All nineteen associate members of the International Cricket Council (ICC) at the time were eligible to compete at the tournament, with Japan and West Africa the only ones not to send a team.

They started with a straightforward nine-wicket victory over Papua New Guinea: the Papuans, having won the toss and decided to bat, fell to 44/4 before recovering a little to post 133ao, but it was never likely to be enough and so it proved as the Zimbabweans reached 134/1 thanks to Andy Flower's 80*.

Finally Zimbabwe were inserted by Kenya but compiled 259/9 (AH Omarshah 69), tight bowling keeping their opponents down to 126/6, 133 runs adrift.

Next, however, Papua New Guinea, winning the toss and batting, posted 230ao thanks to 55 by Amini and no less than 54 extras; this profligacy with the ball cost them the game as they fell to 193ao (MO Odumbe 64) and a 37-run defeat.

Finally in Group A, the USA chose to bat first against the Papuans, and their choice was vindicated as their shaky-looking 190ao (KR Khan 52) turned out to be more than sufficient, E Daley claiming 4–35 as the United States recorded a 67-run triumph.

Asked to field first by Denmark, A From-Hansen made 57 and JS Jensen 50 out of the Danes' 233/9, but Nurul Abedin (85) and Akram Khan (50) were the Asians' heroes as they reached 235/7 with just two balls to spare.