The Lankan team overcomes Bangladesh to keep their campaign ongoing

ICC Women's World Cup, Navi Mumbai

Sri Lanka 202 (48.4 overs): Hasini 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

Sri Lanka claimed four crucial dismissals in the final over to complete a heart-stopping win over their opponents and preserve their slim chances of qualifying for the World Cup semi-finals ongoing.

Pursuing a modest target of 203 on a batting-friendly pitch in the Mumbai stadium, Bangladesh needed nine runs from the remaining six balls.

Yet, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu claimed three crucial wickets in four balls and de Silva dismissed via run-out Nahida to bring about a thrilling victory for the Lankan team.

The win – Sri Lanka's first of the competition after three losses and two no-results against the Australian team and New Zealand – moves them level on four points with India and the New Zealand side, who meet each other on the coming Thursday.

The Bangladeshi team, however, suffered a fifth straight loss since winning their first match against Pakistan and have been removed from contention.

Although the Bangladeshi side got off to the ideal beginning, with Marufa taking a wicket with the initial ball of the match to remove Gunaratne, they were deservedly made to pay for a poor fielding effort.

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

Although Athapaththu failed to capitalise, dismissed leg before wicket for 46 just one delivery after being put down by Rabeya Khan, Hasini Perera forced the opposition suffer.

She achieved a maiden international 50-run score, making 85 from 99 deliveries and building an important 74-run partnership fifth-wicket collaboration with Nilakshi de Silva.

Bangladesh, spearheaded by Shorna Akter's 3-27, dragged themselves back in the match, with Nilakshi's dismissal in the 34th over causing a Sri Lanka collapse from 174-4 to 202 all out.

In reply, the Lankan team's starting bowlers Madara and Prabodhani contained Bangladesh to 23 for one in a disappointing initial phase and they were later reduced to 44 with three wickets lost.

Sharmin Akter and Nigar Sultana Joty rebuilt their score, adding 82 for the fourth wicket collaboration before the batter left the field injured for a resolute 64 in the 36th innings segment.

It was advantage the chasing team heading into the final two bowling phases, with only 12 additional runs needed.

Nevertheless, Dasanayaka dismissed Ritu and gave away only three scoring runs before the captain's dramatic spell, with Rabeya Khan, Nahida Akter, skipper Joty and Marufa all sent back as Sri Lanka grabbed the win at the final moment.

In the end, it was a match of nerves. The highly experienced Lankan captain, who ushered away a several of team-mates as she prepared to bowl the last over, held her nerve. The opposition failed to.

There will be plenty of inquiries about the team's batting effort. They possibly have been pursuing around 270-280 with Sri Lanka seeming settled on 159-4 in the 30th over, but rather the required total was considerably smaller.

Yet, the batting side lacked intent from ball one, accumulating runs at less than 2.5 scoring rate during the powerplay, experiencing a top-order collapse, and ultimately forcing themselves excessive to achieve.

But no matter what problems there are with their batting approach, if they had seized their catches in the fielding area, that 203-run target target would have been significantly smaller.

It needed them three efforts to terminate the 72-run partnership second-wicket, with keeper Nigar Sultana being unable to grab a challenging opportunity while keeping to dismiss Hasini Perera on her score of 23 before the captain was spared from a return catch possibility against Rabeya Khan.

The batter was spilled once more on her score of 55 and 63 runs, the last attempt traveling right to Jhilik at cover, before ultimately being dismissed lbw by Shorna as she attempted to up the ante with batting partners falling beside her.

Afterwards in the innings, there was additionally a missed stumping and a failed run-out, while the latter was a somewhat regrettable, with Jhilik substituting with the keeping duties following an injury to Joty.

Unfortunately for Bangladesh, such fielding problems are not at all a isolated incident. They've failed to catch 14 catches from a available 27 at this tournament and have the lowest fielding effectiveness (less than 50%) of the competing sides.

They are a squad who are overall moving in the right direction – they are participating in merely their second ODI World Cup ultimately – but inadequate fielding standards is a obvious issue which needs attention.