The Lankan team defeats the Bangladeshi side to maintain their World Cup campaign breathing

ICC Women's World Cup, Mumbai

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

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

Sri Lanka win by seven runs

Sri Lanka secured four crucial dismissals in the last innings segment to complete a thrilling triumph over their opponents and maintain their slim aspirations of qualifying for the tournament knockout stage intact.

Chasing a below-par total of 203 on a good batting surface in Navi Mumbai, the Bangladeshi team needed nine runs from the remaining six balls.

However, Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu took three crucial wickets in four balls and de Silva dismissed via run-out Nahida to achieve a dramatic success for the Lankan team.

The triumph – Sri Lanka's initial of the tournament after three losses and two washed-out matches against the Australian team and New Zealand – pushes them equal on four match points with the Indian team and the New Zealand side, who face each other on the coming Thursday.

The Bangladeshi team, in contrast, experienced a fifth straight setback since winning their first match against the Pakistani team and have been removed from contention.

While Bangladesh got off to the perfect start, with Marufa Akter striking with the first delivery of the encounter to remove Gunaratne, they were rightfully penalized for a disappointing fielding performance.

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

Even though Athapaththu was unable to capitalise, removed lbw for 46 a single bowl after being dropped by Rabeya Khan, Perera forced Bangladesh suffer.

She achieved a first international 50-run score, scoring 85 from 99 deliveries and contributing to an crucial 74-run fifth-wicket with De Silva.

Bangladesh, led by Shorna Akter's 3-27, dragged themselves back in the contest, with De Silva's dismissal in the 34th bowling segment causing a Lankan downfall from 174-4 to 202 total.

While batting second, the Lankan team's opening bowlers Malki Madara and Prabodhani limited the opposition to 23 for one in a lacklustre powerplay and they were subsequently diminished to 44 for three.

Sharmin and Joty reconstructed their batting effort, putting on an 82-run partnership 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 final two overs, with only 12 additional runs required.

However, Dasanayaka dismissed Ritu Moni and conceded only three runs before the captain's chaos, with Rabeya, Nahida Akter, skipper Joty and Marufa Akter all removed as Sri Lanka seized the win at the very end.

Ultimately, it was a game of nerve. The very experienced Lankan captain, who directed away a few of teammates as she set herself to deliver the last over, held hers. Bangladesh could not.

There will be many inquiries about Bangladesh's batting performance. They might well have been chasing 270 to 280 with the Lankan team seeming at ease on 159 for four in the 30th innings segment, but in contrast the required total was much lower.

Nevertheless, Bangladesh lacked purpose from the very beginning, making runs at less than 2.5 runs per over during the initial phase, undergoing a initial wicket loss, and eventually leaving themselves excessive to achieve.

But whatever difficulties there are with their batting approach, if they had seized their chances in the field, that 203-run objective would have been significantly less.

It took them three tries to terminate the 72-run second-wicket, with wicketkeeper Joty being unable to grab a difficult catch as wicketkeeper to dismiss Perera on 23 before Athapaththu survived from a caught and bowled chance against Rabeya.

The batter was dropped once more on 55 and her score of 63, the final opportunity going straight to Jhilik at cover, before eventually being given out leg before wicket by Shorna as she tried to increase the tempo with batting partners falling beside her.

Later in the game, there was furthermore a failed stumping and a failed run-out, although the run-out chance was a little unlucky, with Rubya Haider substituting with the gloves following an fitness issue to the regular keeper.

Sadly for the team, such fielding problems are far from a one-off. They've dropped 14 opportunities from a available 27 at this competition and display the worst catching success rate (48.1%) of the competing sides.

They are a squad who are overall moving in the right direction – they are playing in only their second ODI World Cup in the end – but substandard fielding standards is a prominent concern which demands attention.