Good morning here from North County Cricket Club outside of Dublin. Peter Della Penna here where it was clear and partly sunny 30 minutes ago but a drizzle has started to pass over the ground where USA U-19 and Namibia U-19 are due to get underway one hour from now. The covers were off the pitch 20 minutes ago but they've since been put back on. It's another one of these annoying, spitting type rains. If they get started, they wouldn't be coming off for it but when it is coming down it hampers things for the umpires and ground staff.

Namibia is 2-0 in the event while USA is still looking for their first win. Shayan Abdulghani is warming up with wicketkeeping gloves on. Not sure if that is something to keep him busy to pass the time or if it is a serious thing but he is receiving warm up deliveries from Prashanth Nair, Gurpreet Sandhu and Abhijit Joshi. By the looks of things, Abdulghani may be sitting out today but that is just speculation from me.

 Namibia captain Stephen Baard called heads and it landed tails at the toss. Greg Sewdial says USA will bat first. Starting XI's to come shortly.

 USA XI: Sewdial (captain), Taylor (wk), Mirza, Persaud, Joshi, Jodha Singh, Suri, Sandhu, Ahmad, Shahid, Patel.

As I suspected based on the warmups, Shayan Abdulghani is out today for USA in place of Gurpreet Sandhu. Prashanth Nair and Trevor Singh remain out of the lineup. 

Namibia XI: Stephen Baard (captain), Lotter (wk), Justin Baard, Coombe, Davidson, Engelbrecht, Erasmus, Zhivago Groenewald, Lungameni, Myburgh, van Vuuren. 

Luke Bolton, Shalako Groeneweld and Johan Wessels are out for Namibia. 

 This drizzle has stopped and the sun is shining bright so we are set for an on time start in 15 minutes. We could see some drizzle later on though. This ground is smaller than the first two USA played on. Had Taylor been playing PNG here he would have had about 170 and the shot he got out to would have been 6. The western square boundary looks about 40-45 yards, the straight boundaries are about 50-55 and the eastern boundary is kind of a zig-zag to shape around the pavilion so it's about 50 yards in some spots, 55 in others and about 45 in others. On top of all that, there is a slope akin to Lord's going downhill from east to west across the pitch/square. It's going to be a strange day for USA adjusting to this field.

 Namibia are huddling just outside the boundary as the umpires walk out. Namibia are wearing uniforms almost identical to USA. They've got a dark blue with white numbers and Namibia in white block letters across the front with red streaks down each leg and white letters and numbers on the back. Cameron Mirza and Steven Taylor walk out in dark blue uniforms with white letters and numbers, red chevrons down the ribs, blue pants with red streaks down each leg and USA in white block letters across the chest.

Andre Engelbrecht to open from the south/Rugby End, right arm medium over the stumps to Steven Taylor, the leading scorer in this tournament. Mirza off strike. Single, good length outside off, guided to third man. Mirza takes guard. Single, fullish outside off, guided to third man for his first run of the tournament, massive weight off his shoulders. Dot, full on the legs, misses a flick, LBW shout denied as the ball goes to short fine leg. Slip and a gully in place. FOUR! Short on the legs, mistimes a pull into the ground but midwicket is vacant and it rolls down the hill into the advertising boards. FOUR! Good length ball outside off, goes back to defend and edges it between first slip and gully all the way to the rope. Negative captaincy, that would have gone to an orthodox second slip. Dot, good length ball left outside off. USA 10/0 in 1. 

 Tangeni Lungameni to open the bowling from the North/Farm End, left arm medium over the stumps to Mirza. Two slips in place, no gully. Single, fullish on off stump, nudged toward cover and they bolt for a run. Mirza is USA's fastest runner between the wickets so it's important for him to stay there and steal singles which they haven't done in the first two games. Dot, fullish length outside off, punched off the back foot to cover. Dot, good length ball outside off, cross bats it to mid off along the ground. He's not taking time to get his eye in here. He did that two days ago. Five wides, full on the legs and seams away, Taylor misses a flick and the keeper Lotter can't get glove on it with his dive and it gets to the rope with fine leg in the ring. Single, short on the legs, clipped off the hips to short fine leg and Mirza calls him through for a sharp run. Dot, good length ball defended to the bowler. Single, good length ball on the stumps, opens the face and runs it to third man. USA 18/0 in 2. Mirza 3, Taylor 10.

 Engelbrecht to Mirza. Dot, good length ball on the stumps defended on the back foot to point. Dot, fullish length on the stumps, Mirza defends awkwardly and the ball lobs up off a leading edge just short of cover. Four leg byes, speared in full on the legs, goes to flick and misses but it takes the pad strap and then goes to the boundary. This outfield is lightning quick. Dot, good length ball defended to cover. Dot, good length ball defended to the bowler but not exactly with confidence. Mirza looks uncomfortable with Engelbrecht's pace. Dot, short of a length ball outside off, Mirza pulls the bat back late and it goes through to Lotter. Maiden. USA 22/0 in 3. Mirza 3, Taylor 10.

Good morning cricket fans!

Good start for the boys so far.  Let's build some partnerships and put the pressure on!

USA!!  USA!!

 Lungameni to Taylor. Dot, very full outside off, Taylor goes for a loose drive and is beaten. Namibia's fielders chirp up a bit. Wide, full and down leg, Lotter barely got his gloves to it or else it was five. Dot, good length ball outside off, Taylor goes back to defend and is beaten as Lotter starts shouting behind the stumps. Wide, short and well down leg. Dot, good length ball on the stumps defended to Lungameni. Single, short of a length on the stumps, pushed into the covers and they set off after a little hesitation. Dot, good length ball outside off, defended to point and the fielder van Vuuren first to Taylor's end, knocking a stump out of the ground and the umpire has to get everything back in order. Dot, fullish length outside off, draws Mirza into a waft and he misses before swinging his bat in disgust. USA 25/0 in 4. Taylor 11, Mirza 3.

 Engelbrecht to Taylor. SIX! Good God! Taylor will be happy with that all day long. Looks like Namibia haven't done their scouting. Short on the body, he swivels to pull and it's murdered flat and hard over the trees beyond the very short western midwicket boundary and into the thick brush before the rugby fields. That didn't get more than 25 feet above the ground but the boundary over there is 40-45 yards at best. The search is on for the ball and now the third umpire comes out with a replacement. The man in charge of affairs at this club said they didn't lose a single ball during the first two days. This won't be the first one that disappears while Taylor is at the crease and if Sewdial can get his eye in later on, expect him to score heavy over the fences as well. It looks like they've brought out a brand new ball as we're only into the 5th over. Engelbrecht now changes to come around the wicket. Now the sightscreen is being moved. Dot, full outside off and left. Dot, full outside off and left. Gully has moved to second slip. Dot, full outside off, Taylor plays a back foot defense and is beaten. Dot, fullish on the stumps and defended to cover. FOUR! Full on off stump, Taylor leans forward and carves it over cover, one bounce into the boundary below is. We're in the pavilion on the eastern boundary up on the second floor balcony. USA 35/0 in 5. Taylor 21, Mirza 3.

 Lungameni to Mirza. Single, full on the stumps, flicked through midwicket. Single, full on the legs, flicked through square leg, there might have been two there as fine leg had to circle round but the batsmen settle. Dot, full and defended, looking much more confident against Lungameni is Mirza. Dot, good length outside off and left. Single, full on the stumps, pushed toward mid off and they scamper a run, the kind of run inside the circle they weren't getting in the first two matches.Dot, short of a length ball on the stumps, defended into the ground. USA 38/0 in 6. Mirza 5, Taylor 22.

 Engelbrecht to Mirza. Dot, fullish on the stumps, defended awkwardly and uppishly back to the bowler. He needs to get off strike quickly against Engelbrecht, who is bowling quite quick. FOUR! Short on the legs, gets inside the line of the ball to pull and tickled it fine, beats long leg to the rope. Single, full and pushed to mid off, they set off for a dodgy single and the throw from the fielder is wide of the stumps or else Mirza was gone. Dot, short of a length on the stumps and defended. Dot, full outside off and left, bounces a second time before reaching Lotter. Single, short outside off, punched behind point and third man slides to cut it off. USA 44/0 in 7 as the drizzle begins. Taylor 23, Mirza 10.

 Lungameni to Taylor. Point sweeper in place. SIX! Full on the stumps, Taylor drives through the line in the air over mid off, over the fence and it's his second maximum. They're able to find the ball this time though. He nearly knocked over the video camera some of the USA parents have set up to film the game. FOUR! Short on the legs, hooks it in the air in our direction. I got out of the seat for a moment ready for the catch but it looped short of the balcony and bounced just short of the rope at backward square. FOUR! Full on the legs, flicked fine and the keeper has no chance as it races away. Dot, full on the stumps and defended. FOUR! Short of a length on the stumps, punched off the back foot down the pitch and that's the shot of the day so far as it races by the bowler and mid on. Second slip comes into short midwicket now. Single, full outside off, nudged in front of point and they steal a single to keep Taylor on strike for Engelbrecht. USA 63/0 in 8. Taylor 42, Mirza 10.

 Check that, it won't be Engelbrecht. Christopher Coombe comes on to bowl right arm medium fast from the southern/Rugby End. He's the joint leading wicket taker in this tournament entering today with Mital Patel, both have 6 scalps. Coombe to Taylor over the stumps. Dot, fullish length on the stumps, defended to the bowler. Coombe is quite quick. Single, fullish outside off, hammered on the up through the off side but straight to the cover sweeper in place. Leg bye, good length ball on the legs, misses a flick, massive LBW shout but sounded more like desperation than confidence and the umpire was never interested as the ball goes to square leg. EDGE! FOUR! Short of a length outside off, Taylor goes to cut and gets a thick edge that flies sharply between the keeper and first slip and goes to the rope. FOUR! Fullish outside off, creamed off the back foot through the covers and the sweeper had no chance he drilled it so hard. 50 up for Taylor in 33 balls, 8 fours and 2 sixes. He's primed for another ton here. Single, full and pushed into the covers. USA 74/0 in 9. Taylor 52, Mirza 10.

 Stephen Baard, the captain comes on, right arm medium over the stumps to Taylor. Dot, full on the legs, goes to flick and misses, LBW shout denied, pitching outside leg most likely. FOUR! Full on off stump, scooped high over mid off and that's his ninth boundary. Drizzle had stopped but it's starting again. Mid off pushed back to the fence now. Sightscreen being adjusted as well. Wide, good length ball down leg. SIX! Full outside off, Taylor is not deterred by mid off on the rope and he smashes that over the bowler's head and into the netting above the sightscreen. Single, good length ball outside off, guided to point who dives but fumbles the ball to third man. Wide, full and down leg, Lotter struggled to stop it but did so in the end. Single, full and pushed to mid off. Single, short of a length and punched off the back foot to long off. USA 89/0 in 10. Taylor 64, Mirza 11.