Italy and Papua New Guinea record heart-stopping victories on opening day of ICC World Cricket League Division 3 in Darwin

Italy came back from the jaws of defeat to record a heart-stopping one-run victory over Argentina and Papua New Guinea (PNG) notched up a one-wicket win over Fiji to give ICC World Cricket League Division 3 a sensational start in Darwin, Australia, on Sunday.

Italy looked down and out when Argentina, chasing 176 for victory, reached 159 for five. But Italy grabbed five wickets for 15 runs, including last four wickets for three runs, as Argentina were bowled out for 174.

For Italy, medium-pacer Din Alaud was the most successful bowler claiming three wickets for 29 runs while Troy Crosland bagged two wickets for 15 runs.

Donald Forrester was Argentina's top-scorer, scoring 66 in 83 balls with six fours and a six.

In another thrilling Group A game, Christopher Amini held PNG's innings together as it defeated Fiji by one-wicket. PNG, chasing a victory target of 139, was in dire straits when it collapsed to 105 for eight and then 125 for nine.

But Amini batted sensibly before hitting the winning boundary off the penultimate delivery. Named man of the match, he remained unbeaten on 71 and his high class 148-ball innings was studded with seven fours.

In Group B, openers Steve Gordon and Ainsley Hall stroked unbeaten centuries to steer the Cayman Islands to an easy 10-wicket victory over Tanzania.

Gordon hit a 119-ball 104 laced with 12 fours and a six and Hall faced 150 balls for his 100 with 10 fours and three sixes as the Cayman Islands achieved victory target with 26 balls to spare.

Earlier, Tanzania, put into bat, collected 206 for six with Athumani Kakonzi top scoring with a 105-ball 82. Shaheed Dhanani contributed 38. For the Cayman Islands, Ronald Ebanks snapped up three wickets for 40 runs.

An all-round performance by skipper Joel Olwenya steered Uganda to an easy 90-run victory over last year's ACC Cup runner-up Hong Kong.

Olwenya top scored with 60 in Uganda's 219 for five and then picked up three wickets for 15 runs as Hong Kong was dismissed for 129 in 36.5 overs.

Scores in brief:
Group A
Gardens Oval, Italy beat Argentina by one run
Italy 175/9 in 50 overs (Alessandro Bonora 32, Joe Scuderi 35, Andrea Corbellari 34, Gary Savage 2/18)
Argentina 174 in 50 overs (Donald Forrester 66, Din Alaud 3/29, Troy Crosland 2/15)

Power Park, PNG beat Fiji by one wicket
Fiji 138
PNG 142/9 in 49.5 overs (Christopher Amini 71*)

Group B
Tracy Village, Cayman Islands beat Tanzania by 10 wickets
Tanzania 206/6 in 50 overs (Athumani Kakonzi 82*, Benson Mwita 44, Shaheed Dhanani 38, Ronald Ebanks 3/40)
Cayman Islands 210/0 in 45.4 overs (Steve Gordon 104*Ainsley Hall 100*)

Kahlim Oval, Uganda beat Hong Kong by 90 runs
Uganda 219/5 in 50 overs (Joel Olwenya 60, Benjamin Musoke 48, Junior Kwebiha 39, Afzaal Haider 2/31)
Kong Kong 129 in 36.5 overs (Irfan Ahmed 34, Joel Olwenya 3/15, Charles Waiswa 3/18)

This tournament is the latest step on the road to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 for the eight sides taking part. The top two sides in each of the two groups will go forward to the semi-finals and the finalists will earn a place in the ICC WCL Div 2 in Windhoek, Namibia, in November. A top-four finish there would mean a berth at the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier (formerly the ICC Trophy) in the United Arab Emirates in 2009 and with it the chance to secure a spot in the next ICC Cricket World Cup, on the Asian sub-continent.

Further details of the ICC WCL Div 3 event in Darwin, including the detailed schedule, can be found here: