The Lankan team defeats the Bangladeshi side to preserve their campaign breathing

ICC Women's World Cup, Navi Mumbai

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

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

Sri Lanka win by seven runs

The Lankan cricket team took four wickets in the final over to complete a thrilling triumph over their opponents and keep their slim aspirations of qualifying for the tournament knockout stage alive.

Needing a modest total of 203 on a favorable wicket in Navi Mumbai, the Bangladeshi team wanted nine runs from the remaining six bowls.

Yet, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu claimed three crucial wickets in four deliveries and Nilakshi de Silva dismissed via run-out Nahida to bring about a exciting success for the Lankan team.

The win – the Lankan team's initial of the tournament after three losses and two no-results against the Australian team and the Kiwi side – moves them level on four tournament points with India and New Zealand, who meet each other on the coming Thursday.

Bangladesh, in contrast, endured a fifth successive defeat since securing victory in their first match against the Pakistani team and have been removed from contention.

Even though Bangladesh got off to the perfect start, with Marufa striking with the opening bowl of the encounter to remove Vishmi Gunaratne, they were rightfully made to pay for a poor fielding effort.

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

Even though the Sri Lankan skipper was unable to make it count, dismissed leg before wicket for 46 one ball after being dropped by Rabeya Khan, Perera forced the opposition regret it.

She scored a maiden international 50-run score, making 85 from 99 bowls and building an crucial 74-run partnership fifth-wicket with Nilakshi de Silva.

The Bangladeshi team, led by Shorna Akter's impressive bowling figures, fought themselves back into the contest, with De Silva's wicket in the 34th bowling segment triggering a Lankan batting collapse from 174 with four wickets down to 202 complete.

While batting second, Sri Lanka's initial pace attack Madara and Prabodhani restricted the opposition to 23-1 in a lacklustre powerplay and they were subsequently reduced to 44-3.

Sharmin and Nigar Sultana Joty restored their batting effort, putting on 82 runs for the fourth wicket before Sharmin retired hurt for a determined 64 in the 36th over.

It was in favor of the chasing team entering the last two bowling phases, with merely 12 runs necessary.

Nevertheless, Dasanayaka dismissed Ritu and allowed merely three scoring runs before the captain's dramatic spell, with Rabeya Khan, Nahida Akter, skipper Joty and Marufa Akter all dismissed as Sri Lanka grabbed the triumph at the very end.

Finally, it was a match of nerves. The very experienced Athapaththu, who directed away a several of team-mates as she got ready to bowl the final over, maintained her nerve. Bangladesh failed to.

There will be numerous inquiries about Bangladesh's batting display. They possibly have been chasing 270 to 280 with the Lankan team looking comfortable on 159 for four in the 30th bowling phase, but instead the required total was significantly less.

However, Bangladesh lacked purpose from ball one, making runs at below 2.5 runs each over during the initial phase, suffering a initial wicket loss, and finally forcing themselves overwhelming to accomplish.

But no matter what problems there are with their batting lineup, if they had seized their opportunities in the fielding area, that 203 total objective would have been considerably less.

It needed them three tries to break the 72-run partnership second-wicket association, with keeper Joty being unable to take a challenging catch while keeping to dismiss Perera on 23 before Athapaththu survived from a caught and bowled chance against Rabeya Khan.

The batter was spilled again on 55 runs and her score of 63, the final opportunity flying directly to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover field, before ultimately being given out leg before wicket by Shorna as she tried to accelerate the scoring with partners getting out near her.

Subsequently in the innings, there was additionally a failed stumping and a failed run-out, although the latter was a somewhat unfortunate, with Rubya Haider substituting with the keeping duties after an injury to the regular keeper.

Sadly for Bangladesh, such fielding woes are not at all a isolated incident. They've dropped 14 opportunities from a potential 27 opportunities at this tournament and have the poorest fielding effectiveness (48.1%) of the eight teams.

They are a team who are typically progressing in the correct path – they are participating in only their second 50-over World Cup after all – but substandard fielding standards is a prominent concern which needs focus.