The Lankan team overcomes the Bangladeshi side to preserve their tournament hopes alive

ICC Women's World Cup, 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

Sri Lanka win by seven runs

The Lankan cricket team claimed four wickets in the final over to seal a thrilling win over Bangladesh and keep their slim hopes of qualifying for the World Cup semi-finals ongoing.

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

Nevertheless, Lankan skipper Athapaththu took three important dismissals in four balls and Nilakshi de Silva dismissed via run-out Nahida to secure a thrilling success for the Lankan team.

The win – Sri Lanka's initial of the World Cup after three unsuccessful matches and two washed-out matches against the Australian team and New Zealand – moves them level on four points with the Indian team and the New Zealand side, who face each other on Thursday.

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

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

They gifted lifelines to Perera, who was dropped multiple times, and Athapaththu.

Although the Sri Lankan skipper failed to take advantage, sent back lbw for 46 one ball after being dropped by Rabeya Khan, Perera made Bangladesh suffer.

She registered a first international fifty, accumulating 85 from 99 balls and building an crucial 74-run stand fifth-wicket association with Nilakshi de Silva.

Bangladesh, guided by Shorna's impressive bowling figures, fought themselves back to the game, with De Silva's wicket in the 34th innings segment triggering a Sri Lanka collapse from 174 for four to 202 total.

During their chase, Sri Lanka's starting bowlers Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani limited Bangladesh to 23 with one wicket down in a lacklustre opening overs and they were subsequently brought down to 44 for three.

Sharmin and Nigar Sultana Joty rebuilt their batting effort, putting on an 82-run partnership for the fourth wicket collaboration before Sharmin retired hurt for a resolute 64 in the 36th over.

It was advantage the chasing team entering the final two overs, with just 12 additional runs required.

Nevertheless, Dasanayaka dismissed Ritu and allowed only three scoring runs before Athapaththu's chaos, with Rabeya, Nahida, skipper Joty and Marufa all sent back as Sri Lanka seized the win at the very end.

Ultimately, it was a contest of composure. The very experienced Lankan captain, who directed away a several of fellow players as she prepared to bowl the last over, held her nerve. Bangladesh did not.

There will be many inquiries about the team's batting effort. They might well have been needing around 270-280 with Sri Lanka appearing settled on 159 with four wickets down in the 30th bowling phase, but rather the chase was much lower.

However, Bangladesh showed little aggression from the very beginning, accumulating runs at less than 2.5 runs each over during the powerplay, experiencing a early batting collapse, and finally leaving themselves excessive to do.

But no matter what problems there are with their batting, if they had seized their chances in the fielding department, that 203-run target goal would have been considerably less.

It needed them three attempts to terminate the 72-run stand second-wicket, with wicketkeeper Joty not managing to take a difficult catch while keeping to dismiss Perera on her score of 23 before Athapaththu survived from a return catch opportunity against Rabeya.

Perera was dropped once more on 55 and her score of 63, the final opportunity traveling straight to Jhilik at cover field, before eventually being given out leg before wicket by Shorna as she sought to increase the tempo with teammates being dismissed beside her.

Later in the batting effort, there was additionally a missed stumping and a missed run-out, while the second one was a somewhat unlucky, with Rubya Haider substituting with the wicketkeeping gloves after an injury to the regular keeper.

Sadly for the team, such fielding problems are not at all a one-off. They've failed to catch 14 catches from a available 27 at this tournament and have the poorest catch efficiency (48.1%) of the eight teams.

They are a side who are typically heading in the right direction – they are competing in merely their second ODI World Cup ultimately – but inadequate fielding performance is a glaring problem which requires focus.