The Lankan team defeats the Bangladeshi side to preserve their World Cup tournament hopes alive

ICC Women's World Cup, Mumbai

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

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

Sri Lanka emerge victorious by seven runs

Sri Lanka claimed four crucial dismissals in the decisive over to complete a nail-biting victory over Bangladesh and maintain their slim aspirations of qualifying for the World Cup semi-finals intact.

Chasing a modest score of 203 on a batting-friendly pitch in the Mumbai stadium, the Bangladeshi team needed nine runs from the last six deliveries.

However, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu claimed three wickets in four bowls and de Silva ran out Nahida Akter to secure a exciting victory for the Lankan team.

The triumph – the Lankan team's first of the tournament after three losses and two washed-out matches against Australia and the Kiwi side – pushes them equal on four tournament points with India and New Zealand, who confront each other on the coming Thursday.

Bangladesh, however, experienced a fifth straight setback since securing victory in their initial game against the Pakistani team and have been knocked out.

Although Bangladesh got off to the perfect start, with Marufa Akter taking a wicket with the first delivery of the game to dismiss Vishmi Gunaratne, they were rightfully punished for a disappointing fielding display.

They gifted reprieves to Hasini Perera, who was missed multiple times, and Athapaththu.

Although the Sri Lankan skipper could not capitalise, dismissed lbw for 46 a single bowl after being dropped by Rabeya Khan, Perera made the opposition suffer.

She scored a first international fifty, accumulating 85 from 99 balls and building an important 74-run partnership fifth-wicket association with De Silva.

Bangladesh, led by Shorna's impressive bowling figures, dragged themselves back into the game, with Nilakshi's dismissal in the 34th over triggering a Lankan downfall from 174 for four to 202 total.

In reply, the Lankan team's initial pace attack Malki Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani contained the opposition to 23 for one in a uninspiring powerplay and they were afterwards reduced to 44 with three wickets lost.

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

It was advantage Bangladesh approaching the remaining two overs, with merely 12 more runs necessary.

Yet, Sugandika Dasanayaka removed Ritu Moni and gave away just three runs before the captain's dramatic spell, with Rabeya Khan, Nahida, captain Joty and Marufa Akter all sent back as the Lankan team grabbed the victory at the very end.

Finally, it was a match of composure. The highly experienced Athapaththu, who ushered away a few of fellow players as she set herself to bowl the last over, held hers. The opposition could not.

There will be numerous doubts about Bangladesh's batting performance. They possibly have been chasing 270 or 280 with the Lankan team looking settled on 159 with four wickets down in the 30th over, but rather the target was significantly less.

However, Bangladesh showed little aggression from the start, making runs at less than 2.5 runs each over during the opening overs, undergoing a early batting collapse, and ultimately making themselves excessive to do.

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

It took them three attempts to terminate the 72-run stand second-wicket collaboration, with keeper Joty being unable to grab a difficult catch as wicketkeeper to remove Perera on her score of 23 before the captain survived from a return catch opportunity against Rabeya.

Perera was missed further on 55 runs and 63, the last attempt traveling right to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover, before eventually being given out lbw by Shorna as she attempted to up the ante with batting partners falling around her.

Subsequently in the innings, there was also a failed stumping and a missed run-out, although the second one was a little unlucky, with Rubya Haider substituting with the keeping duties after an injury to the regular keeper.

Sadly for the team, such fielding woes are far from a isolated incident. They've missed 14 chances from a possible 27 chances at this World Cup and boast the lowest fielding effectiveness (less than 50%) of the eight teams.

They are a squad who are generally progressing in the right direction – they are participating in only their second ODI World Cup in the end – but poor fielding is a prominent concern which demands attention.