Sri Lanka defeats the Bangladeshi side to maintain their World Cup campaign ongoing

ICC Women's World Cup, Mumbai

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

Bangladesh 195-9 (50 overs): Joty 77 (98); Chamari Athapaththu 4-42

Sri Lanka emerge victorious by seven runs

Sri Lanka claimed four crucial dismissals in the decisive innings segment to achieve a heart-stopping victory over Bangladesh and maintain their faint hopes of qualifying for the World Cup semi-finals ongoing.

Chasing a attainable score of 203 on a favorable wicket in the Mumbai stadium, Bangladesh required nine runs from the last six deliveries.

Yet, Sri Lanka captain Athapaththu secured three crucial wickets in four bowls and de Silva dismissed via run-out Nahida Akter to secure a thrilling win for Sri Lanka.

The victory – the Lankan team's maiden of the tournament after three losses and two abandoned games against Australia and New Zealand – elevates them tied on four match points with India and the New Zealand side, who confront each other on Thursday.

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

Although the Bangladeshi side made the excellent commencement, with Marufa striking with the initial ball of the encounter to dismiss Vishmi Gunaratne, they were deservedly penalized for a subpar fielding display.

They provided lifelines to Perera, who was spilled multiple times, and Athapaththu.

Even though Athapaththu was unable to make it count, sent back leg before wicket for 46 a single bowl after being missed by Rabeya Khan, Hasini Perera made Bangladesh pay.

She scored a first international half-century, making 85 from 99 deliveries and building an important 74-run partnership fifth-wicket with De Silva.

The Bangladeshi team, guided by Shorna Akter's 3-27, fought themselves back into the contest, with De Silva's removal in the 34th over triggering a Sri Lanka downfall from 174 with four wickets down to 202 complete.

In reply, Sri Lanka's opening bowlers Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani contained the opposition to 23 for one in a disappointing initial phase and they were later brought down to 44-3.

Sharmin Akter and Joty reconstructed their innings, adding 82 runs for the fourth wicket collaboration before the batter retired hurt for a stubborn 64 in the 36th innings segment.

It was leaning toward the chasing team approaching the last two innings segments, with just 12 more runs required.

Yet, Dasanayaka dismissed Ritu Moni and conceded only three runs before the captain's decisive intervention, with Rabeya, Nahida, skipper Joty and Marufa all removed as the Lankan team grabbed the triumph at the final moment.

Ultimately, it was a contest of nerve. The seasoned Lankan captain, who ushered away a several of teammates as she prepared to deliver the last over, kept her nerve. Bangladesh did not.

There will be many inquiries about Bangladesh's batting performance. They might well have been chasing 270 or 280 with the Lankan team seeming at ease on 159 for four in the 30th innings segment, but rather the chase was significantly less.

Nevertheless, Bangladesh displayed insufficient purpose from the very beginning, accumulating runs at under 2.5 scoring rate during the opening overs, experiencing a top-order collapse, and ultimately making themselves overwhelming to achieve.

But no matter what issues there are with their batting, if they had accepted their chances in the fielding area, that 203-run target goal would have been considerably less.

It took them three tries to end the 72-run partnership second-wicket, with keeper Joty not managing to take a challenging chance behind the stumps to send back Perera on 23 before the captain survived from a return catch chance against Rabeya Khan.

Perera was spilled further on 55 and 63, the last attempt flying right to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover position, before ultimately being given out lbw by Shorna as she tried to accelerate the scoring with partners getting out beside her.

Later in the innings, there was additionally a missed stumping and a failed run-out, although the second one was a little regrettable, with Rubya Haider deputising with the wicketkeeping gloves due to an physical problem to Joty.

Regrettably for the team, such fielding woes are far from a isolated incident. They've dropped 14 opportunities from a potential 27 opportunities at this World Cup and boast the worst catching success rate (48.1 percent) of the participating teams.

They are a squad who are overall progressing in the correct path – they are playing in merely their second one-day World Cup after all – but inadequate fielding standards is a glaring problem which requires attention.