Sri Lanka overcomes the Bangladeshi side to preserve their World Cup campaign alive

Women's Cricket World Cup, Mumbai

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

Bangladesh 195-9 (50 overs): Joty 77 (98); Athapaththu 4-42

Sri Lanka win by seven runs margin

Sri Lanka secured four wickets in the decisive innings segment to achieve a thrilling victory over Bangladesh and maintain their slim aspirations of making it for the World Cup semi-finals intact.

Pursuing a modest score of 203 on a batting-friendly pitch in the Mumbai stadium, Bangladesh wanted nine additional runs from the last six balls.

However, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu secured three crucial wickets in four deliveries and de Silva dismissed via run-out Nahida to achieve a thrilling success for Sri Lanka.

The win – the Lankan team's first of the tournament after three defeats and two abandoned games against Australia and New Zealand – elevates them level on four points with the Indian team and New Zealand, who confront each other on the coming Thursday.

The Bangladeshi team, on the other hand, suffered a fifth straight defeat since winning their tournament opener against the Pakistani team and have been removed from contention.

Even though the Bangladeshi side made the perfect start, with Marufa taking a wicket with the first delivery of the match to send back Gunaratne, they were rightfully penalized for a disappointing fielding display.

They offered lifelines to Hasini Perera, who was dropped on three occasions, and the Lankan captain.

Even though the Sri Lankan skipper failed to capitalise, dismissed lbw for 46 a single bowl after being put down by Rabeya Khan, Hasini Perera made Bangladesh suffer.

She achieved a first international fifty, scoring 85 from 99 bowls and contributing to an significant 74-run partnership fifth-wicket with De Silva.

The Bangladeshi team, spearheaded by Shorna's 3-27, dragged themselves back to the match, with Nilakshi's dismissal in the 34th innings segment causing a Sri Lanka collapse from 174 with four wickets down to 202 all out.

In reply, the Lankan team's starting bowlers Malki Madara and Prabodhani contained Bangladesh to 23 for one in a lacklustre powerplay and they were later brought down to 44-3.

Sharmin Akter and Nigar Sultana Joty reconstructed their batting effort, adding an 82-run partnership for the fourth wicket collaboration before Sharmin left the field injured for a resolute 64 in the 36th over.

It was leaning toward Bangladesh heading into the remaining two bowling phases, with just 12 runs necessary.

Nevertheless, Sugandika Dasanayaka dismissed Ritu and conceded merely three scoring runs before Athapaththu's dramatic spell, with Rabeya Khan, Nahida Akter, skipper Joty and Marufa all dismissed as the Lankan team seized the victory at the very end.

In the end, it was a contest of nerves. The very experienced Lankan captain, who moved aside a handful of fellow players as she set herself to bowl the last over, maintained her composure. The opposition could not.

There will be plenty of doubts about the team's batting effort. They might well have been needing 270 to 280 with Sri Lanka looking comfortable on 159 with four wickets down in the 30th bowling phase, but instead the chase was considerably smaller.

Nevertheless, the batting side lacked purpose from the start, accumulating runs at less than 2.5 scoring rate during the opening overs, undergoing a top-order collapse, and ultimately leaving themselves overwhelming to accomplish.

But no matter what problems there are with their batting approach, if they had accepted their opportunities in the field, that 203 total target would have been substantially less.

It required them three tries to break the 72-run second-wicket, with wicketkeeper Joty being unable to take a tough catch as wicketkeeper to dismiss Perera on her score of 23 before Athapaththu got a reprieve from a caught and bowled chance possibility against Rabeya Khan.

Perera was spilled again on her score of 55 and 63, the latter chance going directly to Jhilik at cover position, before ultimately being dismissed lbw by Shorna as she attempted to accelerate the scoring with batting partners being dismissed near her.

Later in the batting effort, there was also a stumping chance missed and a failed run-out, although the second one was a little regrettable, with Jhilik deputising with the gloves after an fitness issue to Joty.

Unfortunately for the team, such fielding woes are not at all a one-off. They've missed 14 chances from a potential 27 opportunities at this tournament and boast the poorest catch efficiency (48.1%) of the participating teams.

They are a squad who are generally moving in the correct path – they are participating in only their second one-day World Cup ultimately – but poor fielding standards is a prominent problem which demands focus.