Papua New Guinea registered a comfortable 42-run win over Hong Kong in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier warm-up match played at the Burwood Park in Christchurch on Saturday (January 11).

After being put in, PNG lost Lega Siaka for seven in the eighth over of the match. Tony Ura and Asad Vala then added 49 runs for the second wicket before Ura was dismissed by Irfan Ahmed in the 17th over. A sudden rush of wickets followed, leaving PNG reeling at 86 for 6. But a 63-run stand for the seventh wicket, between Mahuru Dai (39) and Vani Morea (18) and a 56-run ninth-wicket stand between Norman Vanua (37) and Pipi Raho (15*), helped it to a total of 205 before it was bowled out in 45 overs.

Irfan Ahmed was Hong Kong's best bowler, returning figures of 6 for 27 from his seven overs. Haseeb Amjad also chipped in with 3 for 16 off seven overs.

Hong Kong made absolute mess of the chase, with the 93-run stand for the eighth wicket between Amjad (64) and Babar Hyat (30) offering the only sign of resistance. But, with none of the other batsmen making an impact, Hong Kong eventually folded for 163 in 40 overs.

Over at the St. Andrew's College Ground, Kenya clinched a one-wicket win against Nepal.

After winning the toss, Nepal posted 265 for 8 in 50 overs thanks mainly to Anil Mandal's 62 off 65 balls and a 66-run seventh-wicket stand between Binod Bhandari (48) and Pradeep Airee (42).

Elijah Otiena emerged as the most successful bowler, picking up two wickets for 40 runs.Kenya kept losing wickets at regular intervals too, but Morris Ouma's 73 before Thomas Odoyo's 44-ball 66 saw it home in the last over of the match.

At the Bay Oval 2, Uganda defeated Canada by 71 runs after posting 245 in 50 overs. Roger Mukasa and Abram Mutyagaba (51), the openers, added 53 runs, to get Uganda off to a solid start. A 79-run stand between Lawrence Sematimba and Hamza Saleh got it back into the game after the slow scoring rate hampered their progress. Saleh carried the innings on his shoulder, scoring an 84-ball 79, and was ably supported by Mutyagaba.

Patrick Ochan jolted Canada's chase in the sixth over, when he dismissed Zeeshan Siddiqui for three. Usman Limbada soon followed, scoring just two. Raza-ur-Rehman and Amarbir Hansra tried to consolidate with a 91-run fourth-wicket stand, but with eight batsmen failing to get into double figures, including three ducks, Canada was bowled out for 174 in the 46th over.