Sri Lanka overcomes the Bangladeshi side to preserve their World Cup campaign alive

ICC Women's World Cup, Navi Mumbai

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

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

Sri Lanka emerge victorious by seven runs

Sri Lanka took four crucial dismissals in the last innings segment to achieve a heart-stopping win over their opponents and keep their slim chances of qualifying for the World Cup semi-finals intact.

Pursuing a below-par total of 203 on a batting-friendly pitch in Navi Mumbai, the Bangladeshi team needed nine more runs from the last six deliveries.

However, Sri Lanka captain Athapaththu secured three important dismissals in four balls and Nilakshi de Silva ran out Nahida to bring about a dramatic victory for Sri Lanka.

The win – Sri Lanka's first of the World Cup after three defeats and two abandoned games against Australia and New Zealand – moves them level on four tournament points with India and the New Zealand side, who confront each other on the coming Thursday.

The Bangladeshi team, in contrast, suffered a fifth consecutive setback since winning their first match against Pakistan and have been removed from contention.

Although Bangladesh got off to the excellent commencement, with Marufa taking a wicket with the first delivery of the match to remove Vishmi Gunaratne, they were deservedly made to pay for a subpar fielding performance.

They gifted lifelines to Perera, who was missed on three occasions, and Athapaththu.

While the Sri Lankan skipper was unable to take advantage, dismissed lbw for 46 just one delivery after being put down by Rabeya Khan, Perera made the opposition suffer.

She registered a maiden international 50-run score, making 85 from 99 deliveries and building an significant 74-run stand fifth-wicket association with De Silva.

Bangladesh, spearheaded by Shorna Akter's three wickets for 27 runs, fought themselves back into the game, with De Silva's dismissal in the 34th bowling segment triggering a Sri Lanka collapse from 174 with four wickets down to 202 all out.

During their chase, the Lankan team's initial pace attack Malki Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani limited the opposition to 23 with one wicket down in a uninspiring opening overs and they were afterwards brought down to 44 with three wickets lost.

Sharmin Akter and Nigar Sultana Joty restored their score, adding 82 runs for the fourth wicket stand before Sharmin retired hurt for a stubborn 64 in the 36th bowling phase.

It was leaning toward Bangladesh heading into the final two innings segments, with just 12 additional runs needed.

Yet, Dasanayaka removed Ritu and gave away merely three runs before Athapaththu's decisive intervention, with Rabeya Khan, Nahida, skipper Joty and Marufa Akter all removed as the Lankan team seized the triumph at the death.

Ultimately, it was a game of nerve. The highly experienced Lankan captain, who ushered away a handful of teammates as she prepared to deliver the last over, maintained hers. Bangladesh did not.

There will be numerous doubts about the team's batting display. They might well have been needing 270 to 280 with Sri Lanka seeming at ease on 159-4 in the 30th bowling phase, but rather the chase was much lower.

Nevertheless, the batting side displayed insufficient aggression from the start, scoring at below 2.5 runs per over during the powerplay, undergoing a top-order collapse, and ultimately leaving themselves overwhelming to accomplish.

But whatever problems there are with their batting approach, if they had taken their chances in the field, that 203 total target would have been substantially less.

It took them three attempts to terminate the 72-run partnership second-wicket collaboration, with wicketkeeper Nigar Sultana being unable to grab a difficult chance while keeping to remove Hasini Perera on 23 runs before Athapaththu survived from a caught and bowled chance opportunity against Rabeya.

Perera was dropped once more on 55 runs and 63, the last attempt going straight to Jhilik at cover, before eventually being dismissed leg before wicket by Shorna Akter as she attempted to accelerate the scoring with partners being dismissed around her.

Later in the batting effort, there was also a stumping chance missed and a failed run-out, while the latter was a slightly unlucky, with Jhilik deputising with the gloves due to an physical problem to the regular keeper.

Regrettably for the team, such fielding problems are far from a isolated incident. They've missed 14 opportunities from a available 27 at this tournament and display the worst catching success rate (48.1 percent) of the competing sides.

They are a team who are overall progressing in the correct path – they are playing in just their second one-day World Cup ultimately – but inadequate fielding performance is a prominent problem which requires improvement.