.

Bangladesh, led by Shorna Akter's 3-27, fought themselves back into the match, with De Silva's removal in the 34th over causing a Sri Lanka batting collapse from 174 for four to 202 total.

In reply, Sri Lanka's initial pace attack Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani contained the opposition to 23 for one in a uninspiring opening overs and they were subsequently reduced to 44-3.

Sharmin and Joty reconstructed their score, adding an 82-run partnership for the fourth wicket stand before Sharmin withdrew due to injury for a determined 64 in the 36th innings segment.

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

Yet, Sugandika Dasanayaka removed Ritu and conceded only three scoring runs before Athapaththu's chaos, with Rabeya Khan, Nahida Akter, captain Joty and Marufa all sent back as Sri Lanka seized the win at the final moment.

Ultimately, it was a contest of composure. The very experienced Lankan captain, who ushered away a several of teammates as she got ready to bowl the final over, kept hers. The opposition could not.

There will be numerous doubts about the team's batting effort. They might well have been needing 270 to 280 with the Lankan team appearing at ease on 159 with four wickets down in the 30th bowling phase, but in contrast the chase was much lower.

Nevertheless, the batting side displayed insufficient intent from the start, making runs at under 2.5 scoring rate during the powerplay, suffering a top-order collapse, and ultimately making themselves overwhelming to accomplish.

But whatever difficulties there are with their batting, if they had seized their chances in the field, that 203-run goal would have been substantially smaller.

It took them three efforts to end the 72-run stand second-wicket, with keeper Nigar Sultana failing to hold a difficult catch while keeping to send back Perera on 23 runs before Athapaththu got a reprieve from a caught and bowled chance possibility against Rabeya.

The batter was dropped further on her score of 55 and her score of 63, the last attempt flying directly to Jhilik at cover position, before ultimately being given out leg before wicket by Shorna Akter as she sought to increase the tempo with teammates getting out around her.

Subsequently in the batting effort, there was furthermore a failed stumping and a run-out opportunity lost, even though the latter was a little regrettable, with Jhilik substituting with the gloves after an injury to the regular keeper.

Regrettably for the team, such fielding issues are far from a one-off. They've missed 14 opportunities from a available 27 at this competition and have the lowest fielding effectiveness (48.1%) of the competing sides.

They are a side who are overall heading in the proper way – they are participating in only their second one-day World Cup ultimately – but inadequate fielding standards is a obvious problem which demands attention.