India Emerging Players kicked off their Australian tour with a facile win over the Australian Institute of Sports with nine balls to spare in the opening match of the two-week tournament. The tourists made regular inroads and were lead by their new-ball pair of Sudeep Tyagi and Pradeep Sangwan, who picked up two wickets each as Australia were restricted to 101.
Tom Cooper, the No. 3, held Australia together with an unbeaten 63 from 57 balls but there was absolutely no support. The home side was rocked first ball when Tyagi took out Rob Quiney, and then slipped to 4 for 24 with each of India's first five bowlers finding success. Cooper's innings contained six fours and a pair of sixes and stood poles apart from the next highest contribution, 8.
India themselves were in a spot of bother at 3 for 19, Peter George taking 2 for 9 in four overs, but Ajinkya Rahane and Abhishek Nayar steered the chase thereafter. Rahane finished unbeaten on 43 from 55 balls while Nayar (30 from 19) assisted capably.
South Africa Emerging Players began their tournament on a high with a last-ball six-wicket win over New Zealand Emerging Players. Chasing 130, South Africa sealed a tight victory thanks to some clinical hitting from the captain Vaughn van Jaarsveld, who made 53 from 47 balls, and a steady unbeaten 58 from the opener Henry Davids.
After opting to bat first, New Zealand posted 9 for 129 thanks to Colin de Grandhomme's 49 from 34 balls. BJ Watling contributed 29 off 37 balls in an opening stand of 72 in 9.2 overs before being run out. Reece Young celebrated his call-up to the senior side by smashing an unbeaten 24 from 14 balls as slow left-armer Dean Elgar snared three victims to ruin the lower order.
New Zealand's attack, led by Tim Southee's successive strikes in the third over, hurt South Africa's top order but crucially failed to dislodge Davids, who shored up the chase. van Jaarsveld, batting at No. 4, played an excellent hand to ease the chase and though he fell with 22 needed, Davids finished matters off.