The Lankan team beats the Bangladeshi side to preserve their World Cup tournament hopes breathing

Women's Cricket World Cup, Navi Mumbai

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

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

Sri Lanka emerge victorious by seven runs

Sri Lanka took four crucial dismissals in the final over to seal a thrilling win over Bangladesh and keep their slim aspirations of qualifying for the World Cup semi-finals intact.

Chasing a attainable target of 203 on a favorable wicket in the Mumbai stadium, the Bangladeshi team wanted nine additional runs from the final six balls.

Yet, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu claimed three crucial wickets in four bowls and Nilakshi de Silva ran out Nahida Akter to bring about a dramatic win for the Lankan team.

The triumph – the Lankan team's maiden of the competition after three defeats and two washed-out matches against Australia and New Zealand – elevates them tied on four match points with India and the New Zealand side, who confront each other on Thursday.

Bangladesh, however, experienced a fifth straight setback since winning their tournament opener against the Pakistani team and have been knocked out.

Even though Bangladesh got off to the excellent commencement, with Marufa Akter striking with the first delivery of the game to remove Vishmi Gunaratne, they were deservedly punished for a subpar fielding effort.

They provided reprieves to Perera, who was dropped on three occasions, and Athapaththu.

Even though Athapaththu was unable to capitalise, sent back leg before wicket for 46 a single bowl after being missed by Rabeya, Perera made Bangladesh pay.

She achieved a maiden international 50-run score, making 85 from 99 balls and sharing an important 74-run partnership fifth-wicket collaboration with Nilakshi de Silva.

Bangladesh, spearheaded by Shorna Akter's impressive bowling figures, pulled themselves back to the game, with De Silva's removal in the 34th innings segment initiating a Lankan batting collapse from 174-4 to 202 total.

In reply, Sri Lanka's opening bowlers Madara and Prabodhani contained the opposition to 23 for one in a uninspiring initial phase and they were subsequently brought down to 44 with three wickets lost.

Sharmin and Nigar Sultana Joty restored their score, contributing 82 for the fourth wicket before Sharmin withdrew due to injury for a resolute 64 in the 36th innings segment.

It was advantage Bangladesh entering the remaining two innings segments, with merely 12 additional runs required.

However, Sugandika Dasanayaka dismissed Ritu Moni and gave away only three runs before the captain's chaos, with Rabeya Khan, Nahida Akter, captain Joty and Marufa all removed as the Lankan team grabbed the victory at the death.

Finally, it was a game of composure. The highly experienced Lankan captain, who directed away a several of team-mates as she set herself to bowl the final over, held hers. Bangladesh could not.

There will be numerous questions about the team's batting performance. They could easily have been chasing 270 to 280 with Sri Lanka appearing at ease on 159 with four wickets down in the 30th over, but rather the target was considerably smaller.

Yet, the batting side lacked aggression from ball one, making runs at under 2.5 runs per over during the opening overs, undergoing a initial wicket loss, and eventually making themselves excessive to do.

But no matter what problems there are with their batting, if they had taken their catches in the field, that 203-run target target would have been significantly less.

It took them three efforts to terminate the 72-run partnership second-wicket association, with wicketkeeper Nigar Sultana being unable to take a challenging chance while keeping to send back Hasini Perera on 23 runs before Athapaththu was spared from a caught and bowled chance opportunity against Rabeya Khan.

Perera was dropped further on 55 runs and 63 runs, the last attempt traveling right to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover field, before finally being given out lbw by Shorna as she sought to increase the tempo with batting partners falling around her.

Subsequently in the game, there was also a stumping chance missed and a failed run-out, although the latter was a somewhat unlucky, with Rubya Haider substituting with the keeping duties due to an injury to Joty.

Regrettably for Bangladesh, such fielding woes are not at all a isolated incident. They've dropped 14 chances from a potential 27 opportunities at this competition and boast the worst catch efficiency (less than 50%) of the participating teams.

They are a squad who are generally heading in the proper way – they are participating in just their second ODI World Cup after all – but poor fielding standards is a obvious concern which requires attention.