The Lankan team overcomes Bangladesh to maintain their campaign breathing

ICC Women's World Cup, Mumbai

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

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

Sri Lanka emerge victorious by seven runs margin

Sri Lanka claimed four crucial dismissals in the decisive innings segment to seal a thrilling triumph over their opponents and keep their slim aspirations of making it for the World Cup semi-finals intact.

Pursuing a attainable target of 203 on a batting-friendly pitch in the Mumbai stadium, Bangladesh needed nine runs from the remaining six deliveries.

Yet, Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu secured three important dismissals in four deliveries and Nilakshi de Silva dismissed via run-out Nahida to bring about a exciting win for Sri Lanka.

The victory – the Lankan team's first of the competition after three unsuccessful matches and two no-results against Australia and the Kiwi side – moves them tied on four match points with India and the New Zealand side, who face each other on Thursday.

The Bangladeshi team, however, endured a fifth straight loss since winning their tournament opener against Pakistan and have been knocked out.

While Bangladesh got off to the ideal beginning, with Marufa taking a wicket with the initial ball of the encounter to dismiss Vishmi Gunaratne, they were deservedly penalized for a disappointing fielding performance.

They provided reprieves to Perera, who was missed three times, and the Lankan captain.

Although the Sri Lankan skipper failed to make it count, sent back leg before wicket for 46 just one delivery after being missed by Rabeya Khan, Perera forced Bangladesh regret it.

She registered a first international half-century, scoring 85 from 99 bowls and contributing to an significant 74-run stand fifth-wicket association with De Silva.

Bangladesh, guided by Shorna's impressive bowling figures, dragged themselves back in the match, with Nilakshi's dismissal in the 34th over initiating a Sri Lanka batting collapse from 174 for four to 202 total.

During their chase, the Lankan team's opening bowlers Malki Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani limited Bangladesh to 23 with one wicket down in a disappointing opening overs and they were afterwards diminished to 44-3.

Sharmin Akter and Joty restored their innings, adding 82 runs for the fourth wicket stand before Sharmin withdrew due to injury for a stubborn 64 in the 36th over.

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

Nevertheless, Sugandika Dasanayaka removed Ritu and conceded merely three runs before Athapaththu's chaos, with Rabeya Khan, Nahida Akter, skipper Joty and Marufa Akter all dismissed as Sri Lanka grabbed the triumph at the death.

In the end, it was a contest of nerve. The highly experienced Athapaththu, who moved aside a several of teammates as she prepared to deliver the last over, held her nerve. The opposition could not.

There will be plenty of doubts about the team's batting performance. They could easily have been chasing 270 to 280 with Sri Lanka appearing at ease on 159 for four in the 30th innings segment, but in contrast the target was significantly less.

Nevertheless, the batting side lacked purpose from the very beginning, making runs at less than 2.5 runs each over during the initial phase, suffering a early batting collapse, and eventually making themselves excessive to achieve.

But no matter what difficulties there are with their batting approach, if they had accepted their opportunities in the fielding area, that 203-run goal would have been substantially less.

It needed them three tries to end the 72-run second-wicket association, with wicketkeeper Nigar Sultana not managing to hold a difficult chance behind the stumps to send back Hasini Perera on 23 runs before Athapaththu was spared from a caught and bowled chance against Rabeya.

Perera was dropped once more on 55 and 63 runs, the last attempt flying directly to Jhilik at cover position, before ultimately being trapped lbw by Shorna Akter as she tried to increase the tempo with partners being dismissed beside her.

Afterwards in the game, there was additionally a failed stumping and a missed run-out, while the second one was a little unfortunate, with Jhilik deputising with the gloves following an injury to the regular keeper.

Regrettably for the team, such fielding problems are nowhere near a one-off. They've failed to catch 14 opportunities from a available 27 at this tournament and have the worst catch efficiency (48.1%) of the participating teams.

They are a squad who are overall moving in the correct path – they are participating in merely their second ODI World Cup after all – but inadequate fielding standards is a obvious concern which demands improvement.