Match 1: USA vs Ireland
Playing at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein, Ireland won the toss and elected to field first. Their decision bore fruit as the right-arm pace duo of Oliver Riley (3/21) and Reuben Wilson (3/23) made lightwork of USA's batting order. Only three USA batters managed to reach the double digits. Khush Bhalala was the top scorer with 22* but he ran out of partners as USA got restricted for 105 in 40.2 overs.
In reply, Ireland raced to the target in the 23rd over of their innings. Wicketkeeper-batter Ryan Hunter scored an unbeaten fifty (50* off 63 balls) with the help of five boundaries and helped Ireland cross the line by seven wickets.
Match 2: South Africa vs West Indies
The West Indian captain Stephan Pascal won the toss and asked the hosts to put a score on the board. Right-arm pacer Deshawn James struck in the fourth over of the game to send Steve Stolk back to the hutch and broke the opening stand of 26 runs.
However, Stolk's dismissal didn't bother his opening partner Lhuan-dre Pretorius, who tried to take the attack to the opposition. Pretorius looked dangerous with his ability to hit the gaps and the way he played the two West Indian left-arm off-spinners Isai Thorne and Nathan Sealy.
However, Sealy outsmarted Pretorius by changing the angle from over the wicket to around it. The change in angle did the trick and he got one to sneak past the bat and pad of Pretorius and castled him.
David Teeger (44 runs off 98 balls) and Oliver Whitehead (26 off 35 balls) got their eyes in but couldn't make the most of their starts.
With South Africa reduced to 145/6, it appeared that the Windies had things in control but a scintillating knock by Dewan Marais changed the entire complexion of the game. Marais was unstoppable and smoked four sixes and the same number of boundaries to rescue the Proteas from further slump.
He racked up 131 runs for the seventh wicket along with skipper Juan James (47 runs off 54 balls) and helped South Africa post 285/9 in 50 overs.
The West Indian opening pair got blown away by the emerging left-arm pace sensation Kwena Maphaka and the team from the Caribbean soon found itself languishing at 73/5 in 10 overs.
But just when it looked like South Africa were going to finish the game soon, wicketkeeper-batter Jewel Andrew scripted a comeback of the highest order and amassed 117 runs for the sixth wicket with Sealy.
Andrew became the first batter of the ongoing edition to score a century (130 off 96 balls) and played an innings to remember. However, the departure of both Andrew and Sealy brought the hosts back into the contest and Player of the Match (POTM) Maphaka (5/38) came back in the attack to mop up the tail.
South Africa emerged victorious by 31 runs as the Windies got bundled out for 254 in 40.1 overs.
