Sri Lanka overcomes the Bangladeshi side to preserve their campaign ongoing

ICC Women's World Cup, Navi Mumbai

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

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

The Lankan side emerge victorious by seven runs margin

The Lankan cricket team claimed four crucial dismissals in the decisive innings segment to complete a nail-biting win over Bangladesh and preserve their narrow aspirations of qualifying for the World Cup semi-finals ongoing.

Pursuing a modest score of 203 on a favorable wicket in Navi Mumbai, the Bangladeshi team required nine more runs from the last six deliveries.

Nevertheless, Lankan skipper Athapaththu claimed three important dismissals in four balls and Nilakshi de Silva ran out Nahida Akter to achieve a thrilling victory for Sri Lanka.

The win – the Lankan team's initial of the tournament after three unsuccessful matches and two abandoned games against Australia and New Zealand – pushes them tied on four match points with India and the New Zealand side, who confront each other on Thursday.

Bangladesh, in contrast, endured a fifth straight loss since securing victory in their first match against the Pakistani team and have been eliminated.

While the Bangladeshi side got off to the ideal beginning, with Marufa taking a wicket with the opening bowl of the game to dismiss Vishmi Gunaratne, they were rightfully made to pay for a disappointing fielding display.

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

Even though the Sri Lankan skipper was unable to make it count, removed leg before wicket for 46 one ball after being put down by Rabeya, Hasini Perera made Bangladesh regret it.

She registered a first international 50-run score, accumulating 85 from 99 balls and building an important 74-run partnership fifth-wicket with Nilakshi de Silva.

Bangladesh, spearheaded by Shorna's impressive bowling figures, fought themselves back to the contest, with De Silva's removal in the 34th bowling segment initiating a Lankan batting collapse from 174 with four wickets down to 202 all out.

During their chase, the Lankan team's initial pace attack Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani contained Bangladesh to 23 for one in a lacklustre powerplay and they were subsequently brought down to 44-3.

Sharmin Akter and Nigar Sultana Joty restored their batting effort, contributing 82 for the fourth wicket collaboration before the batter retired hurt for a determined 64 in the 36th bowling phase.

It was in favor of the chasing team heading into the last two bowling phases, with only 12 more runs required.

Yet, Dasanayaka sent back Ritu and allowed only three runs before the captain's dramatic spell, with Rabeya, Nahida Akter, skipper Joty and Marufa Akter all sent back as Sri Lanka grabbed the triumph at the death.

In the end, it was a game of composure. The highly experienced Athapaththu, who ushered away a handful of fellow players as she got ready to deliver the final over, kept hers. The opposition did not.

There will be numerous questions about the team's batting performance. They might well have been needing 270 to 280 with Sri Lanka appearing at ease on 159-4 in the 30th innings segment, but rather the chase was considerably smaller.

Yet, the batting side showed little intent from ball one, accumulating runs at under 2.5 runs each over during the initial phase, suffering a initial wicket loss, and ultimately leaving themselves overwhelming to do.

But whatever difficulties there are with their batting lineup, if they had taken their chances in the fielding department, that 203 total goal would have been substantially smaller.

It took them three efforts to end the 72-run partnership second-wicket, with keeper Nigar Sultana failing to grab a difficult opportunity behind the stumps to dismiss Perera on 23 runs before Athapaththu got a reprieve from a return catch opportunity against Rabeya.

The batter was dropped again on her score of 55 and 63, the final opportunity going right to Jhilik at cover, before eventually being given out lbw by Shorna as she attempted to up the ante with batting partners getting out beside her.

Subsequently in the innings, there was also a failed stumping and a run-out opportunity lost, while the latter was a little regrettable, with Jhilik deputising with the gloves following an physical problem to the regular keeper.

Sadly for the team, such fielding problems are not at all a single occurrence. They've dropped 14 opportunities from a possible 27 chances at this competition and display the poorest catching success rate (48.1%) of the participating teams.

They are a team who are overall progressing in the right direction – they are competing in merely their second one-day World Cup in the end – but poor fielding standards is a obvious issue which needs focus.