After two heavy defeats against Guernsey last weekend, Papua New Guinea played their first match of this Challenge League Group A leg against Denmark yesterday and went down to an 18 run defeat.

PNG are playing the tournament with something of a new look squad after several senior players refused new contracts, with five newcomers to the side since their last match in the tournament in Kenya back in October, though the experienced Assad Vala does at least remain as captain.

His Danish opposite number Hamid Shah won the toss though and chose to bat first at Grainville. After Musa Shaheen was dismissed early, Shah and Lucky Ali put on 81 for the second wicket before the Danish skipper was out for 59.

Lucky Ali top scored for Denmark (Danish Cricket Federation)

Ali went on to make the top score of the Danish innings, but was unable to put on another significant partnership as when he was out for 83, Denmark had gone from 96-2 at the fall of Shah's wicket to 192-7 when Ali was out. An eighth wicket partnership of 31 took their total to 223-8.

PNG opener Sese Bau scored 34 in the first part of PNG's reply, but at 56-4 after 20.3 overs, they were firmly on the back foot. An 85 run fifth wicket partnership between Kiplin Doriga and Patrick Nou kept them in the game, ending when Nou was dismissed for 40.

Doriga was the sixth wicket to fall when he was run out, after which the tail offered little resistance. The last three wickets all fell within eight balls as PNG were bowled out for 205.

PNG are next in action on Sunday when they play Kuwait, whilst Denmark play next on Monday when they will take on hosts Jersey. Today's action in the tournament will see the hosts playing Kuwait and Kenya facing ff with Qatar.