The Japan Men’s team swept aside Korea with a crushing eight-wicket win that puts the team on the verge of qualifying for the East Asia Pacific Regional Final.

The only time Japan looked even mildly uncomfortable was when Kim Daeyeon (29) smashed two huge sixes in the very first over of the match, however that was as good as it got for the Koreans. 

Once again Piyush Kumbhare was central to suffocating any momentum the visitors had, first by dismissing Daeyeon with his first ball, and finishing with two wickets for just eight runs from his four overs. 

All the Japan bowlers contributed as they bowled Korea all out for 91, while Alex Shirai-Patmore excelled behind the stumps claimed a catch, a run out and two excellent stumpings to finish off the innings; the first from a ripping leg-spinner from Makoto Taniyama, and the other standing up to seamer Reo Sakurano-Thomas. 

After the tiniest of wobbles chasing a similar total the previous day, there were no such issues this time as Supun Navarathna and Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake made hay in the powerplay. 

A partnership of 78 in 41 balls ended the match as a contest and both were aggressive from the start with boundaries flowing freely. 

It was the fourth over of the innings when things really ramped up, Yamamoto-Lake crashing three successive sixes off Lee Hwanhee as 25 runs came from the over. He struck another in the following over to bring up his half-century from just 22 balls.

Both openers fell before the job was complete; Navarathna for 21 from 15 balls and Yamamoto-Lake for 55 from 28 balls, which allowed captain Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming to come in and strike successive boundaries to win the game with more than 11 overs to spare. 

With this being a 3rd victory for Japan, the match between the hosts and Indonesia tomorrow morning will decide the tournament champion, with Korea unable to progress. 

That crucial match will be played tomorrow morning at 09:30 at the Sano International Cricket Ground.

Match Summary

• Korea 91/10
• Japan 95/2 (Yamamoto-Lake 55)
• Japan win by eight wickets