ABU DHABI // Even at the associate level – especially at the associate level – there exist vast gulfs in quality, as Ruvindu Gunasekera and Canada proved at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
Gunasekera's accomplished 95 looked every bit the product of a sturdier cricket structure and was ultimately far too much for Denmark's part-timers.
Several members of Canada's XI are on central contracts and play cricket professionally; Gunasekera is not yet, but will be soon enough on the evidence of this innings.
His knock was the platform on which Canada put up an imposing total, Hiral Patel chipping in with a useful 43. The target of 179 was tough for Denmark, though Rizwan Mahmood's knock of 65 ensured that they were not entirely overwhelmed.
The only shame was that Gunasekera, who has played competitive cricket in Sri Lanka, did not go on to get the tournament's third century. Not that he was particularly disappointed.
"No I'm not that disappointed as we had a really good total at the end," he said. "I was happy all the guys also chipped in. Maybe I'm a little disappointed, but I'm hoping to have another opportunity later on in the tournament."
Canada had a month-long warm-up in Sri Lanka before the qualifiers began and the similarities in conditions have helped.
They are on course for a top-three finish in the group, which gives them a realistic shot at qualification for the Twenty20 World Cup later this year.
"I gained a lot of experience especially in those conditions in Sri Lanka and I'm just carrying that into here," Gunasekera said.