The Lankan team defeats Bangladesh to maintain their World Cup campaign alive

ICC Women's World Cup, Navi Mumbai

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

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

The Lankan side emerge victorious by seven runs margin

Sri Lanka claimed four crucial dismissals in the last innings segment to complete a thrilling victory over Bangladesh and keep their faint chances of qualifying for the World Cup semi-finals ongoing.

Chasing a below-par total of 203 on a good batting surface in Navi Mumbai, Bangladesh wanted nine more runs from the last six bowls.

Nevertheless, Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu claimed three important dismissals in four deliveries and Nilakshi de Silva ran out Nahida to secure a dramatic win for the Lankan team.

The triumph – Sri Lanka's first of the competition after three unsuccessful matches and two abandoned games against the Australian team and the Kiwi side – pushes them tied on four tournament points with India and the New Zealand side, who face each other on the coming Thursday.

Bangladesh, however, experienced a fifth straight defeat since securing victory in their initial game against Pakistan and have been knocked out.

Even though the Bangladeshi side made the perfect start, with Marufa striking with the first delivery of the game to dismiss Gunaratne, they were appropriately penalized for a poor fielding effort.

They gifted lifelines to Perera, who was spilled multiple times, and the Lankan captain.

While the Sri Lankan skipper was unable to make it count, removed leg before wicket for 46 one ball after being put down by Rabeya, Hasini Perera forced Bangladesh regret it.

She registered a maiden international fifty, scoring 85 from 99 deliveries and contributing to an important 74-run fifth-wicket with Nilakshi de Silva.

Bangladesh, guided by Shorna's three wickets for 27 runs, pulled themselves back to the contest, with Nilakshi's wicket in the 34th over triggering a Lankan collapse from 174 for four to 202 total.

While batting second, Sri Lanka's starting bowlers Madara and Prabodhani contained the opposition to 23-1 in a uninspiring initial phase and they were later reduced to 44-3.

Sharmin and Nigar Sultana Joty rebuilt their batting effort, contributing an 82-run partnership for the fourth wicket stand before the batter withdrew due to injury for a determined 64 in the 36th innings segment.

It was in favor of the chasing team approaching the last two innings segments, with just 12 runs needed.

However, Dasanayaka sent back Ritu Moni and allowed just three scoring runs before Athapaththu's dramatic spell, with Rabeya Khan, Nahida Akter, skipper Joty and Marufa Akter all removed as the Lankan team snatched the victory at the very end.

Ultimately, it was a game of nerves. The highly experienced Athapaththu, who moved aside a handful of teammates as she got ready to bowl the last over, maintained hers. The opposition could not.

There will be many questions about the team's batting display. They might well have been chasing around 270-280 with Sri Lanka seeming settled on 159 for four in the 30th innings segment, but in contrast the required total was considerably smaller.

Yet, Bangladesh showed little aggression from the very beginning, accumulating runs at under 2.5 runs per over during the powerplay, suffering a initial wicket loss, and eventually leaving themselves excessive to achieve.

But no matter what issues there are with their batting approach, if they had taken their chances in the field, that 203 total goal would have been substantially lower.

It took them three attempts to terminate the 72-run second-wicket, with keeper Nigar Sultana not managing to take a tough opportunity as wicketkeeper to dismiss Perera on 23 runs before the captain got a reprieve from a caught and bowled chance against Rabeya Khan.

The batter was spilled again on 55 runs and 63 runs, the latter chance going straight to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover, before finally being dismissed lbw by Shorna as she tried to increase the tempo with batting partners getting out around her.

Later in the game, there was also a failed stumping and a run-out opportunity lost, while the second one was a somewhat unlucky, with Rubya Haider deputising with the gloves after an fitness issue to Joty.

Sadly for Bangladesh, such fielding problems are nowhere near a isolated incident. They've missed 14 opportunities from a possible 27 chances at this competition and boast the worst fielding effectiveness (less than 50%) of the eight teams.

They are a team who are generally heading in the correct path – they are playing in only their second ODI World Cup ultimately – but poor fielding is a glaring issue which requires attention.