Good morning again from Hong Kong. Peter Della Penna here at the Mission Road Cricket Ground, AKA the Tin Kwong Road Recreation Ground. It's a world of difference weather-wise compared to yesterday. The sun is out and shining brightly into my eyes here in the media tent. It is an absolutely perfect day for cricket. 

The news here is that USA has won the toss and elected to field first. Starting XI's to come shortly. 

 USA XI: Massiah (c), Wright (wk), Nadkarni, Baker, Cush, Thyagarajan, Marshall, Shuja, Ghous, Khan, Darlington. Same as yesterday.

Denmark XI: Michael Pedersen (c), Klokker (wk), Ahmed, Mahmood, Martin Pedersen, Larson, Chawla, Iqbal, Carsten Pedersen, Borchersen, Mughal.

We're about 15 minutes away from starting. 

 Freddie Klokker and Yasir Iqbal are opening for Denmark. Klokker, a lefty, scored 138 not out the last time these two teams played, which was at the ICC Trophy in 2005. Denmark won that match by 96 runs.

 Klokker is looking sharp very early on. He's been beaten a couple of times by Darlington, but he's still there. Shuja has struggled to find the right length early on and has given away 11 in his first two overs. It's 16/0 in 4 for Denmark so far.

 Freddie Klokker has played Shuja with ease, but struggled mightily against Darlington, who is on target with every delivery. Shuja has been too short or too full, a different bowler from yesterday. On the last ball of the 10th over, Iqbal flashed at a full delivery and sent an edge that landed inches short of Cush at first slip. Conditions are not very helpful for the bowlers right now so USA will take a wicket any way they can get it. Denmark is 37 for 0 after 10, a good start.

I would certainly feel much better if we could take a few scalps fairly soon.

Are conditions so obviously favorable for the batsmen that we may have been better served to bat first?

Does Mong Kok have any other characteristics that we should know about?

 The Partnership Breaker - Orlando Baker - does it again. He's come on for Ghous after one ineffective over from the spinner and on his second ball shocks Klokker with a gem. It pitched on a fullish length and beat the drive to clip the top of off. Klokker took off and ran when the ball beat Wright, thinking that it was byes perhaps. He was very confused that's for sure and had no idea he'd just been bowled. Huge breakthrough for USA. Michael Pedersen now at the crease, the captain, another lefty.

In a piece of bad news though, Aditya Thyagarajan sprained his ankle fielding at point as Klokker cut a boundary past him for the final ball of the 11th over. He's come off and Durale Forrest is on as a sub fielder. It's his left ankle and his shoe is off so he can get treatment. He was hobbling pretty badly. I don't think he'll be back on to field. We'll see how it affects his batting and whether or not he comes out with a runner. 

Denmark is 50 for 1 in 13. 

 Does Mong Kok have any other characteristics you should know about? Well, to give you a hint about the Mong Kok area near where the ground at Mission Road is situated, there's at least one hourly rate hotel on every corner and neon lights beckoning customers to have a massage. Ahem ahem. There's also fast food every block or so.

As for the ground, it's regulaton size, 55-60 yard boundaries in all directions, easily the biggest ground being used in the tourney. 

GoPackjo - with the USA batting being the strength it makes sense to field first. If it's a sunny day in hong kong then the most assistance the bowlers will get is in the morning. The turf at mission road is new this year and was laid in august. Not many massive scores on it inleague cricket so far. That said the ground was usually good for 275 on the AstroTurf in the old days. Usually a fairly hard and quick outfield. I'd expect USA to be able to chase under 275 without too much fuss. Denmark will probably want 300. I'm sure Peter cN tell us more about the new wicket I know nothing about it. Rohan

Peter sounds like you only saw the good parts!!

This is certainly the place to go for answers!

Sounds like the area has some 'character' as they say.

I'm not sure how comfortable I would feel about chasing 275, but it would certainly make things interesting.

Oops. Meant under 250 with no fuss. More than that is chaseable but never easy even on the deadest of tracks really. Meanwhile Roy Lamsam appears to have been involved in his fourth run out of the tournament. Ouch.

 Usman Shuja has just completed his full 10 overs all at once for the second day in a row. After a slow start in the first four overs, he finally found his rhythm and hit a proper length to keep the runs down. He wasn't as threatening as yesterday though, didn't beat the outside edge on too many occasions. He finished 10-0-38-0.

Thyagarajan has his ankle completely wrapped up right now. He's testing it out right now by walking around using a bat as a makeshift cane. He's not looking good. He was lying down for about 30 minutes before. Ryan Corns is now on as the sub instead of Forrest. 

Denmark is looking solid here but Asif Khan has come on for his first over and he's struck straightaway for his first wicket in a USA uniform. It was full outside off, Iqbal tried to slog against the spin and couldn't clear Marshall on the midwicket rope. He had to cover 20 yards to his left to get to the ball, but coasted in the end to take the catch. Key breakthrough for USA as he was looking sharp whereas Pedersen has struggled to get the ball away. Denmark is now 77/2 in 21.

The fresh Asif Khan and Lennox Cush both breakthrough in consecutive overs!

USA!!!   USA!!!

 There's a catch down and another man down for USA in the field. Martin Pedersen tried to pull a slightly short ball on his legs from Asif Khan and top edged it towards the midwicket rope. Nadkarni was fielding there and sprinted in and to his right about 25 yards. He reached forward and got two hands to the chance, but spilled it and then somersaulted to the ground. He got up limping and he came off the field right away. He's getting treatment now. Pedersen was on 23 at the time and the score 90/3 in the 27th.

Prior to that, Khan took a great catch to get rid of Mahmood. It was a poor delivery from Cush, short on the legs and clobbered flat and hard to deep fine leg, but Khan was stationed perfectly on the rope. The ball was coming like a laser and he took it at head height with ease.  He has shown himself to be a solid fielder everywhere he's been placed the last two days. Denmark is now 110/3 in 30. Khan and Cush have been very tight for the most part.

 Khan has two now. Carsten Pedersen tried to play a paddle sweep and missed. Very long thought given by the umpire before he upheld Khan's appeal. He's bowled exceptionally today in tandem with Cush. Excellent pressure built by both men. It doesn't appea as though Ghous will be given another chance today and could be in danger of being dropped for the next match depending on the health of Thyagarajan and Nadkarni. If I had to make a guess, Forrest will get to play Tuesday against PNG.

Michael Pedersen is still there, although he was dropped on 23 and hasn't looked as threatening as Klokker did at the wicket. USA is in front right now with the score at 127 for 4 in 37.