Sri Lanka overcomes the Bangladeshi side to preserve their World Cup campaign 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 emerge victorious by seven runs

The Lankan cricket team secured four crucial dismissals in the final over to seal a heart-stopping triumph over their opponents and preserve their narrow aspirations of making it for the World Cup semi-finals intact.

Needing a modest target of 203 on a batting-friendly pitch in the Mumbai stadium, Bangladesh wanted nine runs from the final six deliveries.

Yet, Sri Lanka captain Athapaththu claimed three important dismissals in four balls and de Silva ran out Nahida to bring about a thrilling success for the Lankan team.

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

The Bangladeshi team, however, endured a fifth successive setback since winning their first match against the Pakistani team and have been knocked out.

Even though the Bangladeshi side made the ideal beginning, with Marufa Akter taking a wicket with the opening bowl of the match to remove Gunaratne, they were rightfully punished for a poor fielding display.

They provided lifelines to Perera, who was dropped on three occasions, and Athapaththu.

Although Athapaththu could not take advantage, removed leg before wicket for 46 a single bowl after being put down by Rabeya, Perera made the opposition suffer.

She achieved a maiden international 50-run score, scoring 85 from 99 bowls and building an crucial 74-run stand fifth-wicket with Nilakshi de Silva.

Bangladesh, guided by Shorna's impressive bowling figures, dragged themselves back to the game, with Nilakshi's dismissal in the 34th bowling segment triggering a Sri Lanka downfall from 174 for four to 202 complete.

In reply, Sri Lanka's initial pace attack Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani contained Bangladesh to 23 with one wicket down in a lacklustre opening overs and they were subsequently reduced to 44 for three.

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

It was in favor of the chasing team entering the last two bowling phases, with just 12 more runs necessary.

Nevertheless, Dasanayaka removed Ritu and allowed just three scoring runs before Athapaththu's decisive intervention, with Rabeya, Nahida Akter, captain Joty and Marufa all removed as Sri Lanka snatched the triumph at the final moment.

In the end, it was a contest of nerves. The very experienced Lankan captain, who ushered away a few of teammates as she got ready to bowl the final over, held her composure. Bangladesh could not.

There will be numerous doubts about Bangladesh's batting performance. They might well have been chasing 270 or 280 with the Lankan team seeming at ease on 159 for four in the 30th over, but instead the required total was considerably smaller.

However, Bangladesh showed little purpose from the start, making runs at under 2.5 runs per over during the powerplay, undergoing a initial wicket loss, and eventually forcing themselves too much to achieve.

But whatever issues there are with their batting approach, if they had taken their opportunities in the fielding area, that 203 total objective would have been considerably less.

It took them three efforts to end the 72-run second-wicket association, with keeper Nigar Sultana failing to hold a tough catch while keeping to dismiss Perera on 23 runs before Athapaththu survived from a caught and bowled possibility against Rabeya Khan.

The batter was dropped once more on her score of 55 and her score of 63, the latter chance going straight to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover, before eventually being dismissed lbw by Shorna as she tried to accelerate the scoring with batting partners falling beside her.

Subsequently in the batting effort, there was additionally a failed stumping and a failed run-out, even though the latter was a slightly regrettable, with Rubya Haider substituting with the keeping duties following an physical problem to the regular keeper.

Unfortunately for the team, such fielding problems are nowhere near a one-off. They've dropped 14 catches from a available 27 chances at this competition and boast the poorest catch efficiency (48.1%) of the eight teams.

They are a squad who are overall moving in the correct path – they are competing in just their second 50-over World Cup ultimately – but inadequate fielding standards is a obvious issue which requires attention.