The Lankan team overcomes the Bangladeshi side to keep their World Cup campaign alive

Women's Cricket World Cup, Navi Mumbai

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

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

Sri Lanka emerge victorious by seven runs

Sri Lanka claimed four crucial dismissals in the decisive over to achieve a nail-biting win over Bangladesh and keep their slim chances of making it for the tournament knockout stage ongoing.

Needing a modest total of 203 on a batting-friendly pitch in Navi Mumbai, the Bangladeshi team wanted nine additional runs from the last six bowls.

However, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu claimed three wickets in four balls and de Silva ran out Nahida Akter to achieve a thrilling success for the Lankan team.

The victory – Sri Lanka's first of the World Cup after three defeats and two washed-out matches against the Australian team and New Zealand – elevates them tied on four tournament points with the Indian team and New Zealand, who face each other on the coming Thursday.

The Bangladeshi team, however, suffered a fifth straight setback since securing victory in their first match 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 initial ball of the encounter to send back Gunaratne, they were rightfully made to pay for a subpar fielding performance.

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

Even though Athapaththu could not capitalise, sent back leg before wicket for 46 one ball after being put down by Rabeya, Hasini Perera forced the opposition pay.

She registered a debut international fifty, accumulating 85 from 99 balls and contributing to an significant 74-run partnership fifth-wicket association with Nilakshi de Silva.

Bangladesh, spearheaded by Shorna's three wickets for 27 runs, fought themselves back in the game, with Nilakshi's dismissal in the 34th bowling segment causing a Sri Lanka downfall from 174 with four wickets down to 202 total.

While batting second, the Lankan team's starting bowlers Madara and Prabodhani limited Bangladesh to 23 with one wicket down in a uninspiring powerplay and they were afterwards brought down to 44-3.

Sharmin Akter and Joty restored their innings, adding an 82-run partnership for the fourth wicket stand before the batter retired hurt for a determined 64 in the 36th innings segment.

It was in favor of the chasing team entering the final two bowling phases, with merely 12 runs required.

Yet, Sugandika Dasanayaka dismissed Ritu and allowed merely three runs before the captain's dramatic spell, with Rabeya, Nahida, captain Joty and Marufa all sent back as Sri Lanka snatched the victory at the very end.

Ultimately, it was a contest of nerve. The highly experienced Lankan captain, who ushered away a few of teammates as she prepared to deliver the last over, held hers. Bangladesh could not.

There will be many doubts about the team's batting display. They possibly have been chasing 270 to 280 with the Lankan team appearing at ease on 159 with four wickets down in the 30th innings segment, but instead the required total was significantly less.

However, Bangladesh displayed insufficient aggression from the very beginning, making runs at below 2.5 runs each over during the initial phase, experiencing a initial wicket loss, and ultimately making themselves excessive to do.

But whatever problems there are with their batting, if they had accepted their catches in the fielding department, that 203-run target objective would have been significantly smaller.

It needed them three attempts to end the 72-run stand second-wicket collaboration, with keeper Nigar Sultana not managing to hold a difficult opportunity while keeping to remove Perera on her score of 23 before the captain survived from a caught and bowled chance chance against Rabeya Khan.

Perera was spilled once more on 55 runs and 63, the latter chance flying directly to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover position, before ultimately being dismissed leg before wicket by Shorna as she tried to accelerate the scoring with batting partners being dismissed around her.

Afterwards in the innings, there was furthermore a failed stumping and a run-out opportunity lost, although the second one was a slightly regrettable, with Jhilik substituting with the wicketkeeping gloves following an fitness issue to Joty.

Sadly for Bangladesh, such fielding woes are far from a single occurrence. They've missed 14 chances from a possible 27 opportunities at this competition and have the lowest fielding effectiveness (48.1%) of the participating teams.

They are a side who are generally progressing in the correct path – they are playing in only their second 50-over World Cup in the end – but substandard fielding performance is a prominent issue which requires attention.