Canada kicked off their tri-series campaign in style with a 25-run victory over Bermuda in the opening match at the Maple Leaf Cricket Club in King City, Ontario on Monday. All-rounder Manoj David scored a well-paced 48 to power Canada to 260-7 after sent in to bat. In reply, Bermuda were restricted to 235-8.

Ireland, stung by two dispiriting defeats, finally got their act together with a six-wicket win over Afghanistan in a hastily-arranged practice match. The result will not only boost the Irish but will also dampen the considerable hype surrounding the Afghan side.

Eight years ago the Afghan cricket team made their first foreign cricket tour, a 200-mile coach journey across the Pakistan border from Kabul to Rawalpindi. There they played five games against club second XIs. Now the team find themselves eight games away from the World Cup.

Day five of the ICC World Cup Qualifier in South Africa has reached the halfway stage, with most of the matches evenly poised, with Afghanistan and Uganda, in particular putting in impressive performances.