Sri Lanka defeats the Bangladeshi side to maintain their World Cup campaign alive

ICC Women's World Cup, Mumbai

Sri Lanka 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

The Lankan side emerge victorious by seven runs

Sri Lanka secured four wickets in the decisive innings segment to achieve a nail-biting victory over Bangladesh and keep their slim aspirations of qualifying for the tournament knockout stage alive.

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

Yet, Sri Lanka captain Athapaththu claimed three wickets in four deliveries and Nilakshi de Silva dismissed via run-out Nahida Akter to bring about a dramatic success for the Lankan team.

The victory – Sri Lanka's first of the tournament after three unsuccessful matches and two no-results against the Australian team and the Kiwi side – pushes them equal on four points with the Indian team and New Zealand, who confront each other on the coming Thursday.

The Bangladeshi team, on the other hand, suffered a fifth straight loss since winning their tournament opener against the Pakistani team and have been eliminated.

Even though the Bangladeshi side made the excellent commencement, with Marufa taking a wicket with the opening bowl of the match to send back Gunaratne, they were deservedly punished for a poor fielding performance.

They gifted reprieves to Perera, who was spilled multiple times, and Athapaththu.

Although the Sri Lankan skipper could not take advantage, sent back leg before wicket for 46 one ball after being missed by Rabeya, Perera forced Bangladesh suffer.

She scored a first international 50-run score, accumulating 85 from 99 bowls and contributing to an significant 74-run fifth-wicket association with Nilakshi de Silva.

The Bangladeshi team, spearheaded by Shorna Akter's impressive bowling figures, pulled themselves back in the contest, with Nilakshi's removal in the 34th over causing a Sri Lanka collapse from 174-4 to 202 total.

While batting second, the Lankan team's opening bowlers Madara and Prabodhani contained Bangladesh to 23 with one wicket down in a disappointing initial phase and they were afterwards brought down to 44-3.

Sharmin Akter and Nigar Sultana Joty rebuilt their batting effort, adding 82 for the fourth wicket before the batter withdrew due to injury for a determined 64 in the 36th over.

It was advantage the chasing team heading into the last two innings segments, with only 12 more runs needed.

Nevertheless, Dasanayaka removed Ritu and allowed only three runs before Athapaththu's decisive intervention, with Rabeya, Nahida, skipper Joty and Marufa Akter all sent back as the Lankan team seized the triumph at the death.

Finally, it was a game of nerves. The seasoned Lankan captain, who ushered away a few of fellow players as she set herself to bowl the last over, kept her nerve. Bangladesh failed to.

There will be many doubts about the team's batting display. They could easily have been needing 270 to 280 with the Lankan team appearing comfortable on 159 with four wickets down in the 30th bowling phase, but rather the chase was significantly less.

Nevertheless, Bangladesh lacked purpose from the start, making runs at less than 2.5 runs per over during the powerplay, experiencing a early batting collapse, and eventually leaving themselves excessive to accomplish.

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

It needed them three attempts to break the 72-run second-wicket collaboration, with keeper Nigar Sultana being unable to grab a difficult chance while keeping to dismiss Perera on her score of 23 before Athapaththu survived from a caught and bowled opportunity against Rabeya.

Perera was missed further on 55 and her score of 63, the final opportunity going right to Jhilik at cover, before finally being trapped leg before wicket by Shorna Akter as she sought to up the ante with teammates falling around her.

Afterwards in the batting effort, there was additionally a failed stumping and a failed run-out, even though the run-out chance was a somewhat unfortunate, with Jhilik deputising with the keeping duties after an injury to Joty.

Regrettably for the team, such fielding issues are not at all a isolated incident. They've missed 14 catches from a available 27 opportunities at this competition and display the lowest catch efficiency (less than 50%) of the competing sides.

They are a squad who are typically heading in the correct path – they are participating in merely their second 50-over World Cup in the end – but poor fielding performance is a glaring problem which needs focus.