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Group A: New Zealand 175 lost to Bangladesh (t) 176/7 (37.5)
Bangladesh have survived a scare against New Zealand before creeping home by three wickets in their under-19 World Cup opener.
After impressive results in warm-up matches, Bangladesh's much-feted batting order started to crack when facing the prospect of a relatively low target in bowler-friendly conditions before Mehrab Hossain's unbeaten 38 saw them home.
Bangladesh were off to a terrible start when firebrand Tamim Iqbal was bowled by Timothy Southee for three, and Mehdi Hasan Siddiqui followed next ball as they slipped to 5/2. Raqibul Hasan and Saqibul Hasan staged a small recovery before the latter was caught by Shaun Fitzgibbon off Roneel Hira.
A quickfire 30 from Shamsur Rahman from 24 balls put Bangladesh back in control of the match, but a flurry of wickets once again put the game in the balance.
The depth in Bangladesh's batting line-up came to the fore, however, as vice-captain Mehrab played an intelligent innings to earn man of the match honours after his four wickets.
He received solid support from captain Mushfiqur Rahim (26) and Shuvo (18) before Sirajullah Khadim brought the match to an abrupt conclusion with a four and a six off Colin Munro.
Earlier, having lost warm-up matches to South Africa and the West Indies, the New Zealanders again failed to impress with the bat as they surrendered for 175.
Mehrab picked up 4-29 and Sohrawardi Shuvo claimed 3-36 as New Zealand crumbled from a good position at 100/2.
Captain Mushfiqur Rahim was prolific behind the stumps, effecting five dismissals, while openers Tim Astle (44) and Martin Guptill (28) were the main contributors for New Zealand, adding 57 for the first wicket.
No other batsman made over 22 - the number of wides that the wayward Bangladeshi bowlers sent down in humid conditions - as New Zealand struggled to build partnerships.
New Zealand: M.Ellison (c), M.Guptill, T.Astle, K.Noema-Barnett, A.De Boorder, S.Fitzgibbon, C.Munro, R.Hira, T.Southee, J.Donnelly, H.Bennett. Super sub: R.Karaitiana.
Bangladesh: Mushfiqur Rahim (c), Tamim Iqbal, Roqibul Hassan, Sakib Al Hasan, Md Shamsur Rahman, Mehrab Hossain, Md Sohrawardi, Sirajullah Khadem, Dollar Mahmud, Nabil Samad Chowdhury, Kamrul Islam. Super sub: Mehedi Hasan Siddiqui.
Group B: Australia 316/9 defeated South Africa (t) 141
With Adam Gilchrist slaughtering South Africa's senior side to every part of the SCG, right-handed opener Tom Cooper mirrored the innings at the SSC, registering the first century of the tournament.
Cooper received great support from Aaron Finch as he smashed eleven fours and a six on the way to his defiant 129-ball century.
Memories of Australia's disastrous 2004 tournament flooded back when star batsman Usman Khawaja fell to Western Province's Craig Alexander in the third over of the match, and was followed back to the pavilion by Tom Stray three balls later.
Captain Moises Henriques, who has already represented New South Wales in domestic cricket, added 100 for the third wicket with Cooper, who dominated the strike. Henriques struck a cavalier 37 from 34 balls before offering a return catch to the expensive Richard das Neves, bringing Finch to the crease with the score at 104/3.
Finch proceeded to smash 75 from 59 balls - including four fours and five sixes - as he added a further 120 for the fourth wicket with Cooper in less than eighteen overs, before being caught by Gauteng super-sub Jean Symes off the bowling of Thompson.
Thompson then picked up a second vital wicket when he removed Cooper for 104, but the South Africans' celebrations were shortlived as David Warner blasted a 35-ball half-century to lead Australia to 316/9.
South Africa's reply never left the ground as wickets fell at regular intervals; Henriques completed a fine all-round performance, picking up both openers in his 3-37, while Simon Keen (3-10) and Ben Cutting (2-24) ripped through the middle order.
Super-sub Symes was the pick of the South African batsmen with 34 from 57 balls, whlie extras at 30 (including 16 wides) was the next top-score.
Australia will draw great confidence from this victory following their disastrous 2004 campaign, in which they lost to then minnows Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.
Australia: M.Henriques (c), T.Cooper, U.Khawaja, T.Stray, D.Warner, M.Wade, S.Keen, J.McNamara, B.Cutting, J.Bird, A.Finch, Super sub: W.Sheridan.
South Africa: D.Elgar (c), B.Thompson, P.Daneel, R.Levi, R.Ramoo, C.Kieswetter, R.Das Neves, W.Parnell, M.Siboto, C.Alexander, M.Serame. Super sub: J.Symes.
Group C: Scotland 186ao (49.4) lost to Sri Lanka (t) 187/6 (39.5)
Sri Lanka made tough work of their reply to Scotland's 186 all out at the Premadasa Stadium before emerging as four-wicket victors.
The tournament hosts were struggling at 54/4 in reply to the Scots' 186 before a half-century to Serasinghe and a composed innings from captain Angelo Mathews ensured victory.
After letting the Scots off the hook earlier in the day, Sri Lanka fell into early trouble when Gordon Goudie had Kararunatne caught behind in his second over.
Only a few overs later, the Scots struck a double blow when wicket-keeper Sameera de Zoysa was run out by Umair Mohammed, and Goudie trapped Fernando leg before first ball.
Scotland's bowlers, like the Sri Lankans before them, struggled to control their swing in the helpful conditions, sending down 21 wides - the worst being a 12-ball over from Sean Weeraratna.
However, Goudie made best use of the conditions and when Priyanjan was caught by Robert Cannon for a thirteen-ball duck, and the Sri Lankans had slipped to a perilous 54/4.
First drop Serasinghe and Cooray added 44 for the fifth wicket before skipper Kasim Farid introduced his spin into the attack, removing Cooray for a patient 19 from 55 balls thanks to a fine catch from Richie Berrington.
Berrington then ended the partnership between Serasinghe and Mathews when he bowled the former, but the wicket was a mere consolation for the Scots as the 69-run stand for the sixth wicket had put the result beyond doubt.
Earlier, a half-century to captain Farid rescued Scotland from complete humiliation.
The Scots fell to 30/5 in the sixteenth over after tight spells from seamers Mathews, Thisara Perera and Shalika Kurananayake, who eventually claimed eight wickets between them.
Sri Lanka's seam attack relished the humid conditions and a pitch which had remained covered overnight due to rain as they ripped through Scotland's top order before the heroics of Farid.
Super sub Scott MacLennan was called upon earlier than anticipated, replacing the unfortunate Rajeev Routray, and provided some much-needed resistance, sticking around with his captain for fifteen overs despite only adding nine to the total himself.
Mohammed added an intelligent 23 from 53 balls as Scotland ensured themselves of a competitive total in the bowler-friendly conditions. For all the destruction caused by the seamers, the spinners Sachith Pathirana and Rajeewa Weerasinghe struggled, taking only one wicket between them - albeit the scalp of Farid, who was stumped by de Zoysa for 76 from just 89 balls.
The tail attempted to add some quick runs and bolster the total; Weeraratna clouted two fours in the final over as the Scots were bowled out with just two balls remaining in the innings for a highly competitive 186, but it wasn't to be enough as Sri Lanka got home with more than ten overs to spare.
Sri Lanka: A.Mathews (c), S.Zoysa, D. Karunaratne, S.Serasinghe, H.Fernando, A.Priyanjana, D.Cooray, S.Karunanayaka, T.Perera, S.Pathirana, R.Weerasinghe. Super sub: M.Pushpakamara.
Scotland: K.Farid (c), A.Hislop, G.Goudie, M.Iqbal, R.Cannon, R.Berrington, U.Mohammad, S.Weeraratna, A.Mehmood, C.MacLeod, R.Routray. Super sub: S.MacLennan.
Group D: Zimbabwe 215 defeated Ireland (t) 97
Zimbabwe crushed Ireland by 118 runs in their Group D opener courtesty of a fine all-round performance from Donald 'Kuda' Samunderu.
The beseiged Zimbabweans posted a competitive 215 in the first innings, with Samunderu's 61 leading the way, while four other batsmen - Kasteni, captain Sean Williams, Balance and Higgins - made it into the twenties, but were unable to convert their starts into larger scores.
Ireland's bowlers were guilty of sending down seventeen wides, but the humid conditions in Colombo had seen many other bowlers in other games suffer the same fate.
Keagan Meth and Samunderu then engineered the demise of Ireland's top order as they slumped to 29/4 and never recovered. Samunderu claimed the key wicket of Irish captain Eoin Morgan, who has already represented the national side as well as Middlesex.
James Hall top-scored for the Irish with 17, while every bowled used by Zimbabwe claimed a wicket - including leg-spinner Graeme Kremer, veteran of six Test matches, who claimed 2-12.
The victory is a much-needed confidence booster for the Zimbabweans, with the state of cricket in their country sinking deeper into turmoil by the day.
Ireland: E.Morgan (c), G.Makee, F.McAllister, G.Wilson, A.Poynter, R.Stirling, J.Hall, G.Thompson, N.McDarby, G.Kidd, N.Gill. Super sub: G.McKenna.
Zimbabwe: S.Williams (c), D.Samunderu, F.Kasteni, G.Balance, K.Meth, R.Higgins, G.Querl, G.Cremer, R.Benade, T.Mahlunge, T.Muzarabani. Super sub: P.Masvaure.
