The Lankan team beats the Bangladeshi side to preserve their World Cup campaign alive

ICC Women's World Cup, Mumbai

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

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

Sri Lanka emerge victorious by seven runs

Sri Lanka took four crucial dismissals in the final over to complete a thrilling triumph over their opponents and keep their slim aspirations of qualifying for the tournament knockout stage intact.

Pursuing a modest target of 203 on a good batting surface in the Mumbai stadium, Bangladesh wanted nine additional runs from the final six balls.

Nevertheless, Sri Lanka captain Athapaththu took three crucial wickets in four bowls and Nilakshi de Silva ran out Nahida to achieve a dramatic success for the Lankan team.

The win – Sri Lanka's maiden of the World Cup after three defeats and two no-results against the Australian team and the Kiwi side – pushes them tied on four tournament points with the Indian team and New Zealand, who face each other on Thursday.

The Bangladeshi team, on the other hand, endured a fifth successive loss since securing victory in their tournament opener against Pakistan and have been knocked out.

Although Bangladesh made the perfect start, with Marufa striking with the opening bowl of the match to dismiss Gunaratne, they were deservedly penalized for a subpar fielding effort.

They provided reprieves to Perera, who was missed on three occasions, and the Lankan captain.

Although the Sri Lankan skipper failed to make it count, sent back lbw for 46 one ball after being missed by Rabeya Khan, Perera forced Bangladesh pay.

She registered a debut international fifty, accumulating 85 from 99 deliveries and sharing an important 74-run fifth-wicket with De Silva.

Bangladesh, spearheaded by Shorna Akter's three wickets for 27 runs, pulled themselves back to the game, with Nilakshi's wicket in the 34th over 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 Prabodhani restricted Bangladesh to 23 with one wicket down in a disappointing powerplay and they were afterwards reduced to 44-3.

Sharmin Akter and Joty rebuilt their score, putting on 82 for the fourth wicket before the batter withdrew due to injury for a resolute 64 in the 36th bowling phase.

It was in favor of the chasing team heading into the final two innings segments, with just 12 runs needed.

However, Dasanayaka dismissed Ritu and gave away only three scoring runs before the captain's dramatic spell, with Rabeya Khan, Nahida Akter, skipper Joty and Marufa all removed as Sri Lanka grabbed the win at the death.

Finally, it was a contest of nerves. The highly experienced Athapaththu, who directed away a handful of fellow players as she prepared to deliver the last over, maintained hers. Bangladesh failed to.

There will be many questions about the team's batting effort. They possibly have been pursuing around 270-280 with the Lankan team seeming at ease on 159 for four in the 30th over, but instead the target was significantly less.

Nevertheless, the batting side displayed insufficient intent from ball one, scoring at under 2.5 runs each over during the initial phase, suffering a top-order collapse, and eventually forcing themselves too much to do.

But whatever issues there are with their batting lineup, if they had accepted their chances in the field, that 203-run objective would have been significantly smaller.

It took them three efforts to break the 72-run second-wicket, with keeper Nigar Sultana failing to take a tough catch as wicketkeeper to dismiss Hasini Perera on 23 before the captain survived from a caught and bowled opportunity against Rabeya.

Perera was spilled further on 55 runs and her score of 63, the last attempt flying right to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover field, before ultimately being dismissed leg before wicket by Shorna Akter as she sought to increase the tempo with batting partners getting out around her.

Afterwards in the innings, there was furthermore a stumping chance missed and a run-out opportunity lost, even though the run-out chance was a slightly regrettable, with Jhilik deputising with the wicketkeeping gloves due to an physical problem to Joty.

Regrettably for Bangladesh, such fielding woes are not at all a one-off. They've dropped 14 opportunities from a potential 27 opportunities at this World Cup and display the lowest fielding effectiveness (less than 50%) of the eight teams.

They are a squad who are typically heading in the proper way – they are participating in only their second ODI World Cup ultimately – but substandard fielding standards is a prominent concern which needs attention.