The Lankan team overcomes the Bangladeshi side to keep their World Cup tournament hopes breathing

ICC Women's 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); Chamari Athapaththu 4-42

Sri Lanka emerge victorious by seven runs

Sri Lanka secured four crucial dismissals in the final innings segment to complete a thrilling win over Bangladesh and keep their faint hopes of making it for the tournament knockout stage alive.

Needing a modest target of 203 on a favorable wicket in Navi Mumbai, Bangladesh wanted nine more runs from the remaining six balls.

Nevertheless, Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu claimed three wickets in four balls and Nilakshi de Silva dismissed via run-out Nahida to bring about a thrilling victory for the Lankan team.

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

The Bangladeshi team, in contrast, experienced a fifth successive loss since securing victory in their first match against the Pakistani team and have been knocked out.

Although the Bangladeshi side made the excellent commencement, with Marufa Akter taking a wicket with the opening bowl of the encounter to remove Gunaratne, they were rightfully punished for a disappointing fielding performance.

They offered second chances to Hasini Perera, who was dropped three times, and Athapaththu.

Although the Sri Lankan skipper failed to make it count, removed leg before wicket for 46 a single bowl after being put down by Rabeya Khan, Perera made Bangladesh regret it.

She achieved a debut international fifty, accumulating 85 from 99 deliveries and building an important 74-run partnership fifth-wicket with Nilakshi de Silva.

The Bangladeshi team, led by Shorna's three wickets for 27 runs, dragged themselves back into the game, with Nilakshi's removal in the 34th innings segment initiating a Sri Lanka batting collapse from 174 for four to 202 all out.

During their chase, Sri Lanka's initial pace attack Malki Madara and Prabodhani limited Bangladesh to 23 with one wicket down in a disappointing opening overs and they were afterwards reduced to 44-3.

Sharmin Akter and Joty restored their batting effort, adding 82 runs for the fourth wicket before Sharmin retired hurt for a resolute 64 in the 36th innings segment.

It was advantage the chasing team heading into the final two overs, with merely 12 runs needed.

However, Sugandika Dasanayaka sent back Ritu and conceded just three runs before Athapaththu's dramatic spell, with Rabeya Khan, Nahida, skipper Joty and Marufa Akter all dismissed as the Lankan team grabbed the victory at the very end.

Ultimately, it was a contest of composure. The highly experienced Lankan captain, who moved aside a handful of team-mates as she got ready to bowl the last over, kept hers. Bangladesh did not.

There will be many doubts about Bangladesh's batting effort. They could easily have been chasing around 270-280 with Sri Lanka appearing at ease on 159 for four in the 30th bowling phase, but in contrast the required total was considerably smaller.

Nevertheless, Bangladesh lacked purpose from the very beginning, scoring at less than 2.5 runs per over during the powerplay, undergoing a early batting collapse, and ultimately leaving themselves excessive to achieve.

But no matter what problems there are with their batting lineup, if they had seized their catches in the fielding department, that 203-run target target would have been significantly smaller.

It took them three attempts to break the 72-run stand second-wicket, with keeper Nigar Sultana being unable to take a challenging chance while keeping to dismiss Perera on 23 runs before Athapaththu was spared from a return catch opportunity against Rabeya.

Perera was dropped further on 55 and her score of 63, the last attempt flying right to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover, before ultimately being dismissed lbw by Shorna as she sought to accelerate the scoring with batting partners being dismissed near her.

Afterwards in the game, there was additionally a failed stumping and a failed run-out, even though the run-out chance was a little regrettable, with Jhilik deputising with the gloves due to an injury to the regular keeper.

Regrettably for Bangladesh, such fielding problems are nowhere near a one-off. They've dropped 14 catches from a possible 27 at this tournament and display the poorest catch efficiency (48.1 percent) of the participating teams.

They are a side who are overall moving in the proper way – they are competing in just their second 50-over World Cup in the end – but inadequate fielding standards is a obvious concern which requires attention.