The Lankan team overcomes Bangladesh to keep their tournament hopes breathing

ICC Women's World Cup, Navi Mumbai

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

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

The Lankan side emerge victorious by seven runs

The Lankan cricket team claimed four wickets in the decisive innings segment to complete a nail-biting win over Bangladesh and maintain their narrow chances of making it for the tournament knockout stage alive.

Pursuing a attainable score of 203 on a batting-friendly pitch in Navi Mumbai, Bangladesh required nine additional runs from the remaining six balls.

Nevertheless, Lankan skipper Athapaththu took three wickets in four balls and Nilakshi de Silva ran out Nahida to bring about a thrilling win for the Lankan team.

The win – Sri Lanka's maiden of the tournament after three losses and two abandoned games against Australia and the Kiwi side – moves them equal on four tournament points with the Indian team and New Zealand, who confront each other on the coming Thursday.

Bangladesh, on the other hand, experienced a fifth straight loss since winning their first match against the Pakistani team and have been removed from contention.

Although Bangladesh made the ideal beginning, with Marufa Akter striking with the first delivery of the encounter to dismiss Gunaratne, they were appropriately punished for a disappointing fielding display.

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

Although Athapaththu was unable to make it count, removed leg before wicket for 46 one ball after being put down by Rabeya Khan, Hasini Perera made the opposition suffer.

She scored a debut international fifty, making 85 from 99 deliveries and sharing an important 74-run partnership fifth-wicket with De Silva.

The Bangladeshi team, led by Shorna's three wickets for 27 runs, fought themselves back into the contest, with De Silva's wicket in the 34th over causing a Lankan downfall from 174 with four wickets down to 202 total.

During their chase, the Lankan team's initial pace attack Malki Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani limited Bangladesh to 23 with one wicket down in a uninspiring powerplay and they were subsequently brought down to 44-3.

Sharmin and Joty reconstructed their batting effort, contributing 82 runs for the fourth wicket stand before the batter retired hurt for a resolute 64 in the 36th bowling phase.

It was advantage Bangladesh entering the last two overs, with just 12 runs required.

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

Finally, it was a contest of composure. The very experienced Lankan captain, who ushered away a several of fellow players as she prepared to deliver the decisive over, maintained hers. Bangladesh did not.

There will be numerous questions about Bangladesh's batting effort. They possibly have been chasing around 270-280 with the Lankan team appearing comfortable on 159 with four wickets down in the 30th bowling phase, but in contrast the chase was much lower.

Yet, Bangladesh showed little intent from the start, accumulating runs at less than 2.5 scoring rate during the initial phase, experiencing a early batting collapse, and ultimately leaving themselves overwhelming to accomplish.

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

It required them three attempts to end the 72-run partnership second-wicket association, with keeper Nigar Sultana failing to take a difficult opportunity as wicketkeeper to dismiss Hasini Perera on 23 runs before the captain survived from a caught and bowled possibility against Rabeya.

The batter was dropped further on her score of 55 and 63, the final opportunity traveling right to Jhilik at cover position, before finally being trapped leg before wicket by Shorna as she attempted to increase the tempo with teammates getting out near her.

Later in the batting effort, there was additionally a missed stumping and a missed run-out, even though the latter was a little unfortunate, with Rubya Haider standing in with the gloves due to an fitness issue to the regular keeper.

Sadly for the team, such fielding problems are far from a single occurrence. They've dropped 14 opportunities from a possible 27 chances at this World Cup and boast the lowest catch efficiency (48.1%) of the eight teams.

They are a side who are generally heading in the correct path – they are participating in merely their second ODI World Cup ultimately – but poor fielding is a obvious concern which requires attention.