The Men’s Japan Under 19 National Team qualified for the Under 19 Cricket World Cup for the second time in their history after another resounding win at the Sano International Cricket Ground.

Japan knew a repeat of their victory earlier in the tournament would secure qualification and stand in captain Kazuma Kato-Stafford had no hesitation in choosing to bat upon winning the toss.

With Nikhil Pol absent through injury, the new opening pair of Nihar Parmar (36) and Hugo Tani-Kelly (38) moved serenely to 78 before Parmar was bowled in the 15th over.

A mini collapse followed as Japan lost four wickets for 16 runs and while Charlie Hara-Hinze (21) and Kazuma Kato-Stafford (25) battled, Fiji were able to bowl the hosts all out for 167 after 43 overs with Joeli Moala taking three for 33.

Fiji’s World Cup dream was still alive at the turn and they knew that a successful chase, coupled with a win over Papua New Guinea in their final match tomorrow, would see them travel to Africa next year instead of Japan.

With so much on the line it was no surprise that there was an explosion of emotion with every wicket that fell. For the third time in four games it was seam that made the breakthrough as Kato-Stafford knocked the stumps down at the end of the sixth over.

From then on it quickly became a procession with the usual suspects to the fore. Throughout the tournament the spin trio of Hugo Tani-Kelly, Nihar Parmar and especially Charlie Hara-Hinze have led the way for Japan, and they accounted for another eight wickets between them today.

There was one for Tani-Kelly, three without conceding a run for Nihar Parmar, and another four wicket haul for Charlie Hara-Hinze as Fiji had no answers to the accurary as well as sone sublime catching.

Hara-Hinze took a stunning catch to give Parmar his first as top scorer Manav Narayan was dismissed for 20, only for Kaisei Kobayashi-Doggett to take an even better one close in as Parmar ran riot towards the end.

In the end Fiji were dismissed for just 52 in 20.5 overs as Japan wrapped up the win by 115 runs to book their place at the World Cup in Namibia and Zimbabwe in early 2026.

Highlights

Match Schedule

• 24th April (Thursday) 10:00 – Japan vs PNG (Japan won by 106 runs)
• 25th April (Friday) 10:00 – Japan vs Fiji (Japan won by 6 wickets)
• 26th April (Saturday) 10:30 – Fiji vs PNG (Fiji won by 94 runs)
• 27th April (Sunday) 10:00 – Japan vs PNG (Japan won by 71 runs)
• 28th April (Monday) 10:00 – Japan vs Fiji (Japan won by 115 runs)
• 29th April (Tuesday) 10:00 – PNG vs Fiji 

All matches will be live streamed on the JCA YouTube Channel.