The Men's World Cup Qualifier play-off tournament got underway in Namibia today with the hosts taking on the USA at Wanderers Cricket Ground in Windhoek.
Put into bat, the visitors lost their first two wickets in the second over of their innings before Aaron Jones and Sushant Modani put on 55 for the third wicket before Modani was out for 17. Jones scored 36 before he was the fourth man out, whilst number 5 Gajanand Singh top scored for the Americans with 53.
At 105-6 though, USA were looking at a low total, but Jessy Singh (33) and Nosthush Kenjige (43) had a late order rally to help take the visiting team to a total of 231-9. Ben Shikongo and Shaun Fouché both took three wickets for the home side.
Like their opponents, Namibia's first two wickets both fell in the second over with Nikolaas Davin and Michael van Lingen both falling to Ali Khan. A 54 run third wicket partnership between Shaun Fouché and captain Gerhard Erasmus followed before Erasmus was out for 22.
Fouché and Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton then put on 62 before the latter was out for 38, whilst Fouché went on to score 55, with the score on 128 when he was the fifth man out.
Unlike the USA innings, there was no late order rally, and Namibia went from that point to 151 all out, losing by 80 runs. Ali Khan and Nisarg Patel both took three wickets for the USA.
The tournament continues tomorrow with Papua New Guinea taking on the UAE and Jersey - playing their first ever ODI - coming up against Canada.