The Lankan team will face Pakistan in their crucial final group match
Women's Cricket World Cup, Navi Mumbai
The Lankan team 202 (48.4 overs): Perera 85 (99); Shorna Akter 3-27
The Bangladeshi team 195-9 (50 overs): Nigar Sultana Joty 77 (98); Athapaththu 4-42
Sri Lanka win by seven runs margin
The Lankan cricket team claimed four wickets in the last innings segment to achieve a thrilling triumph over Bangladesh and preserve their slim aspirations of qualifying for the tournament knockout stage alive.
Needing a below-par total of 203 on a batting-friendly pitch in the Mumbai stadium, Bangladesh required nine runs from the remaining six bowls.
However, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu took three important dismissals in four balls and Nilakshi de Silva ran out Nahida to bring about a dramatic success for Sri Lanka.
The win – Sri Lanka's maiden of the World Cup after three unsuccessful matches and two abandoned games against Australia and the Kiwi side – pushes them level on four match points with India and New Zealand, who confront each other on the coming Thursday.
Bangladesh, however, experienced a fifth consecutive setback since winning their tournament opener against Pakistan and have been eliminated.
While Bangladesh got off to the excellent commencement, with Marufa Akter striking with the initial ball of the match to remove Vishmi Gunaratne, they were rightfully penalized for a subpar fielding display.
They offered reprieves to Hasini Perera, who was spilled multiple times, and the Lankan captain.
While Athapaththu failed to capitalise, removed leg before wicket for 46 one ball after being dropped by Rabeya Khan, Hasini Perera forced Bangladesh pay.
She registered a first international 50-run score, making 85 from 99 balls and building an important 74-run fifth-wicket collaboration with De Silva.
Bangladesh, led by Shorna's 3-27, fought themselves back in the match, with Nilakshi's removal in the 34th over initiating a Lankan collapse from 174 with four wickets down to 202 all out.
In reply, the Lankan team's initial pace attack Madara and Udeshika Prabodhani limited the opposition to 23 with one wicket down in a uninspiring powerplay and they were later brought down to 44-3.
Sharmin and Nigar Sultana Joty rebuilt their batting effort, contributing an 82-run partnership for the fourth wicket stand before Sharmin left the field injured for a resolute 64 in the 36th over.
It was advantage Bangladesh entering the final two innings segments, with just 12 more runs required.
Nevertheless, Sugandika Dasanayaka sent back Ritu Moni and allowed just three runs before Athapaththu's dramatic spell, with Rabeya, Nahida, captain Joty and Marufa all removed as Sri Lanka grabbed the win at the death.
Ultimately, it was a game of composure. The very experienced Lankan captain, who ushered away a few of teammates as she set herself to deliver the last over, kept her composure. The opposition did not.
There will be plenty of inquiries about the team's batting display. They might well have been pursuing 270 to 280 with Sri Lanka seeming at ease on 159-4 in the 30th over, but in contrast the chase was much lower.
However, Bangladesh showed little purpose from the very beginning, scoring at less than 2.5 scoring rate during the opening overs, undergoing a early batting collapse, and finally forcing themselves overwhelming to accomplish.
But whatever difficulties there are with their batting lineup, if they had seized their chances in the fielding area, that 203-run goal would have been significantly lower.
It required them three tries to break the 72-run stand second-wicket collaboration, with wicketkeeper Joty being unable to grab a tough catch while keeping to dismiss Hasini Perera on 23 before the captain was spared from a caught and bowled chance against Rabeya.
Perera was spilled again on 55 runs and 63, the final opportunity going straight to Rubya Haider Jhilik at cover position, before finally being given out leg before wicket by Shorna Akter as she sought to accelerate the scoring with batting partners being dismissed near her.
Afterwards in the innings, there was also a failed stumping and a run-out opportunity lost, although the latter was a little regrettable, with Rubya Haider deputising with the keeping duties after an physical problem to the regular keeper.
Unfortunately for Bangladesh, such fielding problems are not at all a one-off. They've dropped 14 catches from a possible 27 opportunities at this competition and boast the worst catch efficiency (less than 50%) of the eight teams.
They are a side who are overall moving in the proper way – they are competing in merely their second ODI World Cup after all – but poor fielding is a prominent problem which needs attention.
Elara is a seasoned gaming journalist with a passion for slot mechanics and player strategies.
