The Lankan team beats the Bangladeshi side to keep their tournament hopes alive

ICC Women's World Cup, Mumbai

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

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

The Lankan side win by seven runs margin

The Lankan cricket team claimed four wickets in the last over to seal a thrilling win over Bangladesh and maintain their slim aspirations of making it for the World Cup semi-finals intact.

Needing a attainable total of 203 on a batting-friendly pitch in the Mumbai stadium, Bangladesh required nine runs from the remaining six bowls.

Nevertheless, Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu took three wickets in four deliveries and Nilakshi de Silva ran out Nahida to bring about a exciting win for Sri Lanka.

The triumph – Sri Lanka's first of the World Cup after three unsuccessful matches and two abandoned games against Australia and the Kiwi side – elevates them level on four tournament points with the Indian team and the New Zealand side, who face each other on Thursday.

The Bangladeshi team, however, suffered a fifth successive defeat since securing victory in their tournament opener against Pakistan and have been knocked out.

Even though Bangladesh got off to the excellent commencement, with Marufa Akter striking with the initial ball of the match to remove Gunaratne, they were deservedly penalized for a disappointing fielding effort.

They offered lifelines to Hasini Perera, who was spilled three times, and Athapaththu.

Even though Athapaththu was unable to capitalise, sent back lbw for 46 one ball after being missed by Rabeya, Hasini Perera made Bangladesh suffer.

She achieved a maiden international half-century, accumulating 85 from 99 deliveries and sharing an important 74-run fifth-wicket association with De Silva.

Bangladesh, spearheaded by Shorna Akter's 3-27, pulled themselves back into the game, with Nilakshi's wicket in the 34th over initiating a Lankan downfall from 174 with four wickets down to 202 total.

While batting second, the Lankan team's opening bowlers Malki Madara and Prabodhani restricted the opposition to 23 for one in a lacklustre powerplay and they were later reduced to 44 for three.

Sharmin Akter and Nigar Sultana Joty restored their innings, contributing 82 for the fourth wicket stand before Sharmin left the field injured for a resolute 64 in the 36th innings segment.

It was in favor of the chasing team entering the remaining two overs, with only 12 more runs required.

Nevertheless, Sugandika Dasanayaka dismissed Ritu and allowed just three scoring runs before Athapaththu's decisive intervention, with Rabeya Khan, Nahida Akter, captain Joty and Marufa Akter all dismissed as the Lankan team snatched the triumph at the final moment.

Finally, it was a match of nerves. The very experienced Lankan captain, who directed away a several of teammates as she prepared to deliver the last over, maintained her composure. The opposition could not.

There will be numerous inquiries about Bangladesh's batting effort. They could easily have been pursuing 270 to 280 with the Lankan team looking settled on 159-4 in the 30th bowling phase, but rather the required total was much lower.

Yet, the batting side displayed insufficient purpose from ball one, scoring at below 2.5 scoring rate during the opening overs, undergoing a top-order collapse, and eventually forcing themselves overwhelming to do.

But whatever difficulties there are with their batting, if they had seized their opportunities in the field, that 203 total goal would have been significantly less.

It needed them three tries to end the 72-run stand second-wicket collaboration, with wicketkeeper Nigar Sultana failing to hold a challenging chance as wicketkeeper to send back Hasini Perera on 23 runs before Athapaththu survived from a return catch possibility against Rabeya.

Perera was dropped once more on 55 runs and her score of 63, the last attempt traveling straight to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover, before ultimately being dismissed lbw by Shorna Akter as she tried to up the ante with batting partners getting out near her.

Afterwards in the batting effort, there was also a failed stumping and a run-out opportunity lost, while the second one was a somewhat unlucky, with Jhilik standing in with the gloves due to an physical problem to Joty.

Unfortunately for the team, such fielding issues are not at all a single occurrence. They've missed 14 catches from a possible 27 chances at this competition and display the worst fielding effectiveness (less than 50%) of the competing sides.

They are a team who are typically heading in the correct path – they are playing in just their second ODI World Cup in the end – but inadequate fielding performance is a glaring concern which demands focus.