Sri Lanka defeats the Bangladeshi side to maintain their campaign breathing

ICC Women's World Cup, Navi Mumbai

The Lankan team 202 (48.4 overs): Hasini Perera 85 (99); Shorna Akter 3-27

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

The Lankan side emerge victorious by seven runs

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

Needing a attainable total of 203 on a batting-friendly pitch in Navi Mumbai, Bangladesh needed nine additional runs from the last six balls.

Yet, Sri Lanka captain Athapaththu claimed three wickets in four bowls and de Silva ran out Nahida Akter to achieve a exciting success for Sri Lanka.

The triumph – the Lankan team's initial of the competition after three losses and two abandoned games against the Australian team and the Kiwi side – elevates them tied on four tournament points with India and New Zealand, who confront each other on the coming Thursday.

The Bangladeshi team, however, experienced a fifth consecutive defeat since securing victory in their first match against the Pakistani team and have been eliminated.

Even though the Bangladeshi side made the perfect start, with Marufa taking a wicket with the initial ball of the match to send back Gunaratne, they were deservedly made to pay for a poor fielding display.

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

Even though the Sri Lankan skipper could not make it count, dismissed lbw for 46 just one delivery after being dropped by Rabeya, Hasini Perera made the opposition suffer.

She achieved a maiden international 50-run score, accumulating 85 from 99 bowls and contributing to an crucial 74-run partnership fifth-wicket with De Silva.

Bangladesh, led by Shorna's 3-27, dragged themselves back in the match, with Nilakshi's removal in the 34th innings segment triggering a Sri Lanka batting collapse from 174-4 to 202 all out.

While batting second, the Lankan team's opening bowlers Malki Madara and Prabodhani limited the opposition to 23 for one in a disappointing initial phase and they were afterwards brought down to 44 with three wickets lost.

Sharmin and Joty reconstructed their score, contributing an 82-run partnership for the fourth wicket before the batter withdrew due to injury for a stubborn 64 in the 36th over.

It was leaning toward the chasing team entering the remaining two innings segments, with only 12 more runs required.

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

In the end, it was a match of nerve. The seasoned Athapaththu, who moved aside a several of teammates as she set herself to bowl the final over, held hers. Bangladesh failed to.

There will be many doubts about the team's batting effort. They could easily have been chasing around 270-280 with the Lankan team looking at ease on 159 for four in the 30th innings segment, but instead the required total was significantly less.

However, the batting side showed little intent from the start, accumulating runs at below 2.5 scoring rate during the powerplay, undergoing a early batting collapse, and eventually forcing themselves excessive to achieve.

But whatever difficulties there are with their batting lineup, if they had seized their opportunities in the fielding department, that 203-run target target would have been considerably smaller.

It took them three attempts to terminate the 72-run stand second-wicket, with wicketkeeper Joty not managing to take a difficult chance while keeping to send back Perera on 23 before the captain was spared from a return catch chance against Rabeya Khan.

Perera was dropped once more on her score of 55 and 63, the last attempt flying right to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover field, before ultimately being dismissed lbw by Shorna as she sought to increase the tempo with partners falling near her.

Subsequently in the game, there was furthermore a missed stumping and a missed run-out, even though the latter was a little regrettable, with Rubya Haider standing in with the wicketkeeping gloves due to an fitness issue to the regular keeper.

Regrettably for the team, such fielding issues are nowhere near a isolated incident. They've failed to catch 14 opportunities from a potential 27 at this tournament and display the poorest catching success rate (48.1 percent) of the eight teams.

They are a team who are typically progressing in the proper way – they are participating in merely their second ODI World Cup after all – but inadequate fielding is a glaring concern which demands focus.