The Lankan team defeats Bangladesh to maintain their campaign breathing

ICC Women's World Cup, Mumbai

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

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

Sri Lanka win by seven runs margin

Sri Lanka took four wickets in the last over to complete a thrilling win over Bangladesh and preserve their narrow chances of qualifying for the tournament knockout stage alive.

Pursuing a below-par score of 203 on a batting-friendly pitch in Navi Mumbai, the Bangladeshi team required nine more runs from the final six bowls.

Yet, Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu secured three important dismissals in four balls and de Silva ran out Nahida Akter to bring about a exciting victory for the Lankan team.

The triumph – the Lankan team's maiden of the World Cup after three losses and two washed-out matches against Australia and the Kiwi side – elevates them level on four tournament points with India and New Zealand, who meet each other on the coming Thursday.

Bangladesh, however, suffered a fifth straight loss since winning their initial game against Pakistan and have been knocked out.

Although Bangladesh got off to the excellent commencement, with Marufa Akter striking with the initial ball of the game to dismiss Gunaratne, they were deservedly penalized for a subpar fielding display.

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

Even though Athapaththu was unable to capitalise, sent back leg before wicket for 46 one ball after being missed by Rabeya, Perera made the opposition regret it.

She registered a debut international half-century, making 85 from 99 deliveries and contributing to an significant 74-run stand fifth-wicket collaboration with Nilakshi de Silva.

The Bangladeshi team, spearheaded by Shorna Akter's 3-27, dragged themselves back in the contest, with De Silva's wicket in the 34th over causing a Sri Lanka batting collapse from 174 with four wickets down to 202 total.

During their chase, the Lankan team's opening bowlers Malki Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani limited the opposition to 23-1 in a uninspiring initial phase and they were afterwards brought down to 44-3.

Sharmin and Joty rebuilt their score, adding an 82-run partnership for the fourth wicket before Sharmin left the field injured for a determined 64 in the 36th bowling phase.

It was advantage the chasing team entering the last two overs, with merely 12 more runs needed.

However, Sugandika Dasanayaka dismissed Ritu and allowed just three scoring runs before the captain's decisive intervention, with Rabeya, Nahida, captain Joty and Marufa all sent back as Sri Lanka snatched the victory at the death.

Ultimately, it was a contest of nerves. The highly experienced Athapaththu, who ushered away a few of fellow players as she set herself to bowl the decisive over, maintained hers. Bangladesh could not.

There will be many doubts about the team's batting effort. They could easily have been chasing 270 to 280 with the Lankan team looking comfortable on 159-4 in the 30th innings segment, but instead the target was much lower.

However, Bangladesh displayed insufficient intent from ball one, accumulating runs at less than 2.5 runs per over during the initial phase, undergoing a initial wicket loss, and ultimately forcing themselves excessive to accomplish.

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

It needed them three efforts to terminate the 72-run second-wicket, with keeper Joty being unable to grab a challenging opportunity behind the stumps to send back Perera on 23 before Athapaththu got a reprieve from a caught and bowled chance opportunity against Rabeya Khan.

The batter was spilled once more on her score of 55 and 63, the final opportunity traveling directly to Jhilik at cover field, before eventually being trapped lbw by Shorna Akter as she sought to increase the tempo with partners getting out around her.

Afterwards in the game, there was additionally a missed stumping and a missed run-out, while the latter was a little regrettable, with Rubya Haider deputising with the keeping duties following an injury to the regular keeper.

Regrettably for the team, such fielding issues are nowhere near a isolated incident. They've failed to catch 14 opportunities from a potential 27 chances at this competition and display the worst fielding effectiveness (48.1%) of the eight teams.

They are a squad who are typically moving in the proper way – they are playing in just their second 50-over World Cup in the end – but poor fielding is a obvious problem which requires attention.