The Lankan team defeats Bangladesh to preserve their World Cup campaign ongoing

Women's Cricket World Cup, Mumbai

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

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

Sri Lanka win by seven runs margin

Sri Lanka secured four crucial dismissals in the decisive innings segment to complete a nail-biting triumph over their opponents and keep their faint hopes of qualifying for the tournament knockout stage alive.

Pursuing a below-par score of 203 on a favorable wicket in the Mumbai stadium, Bangladesh wanted nine runs from the final six balls.

Nevertheless, Lankan skipper Athapaththu secured three crucial wickets in four deliveries and de Silva dismissed via run-out Nahida to bring about a dramatic win for Sri Lanka.

The victory – the Lankan team's maiden of the World Cup after three defeats and two washed-out matches against the Australian team and New Zealand – pushes them equal on four tournament points with the Indian team and New Zealand, who confront each other on Thursday.

The Bangladeshi team, however, suffered a fifth successive loss since securing victory in their first match against the Pakistani team and have been removed from contention.

Even though the Bangladeshi side made the excellent commencement, with Marufa Akter taking a wicket with the first delivery of the match to dismiss Gunaratne, they were appropriately made to pay for a subpar fielding effort.

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

Although the Sri Lankan skipper was unable to capitalise, removed lbw for 46 just one delivery after being put down by Rabeya, Perera forced the opposition regret it.

She scored a maiden international fifty, scoring 85 from 99 deliveries and building an crucial 74-run stand fifth-wicket with Nilakshi de Silva.

Bangladesh, spearheaded by Shorna Akter's three wickets for 27 runs, fought themselves back in the contest, with De Silva's dismissal in the 34th over causing a Lankan downfall from 174 for four to 202 complete.

While batting second, Sri Lanka's starting bowlers Malki Madara and Prabodhani limited the opposition to 23 with one wicket down in a disappointing powerplay and they were afterwards reduced to 44 with three wickets lost.

Sharmin Akter and Nigar Sultana Joty restored their batting effort, adding 82 for the fourth wicket before Sharmin retired hurt for a stubborn 64 in the 36th over.

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

Nevertheless, Dasanayaka dismissed Ritu and allowed just three runs before the captain's dramatic spell, with Rabeya, Nahida, captain Joty and Marufa all dismissed as the Lankan team grabbed the triumph at the death.

Finally, it was a game of nerves. The seasoned Athapaththu, who ushered away a few of team-mates as she set herself to bowl the decisive over, kept hers. Bangladesh did not.

There will be many doubts about Bangladesh's batting display. They might well have been pursuing 270 to 280 with the Lankan team seeming at ease on 159 for four in the 30th bowling phase, but in contrast the required total was much lower.

Nevertheless, the batting side showed little aggression from the very beginning, accumulating runs at less than 2.5 runs per over during the powerplay, suffering a top-order collapse, and finally making themselves overwhelming to do.

But whatever difficulties there are with their batting approach, if they had accepted their catches in the field, that 203-run target objective would have been significantly smaller.

It needed them three tries to end the 72-run partnership second-wicket association, with wicketkeeper Nigar Sultana being unable to take a difficult opportunity as wicketkeeper to send back Hasini Perera on her score of 23 before Athapaththu got a reprieve from a caught and bowled chance possibility against Rabeya.

Perera was dropped again on 55 runs and 63 runs, the final opportunity traveling directly to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover, before finally being given out leg before wicket by Shorna Akter as she attempted to accelerate the scoring with teammates getting out around her.

Subsequently in the game, there was also a failed stumping and a missed run-out, even though the second one was a little regrettable, with Jhilik substituting with the gloves following an fitness issue to the regular keeper.

Regrettably for Bangladesh, such fielding problems are far from a one-off. They've missed 14 chances from a available 27 at this World Cup and have the worst catching success rate (48.1 percent) of the competing sides.

They are a team who are typically progressing in the proper way – they are competing in only their second ODI World Cup in the end – but substandard fielding standards is a glaring concern which demands focus.