Denmark 128-3 In what was acclaimed their finest all-round performance in over a year, Denmark scored a crushing, seven-wicket win over Holland at Lord's to get the International Youth Tournament off to a flying start yesterday.

Spinners Richard Christiansen (three for 23) and Omer Farooq (one for 22) tied the Dutch down in the middle of their innings and as such were critical in a period where five wickets fell for 40 runs.

Opening bats Strijder Faul (14) and Tobias de Rooy (13) got Holland off to a promising start by putting on 34. But they fell within two runs of each other to the persevering new ball pair of Adam Larsen and Dave Christiansen. The Dutch then let themselves down as three times they looked like producing stands to build a defensible total and each time came up short.

Ejaz Nawaz (five) and Antonio Barca added 16 when the former fell, Barca and Victor Grandia (11) put on a quick 18 and then Barca and Ruben Bol (17) contributed 25 together.

And it was with that dismissal of Barca, stumped having been defeated by the spinner Christiansen for 25, that Holland finally capitulated.

Dave Christiansen came back to wrap up the tail and finish with two for 27 while Larsen, who bowled nine overs in one spell, also captured two for 27.

Denmark had no such problems on a wicket that took a fair degree of turn and played consistently low.

Their openers, Jesper Hansen and Andy Lambert, comfortably negotiated the nine overs before lunch while knocking 19 runs off the target.

But it was soon after the return that Holland got into the contest, albeit fleetingly.

Lambert, a stylish-looking left-hander, clipped Victor Brandis off his toes but straight to Faul at square leg and was out for eight with the total 28.

The tempo was only accelerated with this dismissal as Danish skipper Max Overgaard delighted the sparse crowd with his aggression.

Even Hansen, hitherto circumspect, got into the act with his treatment of Holland's top bowler -- off-spinner Faisal Zaman -- especially dismissive.

Fifty-nine runs later, the match looked well beyond Holland and it was only through the grace of Denmark's desire to keep the run rate above five that further wickets fell.

Hansen went first for 36, having hit a six and five fours, then the skipper was out for 38 with the score 106; both trapped in front. Overgaard had hit a six and six fours.

Peter Thomsen barely gave partner Dave Christiansen a look-in as he scored the remaining 22 runs as Denmark romped to victory.

"We have been together for almost a year and a half and this was our best total performance,'' said skipper Overgaard. "I think we can get in the top three. It will be difficult with Scotland and England who we have to play in our next matches.'' Scotland meet Denmark at Wellington Oval in the best of today's match-ups.

Holland have a rest day.

Scotland 231 Canada 145 After this year's tournament is over, Canada will look back and point to this as the one that got away.

The scalp of one of the pre-tournament favourites was theirs for the taking when Scotland were in dire straits at 100 for six and then 147 for eight. But a ninth-wicket stand of 76 between Ross Mitchinson and Gregor Maiden took the match out of reach.

The pair only hit six boundaries between them in the stand, but showed what good running between the wickets can achieve as they frustrated the fielding team for the final 15-plus overs.

Scotland always appeared in control, despite losing Fraser Watts for a duck in the first over, as they raced away at five runs an over.

But ambition got in the way of long innings for the early order, resulting in wickets lost with batsmen well set.

Greg Butchart was run out on 42 after hitting three boundaries and Pakistani-born Ayaz Gul suffered a similar fate on 28 in the midst of a spell that saw four wickets fall for six runs.

John Blain added a valuable 23 and Euan Stubbs 11 before the vital partnership broke Canada's back.

Zubin Surkari was the pick of the Canadian bowlers with two for 33 from 10 overs while skipper Shruti Singh claimed two for 34 from 10.

Canada were soon to realise how important it was to restrict Scotland because once they went to bat, stingy bowling was at a premium.

The most that the young Scots gave away was in the extras column, which included 23 wides and six no-balls in an unacceptable total of 40.

Outside of that the Canadians had few answers to a bowling line-up which sports senior international Blain, an 18-year-old quickie who was in Malaysia for the ICC Trophy and recently signed a two-year contract with English county Northamptonshire.

Blain was wayward in his first spell, but gave a lesson in bowling at the death by claiming his three wickets after Canada's biggest stand carried them from 78 for seven to 121; two bowled by yorkers, the other lbw from hand to toe.

Surkari stood out amongst the early bats with 22 then, like Scotland, it was left to the late order to add respectability. Manzoor Chaudhary, dropped three times, made 28 and Damien Persaud 17.

Blain's late burst took his figures to three for 22 from 7.1 overs while spinner Butchart captured two for 14 from five.

Though they showed great potential, Scotland will have to be better to see off an impressive Denmark team today. Canada, meanwhile, will need to regroup to face Ireland who are confident after a crushing defeat of hosts Bermuda.