The Lankan team defeats the Bangladeshi side to preserve their campaign breathing

Women's Cricket World Cup, Mumbai

The Lankan team 202 (48.4 overs): Hasini 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

The Lankan cricket team secured four crucial dismissals in the last innings segment to achieve a heart-stopping victory over their opponents and keep their faint hopes of qualifying for the World Cup semi-finals intact.

Chasing a attainable target of 203 on a batting-friendly pitch in Navi Mumbai, Bangladesh needed nine additional runs from the final six balls.

Yet, Lankan skipper Athapaththu claimed three crucial wickets in four deliveries and de Silva dismissed via run-out Nahida to bring about a exciting victory for Sri Lanka.

The triumph – Sri Lanka's maiden of the World Cup after three defeats and two abandoned games against the Australian team and New Zealand – pushes them tied on four match points with India and New Zealand, who face each other on Thursday.

The Bangladeshi team, however, endured a fifth straight loss since winning their first match against Pakistan and have been eliminated.

Even though Bangladesh made the ideal beginning, with Marufa striking with the first delivery of the match to remove Vishmi Gunaratne, they were appropriately made to pay for a disappointing fielding performance.

They gifted reprieves to Perera, who was dropped three times, and the Lankan captain.

While the Sri Lankan skipper failed to capitalise, removed lbw for 46 a single bowl after being dropped by Rabeya, Hasini Perera forced the opposition suffer.

She registered a first international fifty, accumulating 85 from 99 balls and contributing to an crucial 74-run stand fifth-wicket with De Silva.

The Bangladeshi team, spearheaded by Shorna's 3-27, fought themselves back into the game, with Nilakshi's dismissal in the 34th over triggering a Sri Lanka downfall from 174 for four to 202 complete.

In reply, Sri Lanka's initial pace attack Madara and Prabodhani contained the opposition to 23 with one wicket down in a uninspiring opening overs and they were subsequently diminished to 44 with three wickets lost.

Sharmin Akter and Nigar Sultana Joty reconstructed their score, putting on 82 for the fourth wicket before Sharmin withdrew due to injury for a stubborn 64 in the 36th innings segment.

It was in favor of Bangladesh entering the final two bowling phases, with just 12 additional runs needed.

Yet, Sugandika Dasanayaka dismissed Ritu and gave away only three scoring runs before Athapaththu's dramatic spell, with Rabeya, Nahida Akter, skipper Joty and Marufa all dismissed as Sri Lanka snatched the triumph at the death.

Ultimately, it was a contest of composure. The very experienced Athapaththu, who ushered away a few of team-mates as she prepared to deliver the last over, maintained her nerve. Bangladesh could not.

There will be many doubts about the team's batting display. They could easily have been needing around 270-280 with the Lankan team looking comfortable on 159 for four in the 30th innings segment, but rather the target was significantly less.

However, the batting side displayed insufficient intent from the very beginning, making runs at under 2.5 runs per over during the opening overs, suffering a top-order collapse, and eventually forcing themselves overwhelming to accomplish.

But no matter what difficulties there are with their batting, if they had seized their chances in the fielding area, that 203-run target objective would have been significantly lower.

It required them three tries to end the 72-run stand second-wicket association, with wicketkeeper Joty not managing to grab a tough opportunity behind the stumps to remove Hasini Perera on her score of 23 before the captain was spared from a caught and bowled chance chance against Rabeya Khan.

The batter was dropped again on 55 and 63, the last attempt going straight to Jhilik at cover position, before eventually being trapped leg before wicket by Shorna as she attempted to accelerate the scoring with batting partners falling beside her.

Later in the batting effort, there was also a missed stumping and a failed run-out, although the latter was a slightly unlucky, with Rubya Haider standing in with the wicketkeeping gloves following an physical problem to the regular keeper.

Regrettably for Bangladesh, such fielding woes are not at all a single occurrence. They've failed to catch 14 chances from a potential 27 at this tournament and have the worst fielding effectiveness (less than 50%) of the eight teams.

They are a team who are generally moving in the correct path – they are playing in only their second 50-over World Cup in the end – but substandard fielding performance is a glaring problem which needs focus.