Eighteen out of the 37 events were held today at the Belarusian capital's Dinamo National Olympic Stadium and the European side finished 328-312 in front.

The stand-out performer for Team Europe was home favourite Maksim Nedasekau, who cleared a world lead and lifetime best of 2.35 metres to win the men's high jump ahead of team-mate Ilya Ivanyuk of Russia.

There was also an impressive display from Russia's Anzhelika Sidorova as she won the women's pole vault with a 4.85m clearance.

In the men's hammer, three-time world champion Pawel Fajdek led a Polish one-two finish ahead of Wojciech Nowicki with a huge third-round throw of 80.71m.

Two-time Olympic champion Sandra Perković of Croatia, meanwhile, delivered nine points for Europe in the women's discus after registering a throw of 67.65m.

Britain's Daryll Neita produced a storming run to win the women's 100m in 11.29sec, but Team USA responded with a one-two-three finish in the men's equivalent.

Mike Rodgers led the way in 10.20, followed by Christopher Belcher in 10.25 and Demek Kemp in 10.28.

The Match, billed as the inaugural version, was agreed between European Athletics and USA Track & Field in December 2018, marking the first international contest between the two since the 1960s.

Competition is taking place in the renovated Dinamo National Olympic Stadium that hosted the DNA format athletics events, plus the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, at the second European Games in June.

The stadium played host to a similar dual nation event in 1973, when teams from the Soviet Union and the United States met, with the overall victory going to the hosts.

This is the last major event on the athletics calendar before the International Association of Athletics Federations World Championships in Doha from September 27 to October 6.

Action is due to conclude tomorrow.

The programme will include a mixed 4x400m relay, which is due to make its Olympic debut in Tokyo next year.