The Lankan team overcomes Bangladesh to keep their World Cup tournament hopes breathing

Women's Cricket World Cup, Navi Mumbai

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

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

The Lankan side win by seven runs

The Lankan cricket team claimed four crucial dismissals in the last over to achieve a heart-stopping triumph over their opponents and keep their faint hopes of making it for the tournament knockout stage alive.

Pursuing a modest target of 203 on a favorable wicket in Navi Mumbai, the Bangladeshi team needed nine runs from the final six bowls.

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

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

The Bangladeshi team, in contrast, experienced a fifth consecutive setback since winning their tournament opener against the Pakistani team and have been removed from contention.

While Bangladesh got off to the perfect start, with Marufa Akter taking a wicket with the opening bowl of the match to remove Gunaratne, they were appropriately penalized for a subpar fielding performance.

They offered reprieves to Perera, who was missed on three occasions, and Athapaththu.

While the Sri Lankan skipper could not capitalise, removed lbw for 46 one ball after being missed by Rabeya, Perera forced the opposition regret it.

She achieved a first international fifty, scoring 85 from 99 bowls and sharing an important 74-run stand fifth-wicket with De Silva.

Bangladesh, spearheaded by Shorna's 3-27, fought themselves back to the game, with Nilakshi's wicket in the 34th bowling segment causing a Lankan downfall from 174 with four wickets down to 202 complete.

In reply, the Lankan team's initial pace attack Malki Madara and Prabodhani contained the opposition to 23 with one wicket down in a uninspiring initial phase and they were subsequently brought down to 44 with three wickets lost.

Sharmin and Nigar Sultana Joty restored their innings, contributing 82 for the fourth wicket collaboration before Sharmin withdrew due to injury for a stubborn 64 in the 36th over.

It was advantage the chasing team approaching the last two overs, with only 12 runs required.

However, Sugandika Dasanayaka sent back Ritu Moni and allowed just three scoring runs before Athapaththu's dramatic spell, with Rabeya, Nahida Akter, skipper Joty and Marufa Akter all dismissed as the Lankan team grabbed the triumph at the death.

In the end, it was a game of nerve. The highly experienced Athapaththu, who moved aside a handful of fellow players as she prepared to bowl the final over, kept hers. The opposition did not.

There will be many doubts about Bangladesh's batting performance. They might well have been pursuing around 270-280 with Sri Lanka seeming comfortable on 159 with four wickets down in the 30th bowling phase, but rather the required total was significantly less.

Yet, the batting side lacked intent from the start, accumulating runs at less than 2.5 scoring rate during the initial phase, undergoing a initial wicket loss, and finally leaving themselves excessive to accomplish.

But whatever problems there are with their batting approach, if they had seized their opportunities in the fielding area, that 203 total target would have been considerably less.

It required them three tries to end the 72-run partnership second-wicket association, with wicketkeeper Joty being unable to hold a tough catch while keeping to remove Perera on 23 before Athapaththu got a reprieve from a caught and bowled chance against Rabeya.

The batter was dropped further on 55 runs and 63, the final opportunity going straight to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover, before finally being dismissed leg before wicket by Shorna as she tried to up the ante with partners being dismissed beside her.

Subsequently in the batting effort, there was also a missed stumping and a missed run-out, even though the second one was a slightly unlucky, with Rubya Haider deputising with the gloves following an physical problem to the regular keeper.

Unfortunately for the team, such fielding problems are nowhere near a isolated incident. They've dropped 14 chances from a potential 27 at this tournament and display the worst fielding effectiveness (48.1 percent) of the participating teams.

They are a side who are overall heading in the right direction – they are playing in just their second ODI World Cup ultimately – but poor fielding is a obvious issue which needs improvement.