Qualifying for the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup continues at an increasing pace with CWC Challenge League A underway in Canada yesterday.

All matches are being played at the King City complex north of Toronto, with just one match taking place on the opening day as the hosts took on Denmark, who had to make two late changes to their squad after players had trouble getting visas.

The visitors won the toss and chose to bowl first, and kept the scoring down with the Canadians only scoring 20 by the time the second wicket fell in the tenth over. Matthew Spoors and Nicholas Kirton increased the scoring rate, putting on 55 in 13.4 overs before Spoors fell for 27.

Kirton batted on and reached 48, the highest score for the home side, and the scoring rate accelerated at the bottom of the Canadian batting order with number 7 Saad Bin Zafar scoring 43 from 40 balls and number 9 Shreyas Movva clubbing an unbeaten 35 from 16 balls.

Hamid Shah and Oliver Hald both took two wickets for Denmark as they kept Canada to 219-8.

The Danes would have been hopeful of chasing down that target but the Canadian bowlers proved to be even less keen to give up runs than their Danish counterparts.

Dillon Heyliger (5-34) and Salman Nazar (3-28) were the leading bowlers as Denmark were bowled out for 145, losing by 74 runs.

Play continues today with Qatar playing Singapore and Malaysia taking on Vanuatu.