The Lankan team defeats the Bangladeshi side to maintain their campaign breathing

Women's Cricket World Cup, Mumbai

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

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

Sri Lanka win by seven runs margin

Sri Lanka claimed four wickets in the last innings segment to complete a thrilling triumph over Bangladesh and preserve their narrow chances of qualifying for the World Cup semi-finals intact.

Chasing a modest total of 203 on a favorable wicket in Navi Mumbai, Bangladesh needed nine more runs from the last six deliveries.

Nevertheless, Lankan skipper Athapaththu took three important dismissals in four deliveries and Nilakshi de Silva ran out Nahida Akter to secure a thrilling win for the Lankan team.

The victory – Sri Lanka's maiden of the competition after three unsuccessful matches and two abandoned games against Australia and the Kiwi side – moves them tied on four tournament points with India and the New Zealand side, who meet each other on Thursday.

The Bangladeshi team, on the other hand, experienced a fifth straight defeat since securing victory in their first match against Pakistan and have been removed from contention.

Although the Bangladeshi side got off to the excellent commencement, with Marufa Akter striking with the initial ball of the match to dismiss Gunaratne, they were rightfully made to pay for a disappointing fielding performance.

They offered reprieves to Hasini Perera, who was spilled on three occasions, and the Lankan captain.

Although the Sri Lankan skipper was unable to make it count, removed lbw for 46 a single bowl after being missed by Rabeya, Hasini Perera made Bangladesh regret it.

She achieved a first international 50-run score, accumulating 85 from 99 bowls and contributing to an important 74-run stand fifth-wicket with De Silva.

Bangladesh, spearheaded by Shorna's 3-27, dragged themselves back into the match, with De Silva's wicket in the 34th bowling segment triggering a Lankan collapse from 174-4 to 202 all out.

In reply, the Lankan team's starting bowlers Madara and Prabodhani restricted Bangladesh to 23-1 in a disappointing powerplay and they were afterwards brought down to 44-3.

Sharmin Akter and Joty reconstructed their batting effort, contributing an 82-run partnership for the fourth wicket collaboration before Sharmin left the field injured for a resolute 64 in the 36th innings segment.

It was advantage the chasing team entering the remaining two overs, with only 12 additional runs required.

However, Dasanayaka removed Ritu and gave away only three runs before the captain's decisive intervention, with Rabeya, Nahida Akter, captain Joty and Marufa Akter all dismissed as Sri Lanka snatched the win at the final moment.

Ultimately, it was a contest of nerve. The highly experienced Lankan captain, who ushered away a several of fellow players as she got ready to deliver the final over, held her composure. Bangladesh failed to.

There will be many inquiries about the team's batting performance. They might well have been needing 270 or 280 with the Lankan team looking comfortable on 159 for four in the 30th over, but rather the required total was significantly less.

Nevertheless, the batting side displayed insufficient purpose from ball one, scoring at under 2.5 scoring rate during the powerplay, undergoing a initial wicket loss, and ultimately forcing themselves overwhelming to accomplish.

But whatever issues there are with their batting lineup, if they had accepted their opportunities in the field, that 203-run target target would have been substantially lower.

It required them three attempts to break the 72-run partnership second-wicket collaboration, with keeper Joty not managing to hold a difficult chance while keeping to send back Hasini Perera on 23 runs before the captain got a reprieve from a return catch chance against Rabeya.

Perera was missed again on 55 and her score of 63, the latter chance flying directly to Jhilik at cover field, before eventually being dismissed leg before wicket by Shorna Akter as she attempted to increase the tempo with partners getting out near her.

Later in the game, there was additionally a missed stumping and a run-out opportunity lost, even though the latter was a somewhat regrettable, with Jhilik substituting with the keeping duties due to an injury to the regular keeper.

Regrettably for the team, such fielding woes are nowhere near a one-off. They've missed 14 chances from a potential 27 opportunities at this tournament and boast the worst fielding effectiveness (48.1%) of the competing sides.

They are a squad who are generally heading in the proper way – they are competing in only their second 50-over World Cup ultimately – but poor fielding is a obvious issue which requires attention.