Good evening to everyone back in America. Peter Della Penna here at the Kinrara Academy Oval where for the second day in a row the sun is blazing with hardly a cloud in the sky. The early part of this tour had gloomy skies. Tuesday and Wednesday there were heavy rains, but it's been bright and sunny the last two days. Yesterday's pitch vs. Tanzania at this ground had a bit of grass left on it, but the pitch they'll be using for today looks threadbare. Winning the toss, batting first and posting anything in excess of 275 will win the match for USA. Anything between 200 and 275 will give Nepal a chance. If USA bats first and can't get to 200 on this pitch, they'll be in trouble and will need the bowlers to dig deep. The players look fairly loose and relaxed warming up, but take a look around at the officials and ground staff here and you get the sense that today is a big deal as far as this tournament goes.

 Here are the tournament scenarios that could happen over the course of the final two days of round-robin play:

Denmark and Singapore are heavily favored today against their respective opponents, Malaysia and Tanzania. If USA beats Nepal, then USA, Nepal, Denmark and Singapore would all enter the final day of group matches with 3-1 records tied for first place while Malaysia and Tanzania will have guaranteed themselves relegation to Division Five. If USA does indeed beat Nepal and the other results hold, then the four teams tied for first would face a winner take all showdown on Sunday. USA plays Singapore and Denmark plays Nepal. Whoever wins those two games will be promoted to Division Three and continue on with a chance to make the 2014 ICC World Cup Qualifier in New Zealand while whoever loses would stay in Division Four.

If Nepal beats USA today and the other results hold as expected, then Nepal would be 4-0, Denmark and Singapore 3-1 and USA 2-2. In order for USA to finish second and gain promotion to Division Three, USA would need to beat Singapore on Sunday and hope that Nepal beats Denmark. Nepal would finish first at 5-0 and then a three-way tie would be produced at second with USA, Denmark and Singapore holding 3-2 records. The tiebreaker would be net run rate and currently USA holds a healthy advantage over Denmark and a very wide advantage over Singapore. 

 Of course the easiest way for USA to qualify for Division Three would be to win today and win on Sunday against Singapore, but these guys like to make things adventurous...

 Sushil Nadkarni will come back into USA's lineup today and he will play a crucial role for USA today. He was the Man of the Match in USA's wins over Nepal in the round-robin stage at 2010 ICC WCL Division Five in Nepal and 2010 ICC WCL Division Four in Italy. Don't forget Aditya Thyagarajan and Aditya Mishra as well. Mishra is USA's best player of spin going up against a spin heavy attack. Nepal leg-spinner Shakti Gauchan returned figures of 10-8-2-3 yesterday vs. Malaysia and finished tied for third with 16 wickets in March at the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier. The 16 wickets were tops for any spinner. Thyagarajan is due for some runs in this tournament and no better day than today to come up large for USA.

Nepal captain Paras Khadka spun the coin, Steve Massiah called wrong, Nepal wins the toss and has chosen to bat first. This will be a challenging day for USA. Usman Shuja, Elmore Hutchinson and Timroy Allen will need to put on a show in the first innings to make sure Nepal doesn't get past 200. Anything more than that in the second innings and USA will have a major hurdle to clear in this match.

journalist:

The tiebreaker would be net run rate and currently USA holds a healthy advantage over Denmark and a very wide advantage over Singapore.

Need to remember that Singapore's and Denmark's NRR will both likely be boosted today by big wins over Tanzania and Malaysia...

 USA XI: Massiah (captain), Taylor (wk), Nadkarni, Thyagarajan, Mishra, Baker, Allen, Corns, Shuja, Rajp, Ghous.

I didn't want to type it earlier, but I thought there was a strong chance Abhimanyu Rajp might get left out today. Although he has taken wickets, he has struggled to keep the runs down and on a day like today every run matters. Ryan Corns has been brought in to lengthen the batting a little bit and to also give some variety with his left arm spin. Andy Mohammed also makes way as expected for the return of Sushil Nadkarni. Akeem Dodson remains on the bench.

Nepal XI: Khadka (captain), Khakurel (wk), Airee, Bhattarai, Mandal, Malla, Gauchan, Das, Basant Regmi, Sanjam Regmi, Vesawkar.

USA can breathe a sigh of relief that the left-arm spinner who tormented them with 7 for 15 two years ago in Nepal, teenager Rahul Vishvakarma, has been left out today. He's struggled with his form somewhat recently. Nepal U-19 captain Prithu Baskota is also on the bench and Chandra Sewad is the other man left out. 

 There are about 50 Nepal fans at the ground here today... along with four or five security guards.

 @Roger. True. But Denmark didn't exactly hammer Tanzania on day one. I'd say they may improve their NRR a little, but not a tremendous amount. Their bowling and batting is workmanlike, not geared to devastate opponents. Singapore has a much better chance of boosting their NRR today because Tanzania is weaker than Malaysia.

 Robin Singh is giving slips catching practice to Thyagarajan, Mishra and Nadkarni. No stone left unturned. The 5-minute bell has been rung and the umpires are walking out to the middle while Nepal's openers wait outside the boundary for USA to take the field first.

 Subash Khakurel and Anil Mandal walk out for Nepal in their midnight blue jerseys with red trip and white numbers and letters. USA is in their navy blue with white numbers and letters. Elmore Hutchinson has the new ball, Nepal has never played against him before. Hutchinson to bowl left arm fast medium over the stumps to Khakurel, a right hander. Mandal off strike. Two slips and a gully in place for USA at the start. It's bright and sunny, not a cloud in the sky and a temperature around 90 degrees at the start.Long leg and third man on the rope to start.

Hutchinson to Khakurel. Dot, good length ball swings in from wide of the stumps, forward defense is beaten. Two, full on the legs, clipped through square leg, Shuja fields after running around from long leg and Nepal's cheering section erupts. A lot of noise from just 50 or so people. Dot, full outside off, goes to drive and is beaten. Dot, full length ball swinging in, Khakurel is hit on the pads, looked awfully close, given not out, only could have been missing leg. Dot, full outside off, Khakurel drives and misses again. Hutchinson is getting some very good swing into the right handers at the moment. Dot, good length outside off, left alone. Nepal 2/0 in 1.

 Usman Shuja will open the bowling from the Highway End, right arm fast medium to Mandal, a right hander. Shuja has 14 career wickets in six matches vs. Nepal. FOUR! Low full toss clipped through square leg. Single, full and driven into the covers. Khakurel to face Shuja for the first time. Dot, good length ball swinging away, left alone. Single, full and driven firmly to Allen at mid off, he lets it go straight through his legs for an unneccessary run. Dot, good length ball well outside off, left alone. Dot, full and defended to mid on. Nepal 8/0 in 2.

 Hutchinson to Khakurel. Dot, good length ball seams away from Khakurel, beats the forward defensive prod. Dot, knee high full toss outside off, should have been a simple boundary through the covers but Khakurel fans on a drive, both players showing nerves there. Dot, full on off, driven to mid off. Dot, good length ball defended to cover. Dot, short of a length outside off, Khakurel fends at it well away from his body but it beats the outside edge. Dot, short on the legs, Khakurel can't flick it away. Maiden. Nepal 8/0 in 3.

 Shuja to Mandal. Dot, short of a length outside off, left alone. Dot, full on the stumps, driven back to Shuja and fielder in his follow through. Dot. FOUR! Full on the stumps and pushed straight down the ground through mid on. Dot, full and swinging into the legs, misses a flick, no shout from Shuja as that was going down leg. Dot, short on the stumps, flicked to square leg. Nepal 12/0 in 4.

PETER, YOU ARE DOING A FANTASTIC JOB BRINGING US LIVE UPDATES.

QUESTION..WHY IS IT MISRA, THYAGARAJAN FAILED ALL THE GAMES SO FAR STILL IN THE LINE UP?.. YOU HAVE AKEEM DODSON AND ANDY MOHAMMED WHO HAS IMMENCE TALENT TO MATCH ANYONE OR BETTER OF ALL THE TOP SIX BATSMEN WHO PLAYED IN THE MATCHES SO FAR IS ON THE BENCH..DODSON IS A VERY GOOD BATSMAN WHY ARENT THESE GUYS GETTING A CHANCE??? ANDY PLAYED AGAINST TANZANIA AND DID NOT EVEN BAT.. ANDY IS A VERY ACCOMPLISHED BATSMAN...HE IS AN OUTSTANDING PLAYER OF SPIN AND PACE BOWLING,,MR MASSIAH KNOWS ANDY TALENT..PETER SOMETHING IS ABSOLUTELY NOT RIGHT HERE..I WOULD LIKE IF SOMEONE CAN INVESTIGATE THIS..I HOPE AKEEM AND  ANDY WOULD GET A FAIR CHANCE LIKE ALL THE REST..EVERYONE ON THE TEAM EXCEPT DODSON AND ANDY GET A FAIR CHANCE...THEY SAY WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND...HOPE ONE DAY THEY GET THEIR CHANCE..I GUESS YOU HAVE TO BE LIKED BY ROBIN AND STEVE TO PLAY.. IT ONLY PUT THESE PLAYER UNDER PRESSURE WHEN THEY GET A CHANCE..GOOD LUCK GUYS..

 Hutchinson to Khakurel. Wide, full and way outside off, almost off the pitch, Taylor collects in front of Nadkarni at first slip. Dot, full and swinging in on off, driven to extra cover. Dot, full outside off, Khakural is beaten on a front foot defense again. Just as yesterday, Hutchinson bowling well but struggling to find the edge of the bat to give a catch behind the wicket. Dot, full on the legs, flicked low toward Baker at square leg and it just failed to carry, about a yard short, ball came like a rocket though, well stopped. Dot, full and wide, left alone. Single, short outside off, throws a back footed punch at the ball and it takes a thick edge between second slip and gully and goes to third man. Gully is very wide. Now Allen moves from gully to third slip. Dot, short of a length outside off, left alone. Nepal 14/0 in 5.