The Lankan team beats the Bangladeshi side to maintain their campaign ongoing

ICC Women's World Cup, Mumbai

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

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

Sri Lanka emerge victorious by seven runs margin

Sri Lanka claimed four wickets in the decisive innings segment to complete a nail-biting win over their opponents and preserve their slim hopes of making it for the World Cup semi-finals intact.

Chasing a below-par target of 203 on a batting-friendly pitch in the Mumbai stadium, the Bangladeshi team wanted nine more runs from the remaining six balls.

Nevertheless, Sri Lanka captain Athapaththu secured three important dismissals in four bowls and Nilakshi de Silva ran out Nahida Akter to achieve a exciting success for the Lankan team.

The victory – Sri Lanka's maiden of the World Cup after three losses and two abandoned games against Australia and the Kiwi side – moves them tied on four tournament points with India and New Zealand, who meet each other on the coming Thursday.

The Bangladeshi team, in contrast, experienced a fifth consecutive defeat since securing victory in their first match against Pakistan and have been removed from contention.

Even though the Bangladeshi side got off to the excellent commencement, with Marufa striking with the first delivery of the encounter to dismiss Gunaratne, they were deservedly penalized for a disappointing fielding effort.

They provided second chances to Perera, who was spilled three times, and the Lankan captain.

While the Sri Lankan skipper could not capitalise, removed lbw for 46 just one delivery after being missed by Rabeya, Hasini Perera forced the opposition pay.

She registered a maiden international 50-run score, accumulating 85 from 99 deliveries and contributing to an significant 74-run fifth-wicket with De Silva.

Bangladesh, guided by Shorna's three wickets for 27 runs, pulled themselves back into the match, with Nilakshi's dismissal in the 34th innings segment causing a Lankan collapse from 174 for four to 202 complete.

While batting second, the Lankan team's initial pace attack Malki Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani limited the opposition to 23 with one wicket down in a uninspiring initial phase and they were later brought down to 44 with three wickets lost.

Sharmin Akter and Nigar Sultana Joty restored their batting effort, adding an 82-run partnership for the fourth wicket stand before Sharmin withdrew due to injury for a resolute 64 in the 36th over.

It was leaning toward the chasing team entering the final two overs, with just 12 more runs necessary.

However, Sugandika Dasanayaka removed Ritu Moni and gave away only three scoring runs before the captain's chaos, with Rabeya, Nahida Akter, skipper Joty and Marufa Akter all dismissed as the Lankan team seized the victory at the very end.

Finally, it was a game of nerves. The seasoned Lankan captain, who moved aside a handful of teammates as she prepared to deliver the last over, kept her nerve. The opposition did not.

There will be numerous questions about Bangladesh's batting display. They might well have been pursuing around 270-280 with the Lankan team seeming at ease on 159 with four wickets down in the 30th bowling phase, but rather the chase was much lower.

However, Bangladesh lacked aggression from the start, scoring at less than 2.5 runs per over during the initial phase, suffering a initial wicket loss, and finally making themselves overwhelming to accomplish.

But no matter what difficulties there are with their batting lineup, if they had taken their opportunities in the fielding area, that 203-run target would have been considerably less.

It took them three efforts to end the 72-run stand second-wicket, with keeper Nigar Sultana failing to hold a difficult chance as wicketkeeper to send back Hasini Perera on 23 runs before the captain survived from a return catch chance against Rabeya Khan.

Perera was missed further on her score of 55 and 63, the last attempt traveling directly to Jhilik at cover position, before eventually being dismissed leg before wicket by Shorna as she sought to up the ante with batting partners falling beside her.

Later in the game, there was also a missed stumping and a failed run-out, although the second one was a little unfortunate, with Rubya Haider substituting with the wicketkeeping gloves due to an fitness issue to the regular keeper.

Unfortunately for Bangladesh, such fielding problems are nowhere near a isolated incident. They've dropped 14 opportunities from a potential 27 chances at this World Cup and have the poorest catch efficiency (48.1%) of the eight teams.

They are a team who are overall heading in the correct path – they are playing in merely their second one-day World Cup in the end – but inadequate fielding performance is a glaring concern which demands focus.