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

Women's Cricket World Cup, 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

Sri Lanka win by seven runs

Sri Lanka claimed four wickets in the last over to achieve a nail-biting victory over their opponents and preserve their narrow aspirations of qualifying for the World Cup semi-finals ongoing.

Pursuing a modest total of 203 on a batting-friendly pitch in Navi Mumbai, Bangladesh wanted nine runs from the last six bowls.

Yet, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu took three wickets in four balls and de Silva ran out Nahida to achieve a exciting victory for the Lankan team.

The victory – the Lankan team's first of the tournament after three defeats and two abandoned games against Australia and New Zealand – pushes them equal on four match points with India and New Zealand, who meet each other on the coming Thursday.

The Bangladeshi team, in contrast, experienced a fifth straight defeat since winning their tournament opener against the Pakistani team and have been removed from contention.

Even though the Bangladeshi side got off to the ideal beginning, with Marufa Akter striking with the opening bowl of the match to send back Vishmi Gunaratne, they were appropriately punished for a poor fielding display.

They provided reprieves to Perera, who was dropped multiple times, and the Lankan captain.

While the Sri Lankan skipper was unable to take advantage, sent back leg before wicket for 46 just one delivery after being dropped by Rabeya, Perera forced Bangladesh regret it.

She registered a debut international fifty, making 85 from 99 balls and building an crucial 74-run fifth-wicket collaboration with Nilakshi de Silva.

Bangladesh, guided by Shorna's impressive bowling figures, fought themselves back in the game, with De Silva's dismissal in the 34th over initiating a Sri Lanka downfall from 174 with four wickets down to 202 total.

During their chase, the Lankan team's starting bowlers Malki Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani contained the opposition to 23-1 in a disappointing opening overs and they were afterwards diminished to 44-3.

Sharmin Akter and Nigar Sultana Joty restored their batting effort, adding 82 runs for the fourth wicket stand before the batter withdrew due to injury for a determined 64 in the 36th bowling phase.

It was in favor of the chasing team entering the remaining two bowling phases, with just 12 additional runs necessary.

Yet, Sugandika Dasanayaka dismissed Ritu Moni and conceded only three runs before the captain's decisive intervention, with Rabeya, Nahida, captain Joty and Marufa Akter all removed as Sri Lanka grabbed the triumph at the very end.

Ultimately, it was a contest of nerves. The seasoned Lankan captain, who ushered away a several of fellow players as she set herself to bowl the decisive over, held her nerve. The opposition could not.

There will be numerous questions about Bangladesh's batting display. They could easily have been needing 270 to 280 with Sri Lanka looking comfortable on 159 for four in the 30th over, but rather the chase was considerably smaller.

Nevertheless, Bangladesh displayed insufficient aggression from ball one, accumulating runs at under 2.5 runs per over during the initial phase, experiencing a early batting collapse, and finally forcing themselves excessive to achieve.

But whatever issues there are with their batting lineup, if they had taken their chances in the fielding area, that 203 total target would have been considerably lower.

It took them three attempts to terminate the 72-run partnership second-wicket association, with keeper Nigar Sultana being unable to grab a challenging opportunity as wicketkeeper to dismiss Hasini Perera on her score of 23 before the captain got a reprieve from a return catch opportunity against Rabeya Khan.

The batter was missed again on 55 and 63, the final opportunity flying directly to Jhilik at cover position, before eventually being dismissed lbw by Shorna Akter as she attempted to increase the tempo with batting partners being dismissed beside her.

Later in the innings, there was additionally a failed stumping and a run-out opportunity lost, while the second one was a slightly unfortunate, with Rubya Haider substituting with the gloves after an physical problem to Joty.

Regrettably for Bangladesh, such fielding woes are far from a single occurrence. They've missed 14 chances from a possible 27 at this competition and have the lowest catch efficiency (less than 50%) of the eight teams.

They are a side who are typically progressing in the right direction – they are participating in only their second 50-over World Cup in the end – but substandard fielding is a glaring problem which demands improvement.