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

Women's Cricket World Cup, Mumbai

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

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

The Lankan side emerge victorious by seven runs

The Lankan cricket team took four crucial dismissals in the decisive over to complete a thrilling victory over Bangladesh and preserve their narrow chances of making it for the tournament knockout stage intact.

Pursuing a modest total of 203 on a good batting surface in Navi Mumbai, Bangladesh required nine runs from the last six balls.

Nevertheless, Lankan skipper Athapaththu secured three wickets in four bowls and de Silva ran out Nahida to bring about a exciting victory for Sri Lanka.

The victory – the Lankan team's maiden of the competition after three unsuccessful matches and two no-results against the Australian team and New Zealand – elevates them level on four tournament points with the Indian team and the New Zealand side, who meet each other on Thursday.

Bangladesh, however, experienced a fifth consecutive setback since winning their first match against Pakistan and have been eliminated.

While Bangladesh got off to the perfect start, with Marufa Akter striking with the initial ball of the match to send back Vishmi Gunaratne, they were deservedly made to pay for a disappointing fielding effort.

They offered second chances to Perera, who was spilled on three occasions, and Athapaththu.

Even though the Sri Lankan skipper was unable to take advantage, dismissed lbw for 46 one ball after being missed by Rabeya, Hasini Perera made the opposition regret it.

She achieved a first international half-century, accumulating 85 from 99 balls and building an crucial 74-run stand fifth-wicket with Nilakshi de Silva.

The Bangladeshi team, spearheaded by Shorna Akter's 3-27, fought themselves back to the match, with De Silva's removal in the 34th innings segment initiating a Sri Lanka batting collapse from 174 for four to 202 complete.

In reply, the Lankan team's starting bowlers Madara and Prabodhani limited Bangladesh to 23 for one in a lacklustre opening overs and they were later brought down to 44 with three wickets lost.

Sharmin Akter and Nigar Sultana Joty reconstructed their innings, putting on an 82-run partnership for the fourth wicket stand before the batter left the field injured for a stubborn 64 in the 36th over.

It was leaning toward the chasing team entering the last two overs, with merely 12 runs required.

Yet, Sugandika Dasanayaka dismissed Ritu Moni and allowed merely three runs before Athapaththu's chaos, with Rabeya Khan, Nahida, captain Joty and Marufa Akter all sent back as Sri Lanka grabbed the victory at the final moment.

Ultimately, it was a game of nerve. The highly experienced Athapaththu, who ushered away a several of team-mates as she prepared to bowl the final over, kept her nerve. Bangladesh did not.

There will be numerous inquiries about the team's batting display. They possibly have been chasing around 270-280 with the Lankan team appearing comfortable on 159-4 in the 30th innings segment, but in contrast the required total was significantly less.

Nevertheless, the batting side displayed insufficient intent from the start, scoring at below 2.5 runs per over during the opening overs, experiencing a top-order collapse, and ultimately making themselves too much to achieve.

But no matter what problems there are with their batting, if they had taken their opportunities in the field, that 203-run target target would have been substantially smaller.

It took them three efforts to end the 72-run stand second-wicket, with wicketkeeper Joty not managing to take a difficult chance while keeping to dismiss Hasini Perera on her score of 23 before Athapaththu was spared from a caught and bowled possibility against Rabeya.

The batter was missed again on 55 and her score of 63, the latter chance traveling right to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover, before ultimately being dismissed leg before wicket by Shorna Akter as she tried to up the ante with teammates getting out near her.

Subsequently in the game, there was also a stumping chance missed and a run-out opportunity lost, although the latter was a little unlucky, with Jhilik deputising with the keeping duties due to an fitness issue to Joty.

Regrettably for the team, such fielding problems are far from a single occurrence. They've failed to catch 14 chances from a available 27 opportunities at this tournament and have the lowest catch efficiency (48.1 percent) of the competing sides.

They are a team who are overall progressing in the correct path – they are participating in merely their second ODI World Cup in the end – but poor fielding performance is a obvious concern which demands improvement.