The Lankan team beats the Bangladeshi side to maintain their tournament hopes breathing

Women's Cricket World Cup, Navi Mumbai

The Lankan team 202 (48.4 overs): Hasini Perera 85 (99); Shorna 3-27

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

Sri Lanka win by seven runs margin

Sri Lanka took four crucial dismissals in the final innings segment to achieve a nail-biting victory over Bangladesh and maintain their slim chances of qualifying for the World Cup semi-finals ongoing.

Pursuing a below-par target of 203 on a good batting surface in Navi Mumbai, the Bangladeshi team required nine more runs from the final six deliveries.

However, Lankan skipper Athapaththu secured three crucial wickets in four bowls and de Silva dismissed via run-out Nahida Akter to secure a dramatic victory for Sri Lanka.

The victory – the Lankan team's maiden of the tournament after three defeats and two abandoned games against the Australian team and New Zealand – pushes them tied on four match points with the Indian team and New Zealand, who meet each other on the coming Thursday.

The Bangladeshi team, however, endured a fifth successive setback since winning their first match against Pakistan and have been knocked out.

Even though the Bangladeshi side got off to the perfect start, with Marufa taking a wicket with the first delivery of the match to send back Gunaratne, they were appropriately punished for a disappointing fielding display.

They gifted second chances to Hasini Perera, who was missed multiple times, and the Lankan captain.

Even though the Sri Lankan skipper was unable to capitalise, dismissed lbw for 46 a single bowl after being put down by Rabeya, Perera made the opposition suffer.

She achieved a first international half-century, accumulating 85 from 99 bowls and contributing to an significant 74-run fifth-wicket association with Nilakshi de Silva.

Bangladesh, led by Shorna's 3-27, fought themselves back to the match, with Nilakshi's wicket in the 34th over triggering a Lankan batting collapse from 174 for four to 202 complete.

During their chase, Sri Lanka's starting bowlers Malki Madara and Prabodhani contained Bangladesh to 23 with one wicket down in a uninspiring initial phase and they were later brought down to 44 with three wickets lost.

Sharmin and Nigar Sultana Joty restored their score, adding 82 runs for the fourth wicket collaboration before Sharmin left the field injured for a resolute 64 in the 36th innings segment.

It was leaning toward Bangladesh approaching the final two overs, with merely 12 runs necessary.

However, Sugandika Dasanayaka dismissed Ritu Moni and gave away only three runs before Athapaththu's dramatic spell, with Rabeya Khan, Nahida, captain Joty and Marufa all removed as Sri Lanka grabbed the victory at the death.

Finally, it was a match of nerve. The seasoned Lankan captain, who directed away a few of team-mates as she set herself to bowl the final over, held her composure. Bangladesh did not.

There will be numerous doubts about Bangladesh's batting performance. They possibly have been pursuing 270 or 280 with the Lankan team appearing comfortable on 159-4 in the 30th bowling phase, but instead the chase was significantly less.

Yet, Bangladesh displayed insufficient intent from the start, making runs at under 2.5 runs per over during the powerplay, experiencing a early batting collapse, and finally leaving themselves excessive to do.

But no matter what issues there are with their batting lineup, if they had accepted their chances in the field, that 203 total objective would have been significantly lower.

It required them three attempts to terminate the 72-run partnership second-wicket collaboration, with keeper Nigar Sultana being unable to take a challenging catch behind the stumps to remove Perera on her score of 23 before Athapaththu got a reprieve from a caught and bowled opportunity against Rabeya Khan.

The batter was spilled again on 55 runs and 63, the latter chance traveling directly to Jhilik at cover field, before ultimately being dismissed leg before wicket by Shorna as she attempted to up the ante with teammates getting out around her.

Afterwards in the batting effort, there was also a failed stumping and a run-out opportunity lost, although the second one was a little regrettable, with Jhilik deputising with the wicketkeeping gloves after an injury to Joty.

Unfortunately for Bangladesh, such fielding problems are far from a one-off. They've missed 14 chances from a potential 27 opportunities at this competition and have the poorest catching success rate (48.1 percent) of the competing sides.

They are a side who are generally progressing in the right direction – they are participating in only their second ODI World Cup after all – but poor fielding standards is a prominent issue which demands attention.