Sri Lanka beats the Bangladeshi side to preserve their World Cup campaign alive

ICC Women's World Cup, Navi Mumbai

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

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

The Lankan side win by seven runs margin

Sri Lanka claimed four wickets in the decisive over to seal a nail-biting triumph over Bangladesh and keep their slim chances of qualifying for the World Cup semi-finals alive.

Needing a attainable target of 203 on a batting-friendly pitch in Navi Mumbai, Bangladesh wanted nine runs from the last six bowls.

Yet, Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu claimed three crucial wickets in four balls and de Silva dismissed via run-out Nahida to secure a exciting win for the Lankan team.

The win – the Lankan team's initial of the tournament after three losses and two washed-out matches against the Australian team and the Kiwi side – elevates them level on four points with India and New Zealand, who meet each other on the coming Thursday.

The Bangladeshi team, on the other hand, endured a fifth consecutive loss since winning their tournament opener against the Pakistani team and have been knocked out.

Although the Bangladeshi side made the ideal beginning, with Marufa taking a wicket with the initial ball of the game to dismiss Vishmi Gunaratne, they were rightfully penalized for a disappointing fielding display.

They offered second chances to Perera, who was missed multiple times, and Athapaththu.

Even though Athapaththu was unable to make it count, sent back lbw for 46 one ball after being put down by Rabeya Khan, Perera made the opposition suffer.

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

Bangladesh, guided by Shorna Akter's impressive bowling figures, fought themselves back in the game, with De Silva's wicket in the 34th over initiating a Lankan batting collapse from 174 for four to 202 complete.

While batting second, Sri Lanka's initial pace attack Malki Madara and Prabodhani contained Bangladesh to 23 for one in a uninspiring powerplay and they were afterwards diminished to 44 with three wickets lost.

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

It was leaning toward the chasing team approaching the final two innings segments, with only 12 additional runs necessary.

Nevertheless, Sugandika Dasanayaka sent back Ritu Moni and gave away merely three scoring runs before Athapaththu's decisive intervention, with Rabeya, Nahida, captain Joty and Marufa all removed as Sri Lanka snatched the triumph at the very end.

Finally, it was a contest of nerves. The very experienced Athapaththu, who directed away a several of team-mates as she set herself to deliver the final over, held hers. The opposition could not.

There will be numerous doubts about the team's batting effort. They could easily have been needing 270 or 280 with Sri Lanka looking at ease on 159-4 in the 30th over, but rather the target was considerably smaller.

However, the batting side showed little intent from ball one, scoring at less than 2.5 runs per over during the opening overs, undergoing a top-order collapse, and ultimately leaving themselves overwhelming to achieve.

But whatever issues there are with their batting, if they had taken their opportunities in the fielding area, that 203-run target target would have been significantly lower.

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

Perera was missed further on 55 runs and 63, the latter chance flying directly to Jhilik at cover position, before finally being given out lbw by Shorna as she tried to accelerate the scoring with teammates falling around her.

Afterwards in the game, there was also a stumping chance missed and a failed run-out, while the run-out chance was a little unfortunate, with Jhilik substituting with the gloves following an fitness issue to the regular keeper.

Sadly for Bangladesh, such fielding problems are nowhere near a isolated incident. They've missed 14 chances from a potential 27 at this tournament and display the worst catching success rate (48.1 percent) of the eight teams.

They are a team who are overall progressing in the correct path – they are participating in only their second ODI World Cup after all – but substandard fielding standards is a prominent concern which demands improvement.