The Lankan team defeats the Bangladeshi side to keep their World Cup tournament hopes ongoing

Women's Cricket World Cup, Mumbai

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

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

The Lankan side emerge victorious by seven runs margin

Sri Lanka took four crucial dismissals in the last over to complete a heart-stopping triumph over their opponents and preserve their narrow aspirations of making it for the World Cup semi-finals ongoing.

Needing a modest total of 203 on a batting-friendly pitch in Navi Mumbai, the Bangladeshi team wanted nine more runs from the last six bowls.

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

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

The Bangladeshi team, in contrast, endured a fifth successive defeat since securing victory in their first match against the Pakistani team and have been removed from contention.

While Bangladesh got off to the ideal beginning, with Marufa striking with the initial ball of the match to dismiss Vishmi Gunaratne, they were rightfully penalized for a poor fielding performance.

They provided reprieves to Perera, who was dropped three times, and the Lankan captain.

Although the Sri Lankan skipper could not capitalise, dismissed leg before wicket for 46 just one delivery after being put down by Rabeya, Hasini Perera forced Bangladesh pay.

She registered a first international half-century, making 85 from 99 deliveries and contributing to an significant 74-run fifth-wicket collaboration with Nilakshi de Silva.

The Bangladeshi team, led by Shorna Akter's three wickets for 27 runs, fought themselves back in the contest, with De Silva's dismissal in the 34th innings segment triggering a Lankan collapse from 174 with four wickets down to 202 complete.

While batting second, the Lankan team's starting bowlers Malki Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani restricted Bangladesh to 23-1 in a disappointing opening overs and they were later brought down to 44-3.

Sharmin and Joty rebuilt their innings, contributing an 82-run partnership for the fourth wicket stand before Sharmin left the field injured for a stubborn 64 in the 36th innings segment.

It was advantage the chasing team approaching the last two overs, with just 12 runs necessary.

However, Dasanayaka dismissed Ritu Moni and allowed only three runs before Athapaththu's chaos, with Rabeya Khan, Nahida Akter, captain Joty and Marufa Akter all dismissed as Sri Lanka grabbed the triumph at the final moment.

In the end, it was a game of nerves. The highly experienced Athapaththu, who ushered away a few of teammates as she prepared to bowl the last over, maintained hers. Bangladesh did not.

There will be numerous inquiries about the team's batting effort. They could easily have been chasing around 270-280 with the Lankan team looking comfortable on 159 with four wickets down in the 30th bowling phase, but instead the target was significantly less.

Yet, Bangladesh displayed insufficient intent from ball one, accumulating runs at below 2.5 runs each over during the opening overs, suffering a initial wicket loss, and eventually forcing themselves overwhelming to do.

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

It needed them three attempts to end the 72-run stand second-wicket collaboration, with wicketkeeper Nigar Sultana not managing to take a tough catch as wicketkeeper to send back Perera on 23 before Athapaththu was spared from a return catch possibility against Rabeya.

Perera was spilled again on her score of 55 and her score of 63, the final opportunity flying right to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover field, before ultimately being trapped lbw by Shorna Akter as she sought to up the ante with partners falling beside her.

Afterwards in the innings, there was also a stumping chance missed and a missed run-out, while the latter was a slightly unlucky, with Rubya Haider standing in with the wicketkeeping gloves after an physical problem to Joty.

Sadly for the team, such fielding woes are not at all a one-off. They've failed to catch 14 chances from a possible 27 at this tournament and display the worst catching success rate (48.1%) of the competing sides.

They are a side who are generally moving in the right direction – they are playing in just their second ODI World Cup in the end – but substandard fielding standards is a prominent problem which demands focus.