The Lankan team overcomes Bangladesh to keep their campaign ongoing

ICC Women's World Cup, Mumbai

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

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

Sri Lanka win by seven runs margin

The Lankan cricket team secured four wickets in the last innings segment to achieve a nail-biting win over their opponents and preserve their faint aspirations of qualifying for the tournament knockout stage intact.

Pursuing a modest score of 203 on a good batting surface in Navi Mumbai, the Bangladeshi team needed nine more runs from the last six balls.

Nevertheless, Sri Lanka captain Athapaththu claimed three wickets in four deliveries and de Silva ran out Nahida Akter to achieve a exciting win for the Lankan team.

The win – the Lankan team's maiden of the tournament after three losses and two washed-out matches against Australia and the Kiwi side – pushes them level on four points with the Indian team and the New Zealand side, who confront each other on Thursday.

Bangladesh, however, endured a fifth successive loss since securing victory in their tournament opener against Pakistan and have been removed from contention.

Although the Bangladeshi side got off to the excellent commencement, with Marufa Akter taking a wicket with the opening bowl of the game to dismiss Gunaratne, they were rightfully punished for a subpar fielding performance.

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

Although the Sri Lankan skipper failed to take advantage, sent back leg before wicket for 46 one ball after being missed by Rabeya Khan, Perera made the opposition regret it.

She scored a debut international half-century, making 85 from 99 bowls and sharing an crucial 74-run partnership fifth-wicket collaboration with Nilakshi de Silva.

The Bangladeshi team, led by Shorna's impressive bowling figures, fought themselves back to the game, with De Silva's removal in the 34th bowling segment causing a Sri Lanka downfall from 174 with four wickets down to 202 all out.

In reply, the Lankan team's opening bowlers Malki Madara and Prabodhani limited Bangladesh to 23 for one in a disappointing opening overs and they were subsequently reduced to 44 with three wickets lost.

Sharmin and Nigar Sultana Joty restored their innings, contributing an 82-run partnership for the fourth wicket before Sharmin withdrew due to injury for a stubborn 64 in the 36th innings segment.

It was in favor of Bangladesh entering the last two innings segments, with only 12 additional runs needed.

However, Sugandika Dasanayaka dismissed Ritu and allowed only three runs before Athapaththu's dramatic spell, with Rabeya Khan, Nahida Akter, skipper Joty and Marufa all removed as Sri Lanka grabbed the victory at the final moment.

Finally, it was a contest of composure. The very experienced Athapaththu, who ushered away a few of fellow players as she prepared to deliver the last over, maintained hers. Bangladesh did not.

There will be many questions about the team's batting performance. They could easily have been needing 270 to 280 with Sri Lanka looking at ease on 159 for four in the 30th bowling phase, but in contrast the required total was considerably smaller.

Yet, Bangladesh lacked purpose from the very beginning, accumulating runs at under 2.5 runs per over during the initial phase, experiencing a initial wicket loss, and eventually leaving themselves overwhelming to achieve.

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

It took them three efforts to terminate the 72-run second-wicket association, with keeper Joty being unable to grab a tough catch while keeping to dismiss Hasini Perera on 23 runs before the captain survived from a return catch possibility against Rabeya Khan.

The batter was dropped further on 55 runs and 63, the last attempt going straight to Jhilik at cover, before finally being given out leg before wicket by Shorna as she attempted to accelerate the scoring with teammates getting out around her.

Subsequently in the game, there was furthermore a failed stumping and a failed run-out, although the second one was a somewhat unfortunate, with Jhilik standing in with the wicketkeeping gloves after an fitness issue to Joty.

Regrettably for the team, such fielding problems are nowhere near a isolated incident. They've dropped 14 catches from a possible 27 opportunities at this World Cup and boast the lowest fielding effectiveness (48.1%) of the competing sides.

They are a team who are generally moving in the right direction – they are playing in merely their second 50-over World Cup in the end – but poor fielding is a obvious problem which needs improvement.