The Lankan team defeats the Bangladeshi side to maintain their World Cup tournament hopes alive

Women's Cricket World Cup, Mumbai

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

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

Sri Lanka win by seven runs

The Lankan cricket team secured four wickets in the final innings segment to seal a heart-stopping victory over their opponents and keep their slim aspirations of making it for the World Cup semi-finals ongoing.

Pursuing a below-par total of 203 on a batting-friendly pitch in the Mumbai stadium, the Bangladeshi team needed nine additional runs from the remaining six bowls.

Yet, Sri Lanka captain Athapaththu took three crucial wickets in four bowls and de Silva dismissed via run-out Nahida to bring about a dramatic win for the Lankan team.

The triumph – the Lankan team's maiden of the tournament after three unsuccessful matches and two washed-out matches against the Australian team and the Kiwi side – elevates them equal on four points with the Indian team and the New Zealand side, who confront each other on Thursday.

Bangladesh, on the other hand, experienced a fifth consecutive loss since securing victory in their first match 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 first delivery of the match to send back Gunaratne, they were appropriately punished for a poor fielding performance.

They offered second chances to Hasini Perera, who was dropped multiple times, and Athapaththu.

Even though the Sri Lankan skipper failed to make it count, sent back lbw for 46 a single bowl after being dropped by Rabeya Khan, Perera forced Bangladesh pay.

She achieved a debut international 50-run score, making 85 from 99 deliveries and building an important 74-run partnership fifth-wicket association with De Silva.

Bangladesh, guided by Shorna Akter's three wickets for 27 runs, fought themselves back into the match, with Nilakshi's dismissal in the 34th innings segment causing a Sri Lanka collapse from 174 with four wickets down to 202 total.

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

Sharmin and Nigar Sultana Joty restored their score, adding an 82-run partnership for the fourth wicket stand before Sharmin retired hurt for a resolute 64 in the 36th bowling phase.

It was advantage Bangladesh heading into the final two bowling phases, with only 12 runs necessary.

Yet, Sugandika Dasanayaka sent back Ritu and gave away only three scoring runs before the captain's chaos, with Rabeya, Nahida, skipper Joty and Marufa Akter all removed as the Lankan team snatched the triumph at the very end.

In the end, it was a contest of composure. The seasoned Lankan captain, who ushered away a few of fellow players as she set herself to deliver the last over, maintained hers. Bangladesh could not.

There will be numerous questions about the team's batting performance. They possibly have been chasing 270 to 280 with the Lankan team appearing at ease on 159 for four in the 30th over, but in contrast the target was significantly less.

However, the batting side displayed insufficient aggression from the start, accumulating runs at less than 2.5 runs each over during the powerplay, suffering a initial wicket loss, and ultimately forcing themselves too much to accomplish.

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

It took them three attempts to end the 72-run stand second-wicket collaboration, with wicketkeeper Joty being unable to hold a tough catch while keeping to dismiss Perera on 23 before the captain got a reprieve from a caught and bowled chance chance against Rabeya Khan.

Perera was spilled further on 55 and 63, the last attempt flying directly to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover field, before ultimately being given out leg before wicket by Shorna as she sought to accelerate the scoring with teammates getting out around her.

Afterwards in the batting effort, there was additionally a failed stumping and a failed run-out, even though the run-out chance was a little unlucky, with Rubya Haider deputising with the keeping duties following an injury to the regular keeper.

Regrettably for Bangladesh, such fielding issues are not at all a single occurrence. They've missed 14 chances from a potential 27 opportunities at this World Cup and boast the worst fielding effectiveness (less than 50%) of the eight teams.

They are a squad who are typically moving in the correct path – they are participating in only their second 50-over World Cup after all – but poor fielding performance is a obvious issue which needs focus.