The Lankan team beats Bangladesh to keep their tournament hopes breathing

Women's Cricket World Cup, Navi Mumbai

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

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

The Lankan side win by seven runs margin

The Lankan cricket team claimed four crucial dismissals in the last innings segment to seal a nail-biting victory over Bangladesh and preserve their slim hopes of making it for the World Cup semi-finals intact.

Pursuing a below-par score of 203 on a good batting surface in the Mumbai stadium, Bangladesh needed nine runs from the last six balls.

Yet, Sri Lanka captain Athapaththu claimed three important dismissals in four deliveries and Nilakshi de Silva ran out Nahida to bring about a dramatic success for the Lankan team.

The triumph – the Lankan team's first of the World Cup after three losses and two no-results against Australia and the Kiwi side – elevates them level on four points with India and the New Zealand side, who face each other on Thursday.

The Bangladeshi team, in contrast, experienced a fifth consecutive defeat since winning their tournament opener against the Pakistani team and have been removed from contention.

Even though Bangladesh made the excellent commencement, with Marufa taking a wicket with the first delivery of the encounter to send back Vishmi Gunaratne, they were deservedly penalized for a disappointing fielding performance.

They offered lifelines to Hasini Perera, who was dropped multiple times, and the Lankan captain.

While Athapaththu was unable to make it count, removed leg before wicket for 46 just one delivery after being put down by Rabeya Khan, Perera forced the opposition regret it.

She registered a maiden international half-century, accumulating 85 from 99 bowls and contributing to an important 74-run partnership fifth-wicket association with De Silva.

The Bangladeshi team, guided by Shorna's three wickets for 27 runs, dragged themselves back in the match, with De Silva's removal in the 34th bowling segment initiating a Lankan batting collapse from 174-4 to 202 complete.

While batting second, Sri Lanka's opening bowlers Malki Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani limited the opposition to 23 for one in a uninspiring initial phase and they were subsequently reduced to 44-3.

Sharmin and Nigar Sultana Joty reconstructed their batting effort, contributing an 82-run partnership for the fourth wicket collaboration before the batter left the field injured for a stubborn 64 in the 36th over.

It was leaning toward the chasing team entering the last two overs, with only 12 additional runs necessary.

Nevertheless, Sugandika Dasanayaka sent back Ritu and conceded merely three runs before the captain's decisive intervention, with Rabeya, Nahida, captain Joty and Marufa Akter all dismissed as the Lankan team snatched the triumph at the final moment.

In the end, it was a contest of composure. The highly experienced Athapaththu, who ushered away a several of fellow players as she set herself to deliver the final over, maintained her composure. The opposition did not.

There will be numerous questions about the team's batting display. They could easily have been pursuing 270 to 280 with Sri Lanka looking settled on 159-4 in the 30th innings segment, but rather the chase was much lower.

However, the batting side lacked purpose from ball one, making runs at below 2.5 scoring rate during the powerplay, experiencing a initial wicket loss, and ultimately forcing themselves excessive to accomplish.

But whatever problems there are with their batting, if they had seized their chances in the fielding department, that 203 total target would have been significantly lower.

It needed them three tries to break the 72-run stand second-wicket collaboration, with keeper Joty failing to hold a difficult catch while keeping to remove Perera on 23 before the captain survived from a caught and bowled chance opportunity against Rabeya.

Perera was missed once more on her score of 55 and her score of 63, the final opportunity flying straight to Jhilik at cover, before ultimately being trapped leg before wicket by Shorna Akter as she sought to up the ante with teammates being dismissed beside her.

Afterwards in the game, there was also a failed stumping and a failed run-out, while the latter was a somewhat unfortunate, with Jhilik substituting with the gloves due to an injury to Joty.

Unfortunately for the team, such fielding woes are not at all a one-off. They've missed 14 catches from a available 27 opportunities at this competition and have the worst fielding effectiveness (48.1 percent) of the competing sides.

They are a squad who are overall heading in the proper way – they are playing in just their second ODI World Cup after all – but substandard fielding standards is a prominent concern which requires focus.