After yesterday's big defeat to Denmark, Belgium bounced back with a win over France at Vagabonds today in Group B of the ICC Under-19 European Division Two Championship.

In a game reduced to 42 overs due to rain, France won the toss and elected to bat first. They initially collapsed, and were 28-5 soon after the start of play, Frazer McRae slicing through their top order with three wickets.

A mini recovery took them to 70-7 and then to 130 all out, captain Thomas Liddard top scoring with 29.

Belgium's run chase started badly when the top three were removed cheaply with the score on 36-3, but they battled back, the fourth wicket partnership of Shaival Mehta and Robert Sehmi putting on an unbroken 98 to secure a seven wicket win.

Over at St John's Denmark put up another big total, though it could have been even more had they not had a rather big batting collapse towards the end of their innings.

Batting first after being put into bat, Denmark were at one point scoring at more than eleven runs an over. The opening pair put on 119 in quick fashion before Anders Bulow was out for 25, and the other opener, Kamran Mahmood went on to score 92 from 82 balls before he was out with the score on 167-2 in the 15th over.

Denmark were on 271-3 at one point, but their batting collapsed from there. Led by Ali Nisar, who took 4-14, Norway managed to bowl the Danes out for 299, three balls short of their quota of 37 overs.

Whilst Norway did well to come back after the explosive Danish start, the target was always too much for them. They were 49-8 before the first real resistance came via a ninth wicket partnership of 24, and were eventually bowled out for 78, losing by the huge margin of 221 runs.

Only two of the Norwegian batsmen reached double figures, and Saif Yaqoob was the pick of the Denmark bowlers with 5-23.

Tomorrow's matches in Group B will see Israel play Norway and Denmark play France.