The Lankan team overcomes Bangladesh to keep their World Cup tournament hopes ongoing

Women's Cricket World Cup, Mumbai

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

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

Sri Lanka win by seven runs margin

The Lankan cricket team secured four wickets in the decisive innings segment to complete a nail-biting triumph over Bangladesh and preserve their narrow aspirations of making it for the tournament knockout stage alive.

Needing a modest score of 203 on a good batting surface in the Mumbai stadium, the Bangladeshi team wanted nine additional runs from the final six balls.

Yet, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu claimed three wickets in four deliveries and de Silva ran out Nahida to secure a dramatic victory for Sri Lanka.

The win – Sri Lanka's initial of the competition after three defeats and two abandoned games against Australia and the Kiwi side – moves them tied on four match points with the Indian team and the New Zealand side, who meet each other on the coming Thursday.

Bangladesh, however, suffered a fifth straight defeat since securing victory in their tournament opener against the Pakistani team and have been eliminated.

While the Bangladeshi side made the perfect start, with Marufa Akter striking with the opening bowl of the match to send back Gunaratne, they were deservedly penalized for a disappointing fielding performance.

They provided second chances to Hasini Perera, who was spilled three times, and the Lankan captain.

Although the Sri Lankan skipper was unable to capitalise, removed leg before wicket for 46 just one delivery after being put down by Rabeya Khan, Hasini Perera forced Bangladesh pay.

She registered a maiden international fifty, making 85 from 99 balls and sharing an crucial 74-run stand fifth-wicket with Nilakshi de Silva.

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

During their chase, Sri Lanka's opening bowlers Malki Madara and Prabodhani restricted Bangladesh to 23 with one wicket down in a disappointing powerplay and they were afterwards brought down to 44 with three wickets lost.

Sharmin and Nigar Sultana Joty rebuilt their batting effort, contributing 82 runs for the fourth wicket collaboration before Sharmin withdrew due to injury for a stubborn 64 in the 36th over.

It was leaning toward the chasing team approaching the final two innings segments, with just 12 more runs required.

Yet, Sugandika Dasanayaka sent back Ritu Moni and conceded merely three scoring runs before Athapaththu's dramatic spell, with Rabeya, Nahida, skipper Joty and Marufa Akter all sent back as Sri Lanka seized the victory at the death.

Finally, it was a match of nerves. The very experienced Lankan captain, who directed away a handful of teammates as she set herself to deliver the decisive over, kept her nerve. Bangladesh could not.

There will be plenty of doubts about the team's batting display. They possibly have been needing 270 to 280 with the Lankan team appearing comfortable on 159-4 in the 30th bowling phase, but in contrast the required total was much lower.

Yet, the batting side lacked purpose from the start, making runs at below 2.5 runs each over during the opening overs, suffering a initial wicket loss, and eventually forcing themselves too much to achieve.

But no matter what difficulties there are with their batting approach, if they had accepted their chances in the fielding department, that 203 total goal would have been considerably less.

It required them three tries to end the 72-run second-wicket association, with wicketkeeper Joty being unable to grab a difficult chance as wicketkeeper to send back Hasini Perera on 23 before Athapaththu got a reprieve from a caught and bowled opportunity against Rabeya.

Perera was missed again on her score of 55 and her score of 63, the latter chance flying straight to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover, before ultimately being given out leg before wicket by Shorna as she attempted to up the ante with teammates falling near her.

Later in the innings, there was also a failed stumping and a failed run-out, even though the latter was a little unfortunate, with Jhilik standing in with the gloves due to an injury to the regular keeper.

Sadly for the team, such fielding issues are nowhere near a single occurrence. They've failed to catch 14 chances from a potential 27 opportunities at this World Cup and boast the worst catch efficiency (48.1 percent) of the competing sides.

They are a side who are overall moving in the correct path – they are competing in just their second one-day World Cup in the end – but substandard fielding standards is a obvious problem which requires attention.