The Lankan team defeats Bangladesh to maintain their World Cup tournament hopes alive

Women's Cricket World Cup, Mumbai

Sri Lanka 202 (48.4 overs): Hasini Perera 85 (99); Shorna 3-27

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

Sri Lanka win by seven runs margin

The Lankan cricket team secured four wickets in the final innings segment to achieve a nail-biting victory over their opponents and maintain their faint chances of qualifying for the World Cup semi-finals ongoing.

Pursuing a modest score of 203 on a good batting surface in Navi Mumbai, Bangladesh wanted nine runs from the remaining six balls.

Yet, Sri Lanka captain Athapaththu claimed three wickets in four bowls and Nilakshi de Silva ran out Nahida Akter to bring about a exciting victory for the Lankan team.

The win – Sri Lanka's initial of the World Cup after three losses and two no-results against the Australian team and the Kiwi side – elevates them equal on four points with India and the New Zealand side, who face each other on Thursday.

Bangladesh, however, suffered a fifth consecutive loss since securing victory in their first match against Pakistan and have been eliminated.

While Bangladesh got off to the ideal beginning, with Marufa Akter striking with the initial ball of the game to remove Gunaratne, they were rightfully made to pay for a disappointing fielding effort.

They provided second chances to Perera, who was dropped multiple times, and the Lankan captain.

While Athapaththu could not capitalise, sent back lbw for 46 one ball after being missed by Rabeya Khan, Hasini Perera made the opposition pay.

She registered a debut international half-century, scoring 85 from 99 deliveries and contributing to an crucial 74-run partnership fifth-wicket collaboration with De Silva.

Bangladesh, led by Shorna's three wickets for 27 runs, fought themselves back in the contest, with De Silva's wicket in the 34th over initiating a Sri Lanka batting collapse from 174 with four wickets down to 202 total.

While batting second, Sri Lanka's opening bowlers Malki Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani restricted the opposition to 23 for one in a uninspiring opening overs and they were subsequently diminished to 44 with three wickets lost.

Sharmin Akter and Joty reconstructed their score, putting on an 82-run partnership for the fourth wicket collaboration before Sharmin withdrew due to injury for a stubborn 64 in the 36th over.

It was leaning toward the chasing team approaching the last two innings segments, with only 12 additional runs necessary.

Yet, Sugandika Dasanayaka removed Ritu Moni and gave away just three scoring runs before the captain's decisive intervention, with Rabeya Khan, Nahida, captain Joty and Marufa all removed as Sri Lanka grabbed the victory at the final moment.

Ultimately, it was a game of nerve. The highly experienced Athapaththu, who moved aside a few of team-mates as she set herself to deliver the final over, maintained her nerve. Bangladesh did not.

There will be numerous inquiries about Bangladesh's batting effort. They might well have been pursuing 270 to 280 with Sri Lanka seeming at ease on 159 with four wickets down in the 30th bowling phase, but instead the target was much lower.

Nevertheless, Bangladesh lacked intent from ball one, accumulating runs at less than 2.5 runs each over during the initial phase, undergoing a top-order collapse, and eventually leaving themselves excessive to accomplish.

But whatever problems there are with their batting approach, if they had taken their catches in the fielding department, that 203-run target objective would have been considerably lower.

It required them three tries to terminate the 72-run partnership second-wicket association, with wicketkeeper Nigar Sultana being unable to take a challenging catch while keeping to dismiss Perera on 23 before Athapaththu got a reprieve from a caught and bowled possibility against Rabeya.

Perera was missed again on 55 and her score of 63, the latter chance flying right to Jhilik at cover position, before eventually being trapped leg before wicket by Shorna as she attempted to up the ante with partners falling around her.

Afterwards in the innings, there was also a failed stumping and a failed run-out, while the second one was a slightly regrettable, with Rubya Haider substituting with the gloves due to an physical problem to the regular keeper.

Sadly for the team, such fielding issues are far from a single occurrence. They've dropped 14 opportunities from a possible 27 chances at this World Cup and have the poorest catch efficiency (48.1 percent) of the eight teams.

They are a squad who are typically heading in the correct path – they are competing in merely their second ODI World Cup in the end – but inadequate fielding is a prominent concern which needs attention.