The two-stage Americas qualifying competition for one spot in next year's 20-team men's T20 World Cup got underway in Argentina this week with Bermuda, Cayman Islands and Panama all progressing to the final qualifier in Bermuda later this year.

Eight teams were originally set to take part in this first stage, but Belize, Brazil and Suriname all pulled out (the region's other members - Chile, Costa Rica, Falkland Islands, Mexico, Peru and Turks & Caicos Islands - were never set to take part) leaving Bahamas, Bermuda, Cayman Islands and Panama to join hosts Argentina.

Bermuda, boosted by the availability of Delray Rawlins, sailed through the five-team round-robin event with little trouble, beating Cayman Islands by 96 runs, Argentina by 110 runs, Panama by 60 runs and Bahamas by 9 wickets.

Results elsewhere meant that the Caymans qualified with one game remaining, whilst Argentina got themselves into a position where they needed to win the last match of the tournament - against the Caymans - to qualify ahead of Panama.

Alejandro Ferguson - still playing for Argentina after making his debut aged 15 in the 1994 ICC Trophy - became the oldest player to have three T20I half-centuries when he scored 50 in the home side's total of 125-7. The Caymans ended up needing seven from the last over with a few hundred in the stands at the Belgrano Athletic Club cheering on the home team.

Three singles from the first ball of the final over, bowled by Agustin Rivero, were followed by a dot ball before Conroy Wright ran two from the fifth delivery. Two needed from the last and the Caymans ran one, setting up an apparant super-over, but the umpire had signalled no-ball and Argentina had lost.

Panama join Bermuda and the Caymans in the final qualifier in Bermuda alongside Canada. That tournament takes place from 28 September to 8 October with the winners qualifying directly to next year's World Cup in the West Indies.