The Lankan team defeats the Bangladeshi side to maintain their World Cup tournament hopes breathing

Women's Cricket World Cup, Navi Mumbai

The Lankan team 202 (48.4 overs): Hasini Perera 85 (99); Shorna 3-27

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

Sri Lanka win by seven runs margin

The Lankan cricket team secured four crucial dismissals in the last innings segment to achieve a nail-biting triumph over their opponents and preserve their narrow chances of making it for the World Cup semi-finals ongoing.

Chasing a modest score of 203 on a favorable wicket in Navi Mumbai, Bangladesh wanted nine runs from the final six deliveries.

Yet, Lankan skipper Athapaththu claimed three important dismissals in four bowls and Nilakshi de Silva ran out Nahida Akter to bring about a thrilling success for Sri Lanka.

The victory – the Lankan team's first of the tournament after three defeats and two no-results against the Australian team and New Zealand – pushes them level on four match points with the Indian team and the New Zealand side, who confront each other on Thursday.

The Bangladeshi team, however, suffered a fifth successive defeat since securing victory in their tournament opener against Pakistan and have been knocked out.

While Bangladesh got off to the perfect start, with Marufa Akter taking a wicket with the opening bowl of the match to dismiss Vishmi Gunaratne, they were appropriately penalized for a disappointing fielding effort.

They gifted second chances to Hasini Perera, who was missed three times, and Athapaththu.

Although Athapaththu was unable to capitalise, sent back lbw for 46 just one delivery after being dropped by Rabeya Khan, Perera made the opposition suffer.

She registered a first international half-century, accumulating 85 from 99 balls and building an important 74-run partnership fifth-wicket association with De Silva.

Bangladesh, led by Shorna's 3-27, pulled themselves back to the contest, with Nilakshi's removal in the 34th bowling segment triggering a Lankan batting collapse from 174 with four wickets down to 202 all out.

During their chase, Sri Lanka's initial pace attack Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani contained the opposition to 23 for one in a disappointing opening overs and they were later reduced to 44-3.

Sharmin Akter and Joty reconstructed their innings, adding 82 runs for the fourth wicket collaboration before Sharmin retired hurt for a resolute 64 in the 36th over.

It was advantage the chasing team entering the remaining two innings segments, with only 12 additional runs required.

However, Dasanayaka dismissed Ritu Moni and gave away just three scoring runs before the captain's dramatic spell, with Rabeya, Nahida Akter, captain Joty and Marufa Akter all sent back as the Lankan team seized the triumph at the final moment.

In the end, it was a match of composure. The highly experienced Athapaththu, who moved aside a few of fellow players as she set herself to deliver the last over, maintained her nerve. The opposition did not.

There will be plenty of doubts about the team's batting display. They possibly have been needing 270 or 280 with the Lankan team appearing at ease on 159-4 in the 30th bowling phase, but instead the required total was significantly less.

Nevertheless, Bangladesh lacked aggression from the start, accumulating runs at less than 2.5 runs per over during the powerplay, undergoing a initial wicket loss, and eventually forcing themselves too much to achieve.

But whatever difficulties there are with their batting, if they had accepted their opportunities in the fielding department, that 203 total target would have been substantially smaller.

It took them three efforts to terminate the 72-run stand second-wicket collaboration, with wicketkeeper Joty failing to hold a challenging chance behind the stumps to send back Perera on 23 before Athapaththu was spared from a return catch opportunity against Rabeya Khan.

Perera was dropped again on 55 runs and 63, the latter chance going straight to Jhilik at cover position, before ultimately being dismissed lbw by Shorna as she tried to increase the tempo with teammates being dismissed beside her.

Afterwards in the innings, there was also a missed stumping and a run-out opportunity lost, even though the latter was a somewhat unlucky, with Rubya Haider deputising with the gloves after an physical problem to the regular keeper.

Unfortunately for Bangladesh, such fielding issues are far from a single occurrence. They've failed to catch 14 catches from a available 27 at this World Cup and display the poorest catch efficiency (48.1 percent) of the competing sides.

They are a squad who are typically heading in the correct path – they are competing in merely their second 50-over World Cup ultimately – but substandard fielding standards is a prominent concern which demands attention.