A career best 72 off 54 balls from Wataru Miyauchi helped set up a 166-run win for Japan in the first of the seven-match series against Mongolia.

Winning the toss and batting first, captain Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming (41 off 36 balls) played second fiddle in a partnership of 118 with Miyauchi before Sabaorish Ravichandran struck a rapid 54 from 24 balls to join Miyauchi in making a career-best international score.

There were positives for Mongolia with captain Luvsanzundui Erdenebulgan taking three for 34 from his four overs, although Japan’s 199 for five always looked a tall order for the visitors.

It proved as much, and with rain threatening to come down the Japanese bowlers were able to take wickets regularly, Charlie Hinze having his best day in a Japan shirt picking up four wickets for just four runs.

There were Japanese debuts for Abdul Samad and Kiefer Yamamoto-Lake, who both marked the occasion with a wicket apiece.

The teams will return to the Sano International Cricket Ground tomorrow to play a double header with matches starting at 09:30 and 14:00.

Match Summary

• Japan, 199/5 (Miyauchi 72, Ravichandran 54, Erdenebulgan 3/34) beat Mongolia, 33/10 (Hinze 4/4) by 166 runs.

Remaining Fixtures

• Match 2: Wednesday 8th May, 09:30
• Match 3: Wednesday 8th May, 14:00
• Match 4: Thursday 9th May, 11:00
• Match 5: Saturday 11th May, 09:30
• Match 6: Saturday 11th May, 14:00
• Match 7: Sunday 12th May, 11:00

Highlights

JCA Official Social Media

Mitsui Knowledge Industry Co., Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (MKI) specialized in providing services and products related to ICT (information and communication technology). Partnering with various global ICT vendors and supporting more than 2,500 companies, MKI offers best-in-class solutions to customers.

Website: https://www.mki.co.jp/english/