The Lankan team defeats Bangladesh to maintain their World Cup tournament hopes alive

Women's Cricket World Cup, Mumbai

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

The Bangladeshi team 195-9 (50 overs): Joty 77 (98); Athapaththu 4-42

Sri Lanka win by seven runs margin

The Lankan cricket team secured four crucial dismissals in the last over to seal a thrilling victory over their opponents and maintain their faint chances of qualifying for the World Cup semi-finals alive.

Chasing a attainable total of 203 on a batting-friendly pitch in Navi Mumbai, Bangladesh needed nine more runs from the final six balls.

Nevertheless, Lankan skipper Athapaththu claimed three wickets in four balls and de Silva ran out Nahida to achieve a exciting success for Sri Lanka.

The triumph – the Lankan team's maiden of the World Cup after three unsuccessful matches and two no-results against Australia and New Zealand – elevates them level on four points with India and the New Zealand side, who face each other on the coming Thursday.

The Bangladeshi team, in contrast, endured a fifth straight setback since winning their first match against the Pakistani team and have been removed from contention.

Even though Bangladesh got off to the ideal beginning, with Marufa striking with the initial ball of the game to remove Gunaratne, they were deservedly punished for a poor fielding display.

They gifted lifelines to Perera, who was dropped on three occasions, and Athapaththu.

Although the Sri Lankan skipper was unable to make it count, sent back lbw for 46 just one delivery after being dropped by Rabeya, Perera made Bangladesh regret it.

She registered a maiden international 50-run score, accumulating 85 from 99 bowls and sharing an crucial 74-run partnership fifth-wicket collaboration with Nilakshi de Silva.

Bangladesh, spearheaded by Shorna Akter's 3-27, pulled themselves back into the match, with De Silva's dismissal in the 34th innings segment triggering a Sri Lanka downfall from 174-4 to 202 complete.

During their chase, Sri Lanka's starting bowlers Madara and Prabodhani contained Bangladesh to 23 for one in a uninspiring opening overs and they were later reduced to 44 for three.

Sharmin and Joty restored their batting effort, adding an 82-run partnership for the fourth wicket collaboration before the batter left the field injured for a stubborn 64 in the 36th innings segment.

It was leaning toward the chasing team approaching the remaining two overs, with only 12 additional runs needed.

Nevertheless, Dasanayaka dismissed Ritu Moni and gave away only three runs before Athapaththu's dramatic spell, with Rabeya, Nahida, captain Joty and Marufa Akter all dismissed as the Lankan team grabbed the victory at the death.

Finally, it was a match of composure. The very experienced Lankan captain, who moved aside a handful of teammates as she set herself to deliver the decisive over, maintained her composure. Bangladesh could not.

There will be numerous inquiries about Bangladesh's batting performance. They possibly have been pursuing 270 or 280 with Sri Lanka appearing settled on 159 for four in the 30th over, but rather the required total was significantly less.

Nevertheless, the batting side lacked purpose from ball one, scoring at less than 2.5 scoring rate during the opening overs, suffering a top-order collapse, and finally forcing themselves overwhelming to achieve.

But no matter what issues there are with their batting lineup, if they had accepted their opportunities in the fielding area, that 203-run target would have been significantly lower.

It required them three tries to break the 72-run partnership second-wicket, with wicketkeeper Nigar Sultana failing to hold a challenging chance as wicketkeeper to remove Perera on her score of 23 before Athapaththu was spared from a caught and bowled chance chance against Rabeya Khan.

The batter was dropped again on 55 runs and her score of 63, the latter chance flying straight to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover field, before eventually being trapped leg before wicket by Shorna as she sought to up the ante with teammates being dismissed around her.

Afterwards in the innings, there was additionally a stumping chance missed and a run-out opportunity lost, while the latter was a little unfortunate, with Rubya Haider deputising with the gloves due to an fitness issue to Joty.

Regrettably for the team, such fielding woes are not at all a one-off. They've failed to catch 14 chances from a possible 27 chances at this competition and have the poorest fielding effectiveness (48.1%) of the competing sides.

They are a team who are generally progressing in the correct path – they are participating in merely their second ODI World Cup ultimately – but poor fielding performance is a glaring problem which demands improvement.