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

Women's Cricket World Cup, Mumbai

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

The Bangladeshi team 195-9 (50 overs): Nigar Sultana Joty 77 (98); Athapaththu 4-42

The Lankan side win by seven runs

Sri Lanka claimed four wickets in the decisive over to complete a nail-biting triumph over their opponents and preserve their slim chances of qualifying for the tournament knockout stage alive.

Chasing a attainable target of 203 on a good batting surface in the Mumbai stadium, the Bangladeshi team wanted nine runs from the final six deliveries.

Nevertheless, Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu secured three crucial wickets in four balls and Nilakshi de Silva dismissed via run-out Nahida Akter to bring about a exciting victory for Sri Lanka.

The win – the Lankan team's first of the World Cup after three losses and two no-results against Australia and the Kiwi side – moves them tied on four points with the Indian team and New Zealand, who confront each other on Thursday.

Bangladesh, however, suffered a fifth straight setback since winning their initial game against Pakistan and have been removed from contention.

Even though Bangladesh made the perfect start, with Marufa Akter striking with the first delivery of the game to remove Vishmi Gunaratne, they were rightfully punished for a subpar fielding display.

They offered second chances to Perera, who was dropped multiple times, and the Lankan captain.

While the Sri Lankan skipper was unable to take advantage, sent back leg before wicket for 46 one ball after being dropped by Rabeya, Hasini Perera made the opposition regret it.

She scored a first international 50-run score, making 85 from 99 bowls and building an important 74-run partnership fifth-wicket association with De Silva.

The Bangladeshi team, spearheaded by Shorna Akter's three wickets for 27 runs, dragged themselves back to the contest, with De Silva's removal in the 34th over causing a Lankan batting collapse from 174 with four wickets down to 202 all out.

During their chase, Sri Lanka's initial pace attack Malki Madara and Prabodhani contained Bangladesh to 23 with one wicket down in a uninspiring initial phase and they were afterwards brought down to 44 with three wickets lost.

Sharmin Akter and Joty restored their innings, adding 82 for the fourth wicket collaboration before the batter retired hurt for a stubborn 64 in the 36th innings segment.

It was in favor of Bangladesh approaching the final two innings segments, with only 12 additional runs required.

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

Finally, it was a contest of nerves. The highly experienced Athapaththu, who directed away a handful of fellow players as she got ready to deliver the final over, held hers. Bangladesh did not.

There will be plenty of questions about Bangladesh's batting effort. They might well have been pursuing 270 to 280 with the Lankan team appearing settled on 159-4 in the 30th over, but rather the chase was considerably smaller.

Yet, the batting side lacked purpose from the start, making runs at under 2.5 scoring rate during the powerplay, suffering a early batting collapse, and finally forcing themselves overwhelming to do.

But no matter what difficulties there are with their batting, if they had taken their opportunities in the fielding department, that 203-run target target would have been significantly smaller.

It took them three attempts to end the 72-run second-wicket, with wicketkeeper Joty not managing to hold a challenging chance while keeping to dismiss Hasini Perera on 23 before the captain was spared from a return catch chance against Rabeya Khan.

The batter was missed again on her score of 55 and her score of 63, the last attempt going straight to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover, before finally being dismissed lbw by Shorna Akter as she tried to up the ante with teammates getting out around her.

Later in the game, there was furthermore a stumping chance missed and a run-out opportunity lost, while the run-out chance was a little regrettable, with Rubya Haider substituting with the keeping duties due to an physical problem to Joty.

Unfortunately for the team, such fielding issues are nowhere near a isolated incident. They've missed 14 catches from a available 27 opportunities at this competition and boast the poorest catching success rate (48.1 percent) of the participating teams.

They are a team who are typically heading in the right direction – they are playing in merely their second ODI World Cup in the end – but poor fielding standards is a prominent issue which requires improvement.