“criiio cup 6v6” Launches in Japan

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Japan will host the first ever “criiio cup 6v6, TOKYO 2025” next week as the International Cricket Council (ICC) launch their latest format to bring new players to the game.

The “criiio cup 6v6” was developed by the ICC as a safe and friendly format that can be played by a small number of players, in a short time, in a small space, using a soft rubber ball which is suitable for first-timers.

The tournament will be held on Thursday, April 3 at Padel Tokyo Mizumachi (Sumida-ku, Tokyo). It will be tournament style, with Under 13 and Under 16 categories while some members of the Men’s and Women’s Japan National Teams will also be present.

Cricket, which has been selected for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, is expected to attract even more attention in Japan in the future, and this tournament is an important initiative as a new step in the promotion of cricket in Japan and the development of the next generation.

Tournament Outline:

Name: “criiio cup 6v6, TOKYO 2025″
Date: April 3, 2025 (Thursday) 10:00-16:00
Venue: Padel Tokyo Mizumachi, 1 Mukojima, Sumida-ku, Tokyo 131-0033, Japan
Nearest station: Tobu Skytree Line, Tokyo Skytree Station (1 minute walk), Tobu Line, Oshiage Station (5 minute walk), Toei Asakusa Line, Honjo-Azumabashi Station (5 minute walk)
Participating teams: 12 teams (TBC)

Men’s Sano International Tri-Series Confirmed for May

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We are delighted to confirm that Sano will host a three-team men’s international series between Japan, Cook Islands and Thailand at the Sano International Cricket Ground in May this year. 

The T20 international matches will begin on May 7th with each team playing each other twice before a final on the morning of Sunday 11th May.

Following the tournament, Japan and Cook Islands will also play a two-match series on the 13th and 14th May. 

We hope the Japan Cricket Community will come out and support the team. 

Head of Cricket Operations Alan Curr said: “We are excited to welcome these two teams to Japan, both visiting for the first time. Both teams have had some excellent results in 2024 and should provide good opposition for our team as they prepare for the World Cup Qualifying Asia/EAP Regional Final later in the year.”

Men’s Sano International Tri-Series schedule is as follows:

  • 7th May (Wednesday) 14:30 – Cook Islands vs Thailand
  • 8th May (Thursday) 14:30 – Japan vs Thailand
  • 9th May (Friday) 09:30 – Thailand vs Cook Islands
  • 9th May (Friday) 14:30 – Japan vs Cook Islands
  • 10th May (Saturday) 09:30 – Japan vs Thailand
  • 10th May (Saturday) 14:30 – Japan vs Cook Islands
  • 11th May (Sunday) 09:30 – Final

Venue: Sano International Cricket Ground 

Address: 300-1 Tochimoto-cho, Sano City, Tochigi 327-0312, Japan
Admission: Free for all matches

Men’s Japan National Team and Cook Islands International Series schedule is as follows:

  • 13th May (Tuesday) 09:30 – Japan vs Cook Islands
  • 14th May (Wednesday) 09:30 – Japan vs Cook Islands

Venue: Sano International Cricket Ground 

Address: 300-1 Tochimoto-cho, Sano City, Tochigi 327-0312, Japan Admission: Free for all matches

All matches will be live streamed on the JCA YouTube Channel

National Team Partner

  • Mitsui Knowledge Industry Co., Ltd.

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/

JCA Official Social Media

National Squad Staffing and Structure for 2025

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Following recent announcements we are happy to confirm the new staff structures for all the Japanese National Squads for 2025, along with some changes in staff positions. 

Men:

There are no changes to the Men’s structure with Men’s Japan National Squad and Men’s Japan A Squad remaining in place. 

The Men’s Japan National Squad is an annual training squad consisting of the top performing players. The aim of the squad is to build an inspirational Men’s National Team. Men’s Japan National Teams that play International Cricket are selected from this squad.

The Men’s Japan A Squad, is an annual training squad consisting of promising players with the potential of representing Japan. This squad aims to help such players maximise their potential.

The staffing is as follows: 

  • Dhugal Bedingfield: Head Coach and Head Selector
  • Alan Curr: Selector
  • Duncan Harrison: Selector

Women:

The Women’s Japan National Squad will now have Vinay Iyer as Head Coach as he replaces Ardene Ruhode. In addition, Benjamin Ito-Davis will take up the role as Assistant Coach. 

The Women’s Japan National Squad is an annual training squad consisting of promising players. The aim of the squad is to build an inspirational Women’s National Team. Women’s Japan National Teams that play International Cricket are selected from this squad.

In 2024 the JCA created the Women’s Development Squad as an annual training squad consisting of talented players. The aim of the squad is to develop players that can represent Japan in the future. From 2025 this will be renamed the Japan National Academy (Female). 

This squad will not have an age limit, and will also be where the Women’s U19 Japan National Team will be selected from. It is hoped the Women’s U19 team will play its first matches in 2026.

The staffing is as follows: 

  • Vinay Iyer: Head Coach and Head Selector
  • Benjamin Ito-Davis: Assistant Coach and Selector
  • Duncan Harrison: Selector

Japan National Academy (Men’s U19 & U16)

As confirmed last month, Reo Sakurano-Thomas is now Head of the Japan National Academy (Male). He will be supported by Benjamin Ito-Davis.

Each category is a group of promising players within each age limit that take part in an annual training program. The squads will however, train together most of the time. 

The aim of the Men’s U19 category is to build an inspirational Men’s U19 Japan National Team while the Men’s U16 category aims to develop the next generation of players. Men’s U19 & U16 Japan National Teams that play International Cricket are selected from both categories of the National Academy.

The staffing is as follows: 

  • Reo Sakurano-Thomas: Head Coach and Head Selector
  • Benjamin Ito-Davis: Assistant Coach and Selector
  • Duncan Harrison: Selector

All squads are selected in line with the JCA Eligibility Criteria. 

Support Staff

In addition, we are extremely lucky to have a dedicated group of support staff who work across all National Squads. These people are playing a key role as we continue to raise standards of care and development both on and off the field. These people are listed below:

  • Eiko Yoshizawa: Doctor
  • Yuichi Yageta: Anti Doping Educator
  • Manami Hoshi: Trainer
  • Hiromu Inoue: Trainer
  • Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming: Analyst

Finally, additional staff will be joining from April 2025 onwards as we move into the new financial year. Those announcements will be made in due course.

Thank you to all the staff for the efforts they make to assist out national teams.

Men’s Under 19 Japan National Team to Tour Singapore

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We are delighted to confirm that the Men’s Under 19 Japan National Team will tour Singapore in April as part of their preparations for the ICC Men’s U19 WC EAP Division One 2025 later in the month. 

The team will be led by new Head Coach Reo Sakurano, while Jarrad Shearer and Hiromu Inoue will reprise their roles as Manager and Trainer respectively. 

In addition, the Men’s Japan National Team Captain, Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming, also joins as an assistant coach, reprising a role he played at the Under 19 World Cup in South Africa in 2020. 

The team will include 17 players as named below: 

  • Juto Ball (Lions Cricket Club)
  • Charles Hinze (Northern Suburbs Cricket Club)
  • Kazuma Kato-Stafford (Akishima Aviators Cricket Club / Northern Suburbs Cricket Club)
  • Tomoki Kurihara (Sano Braves / Sano Cricket Club)
  • Timothy Moore (Lions Cricket Club / Chiba Sharks Cricket Club)
  • Skyler Nakayama-Cook (Streatham Cricket Club)
  • Ryuki Ozeki (Sano Braves / Sano Cricket Club)
  • Nihar Parmar (Alpha Quashers Yokohama Cricket Club)
  • Nikhil Pol (Tokyo Falcons Cricket Club / Chiba Sharks Cricket Club)
  • Tomo Rear (Lions Cricket Club / Alpha Quashers Yokohama Cricket Club)
  • Chihaya Sekine (Sano Braves / Sano Cricket Club)
  • Jack So-Stavretis (North Balwyn Cricket Club)
  • Hugo Tani-Kelly (University of Queensland Cricket Club)
  • Aaryan Waduge (Kawasaki Knight Riders Cricket Club)
  • Kai Wall (Barron River CC)
  • Yuto Yageta (Sano Braves / Sano Cricket Club)
  • Max Yonekawa-Lynn (Chiba Sharks Cricket Club)

The team will play four matches against the Singapore Under 19 team, which the fixtures as follows: 

  • 12th April (Friday) 10:30 – Singapore U19s vs Japan U19s* 
  • 13h April (Saturday) 10:30 – Singapore U19s vs Japan U19s*
  • 15th April (Monday) 10:30 – Singapore U19s vs Japan U19s*
  • 16th April (Tuesday) 10:30 – Singapore U19s vs Japan U19s**

*50 overs

**35 overs

Details of how to follow matches will be shared on the JCA social media channels closer to the time. 

Good luck team! 

Duncan Harrison Joins JCA as High Performance Consultant-Coach

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We are delighted to announce that Duncan Harrison will join the JCA on a part-time basis from 1st April this year as a High Performance Consultant. 

Duncan has a long history with the JCA having first visited in 2016 to run a week of summer camps as part of the JCA partnership with Cricket Victoria, before taking the Women’s National Team on tour to Vanuatu in 2019. 

He reconnected in 2024 and joined the Men’s National Squad for their unbeaten tour of Korea. 

Duncan also boasts time with the Melbourne Renegades in the WBBL and has spent the last few years developing his own coaching business.

Head of Cricket Operations Alan Curr said: “Duncan brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to our operation as we look to introduce more best practices across all our national squad training programmes. We’re extremely pleased to have him on board.”

JCA Official Social Media

Titans Join Revamped Women’s Japan Premier League

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The Women’s Japan Premier League (WJPL) will expand in 2025, moving away from the two-team structure to one with international franchise teams participating. 

We are thrilled to confirm that Titans Cricket, South Africa, are the first to commit to joining the competition. 

Titans, whose partnership with the JCA began in 2023, have sent players for each of the first two editions of the WJPL.

For 2025 they will bring four players, plus a team manager, and will enter the competition as “Titans Ladies”. 

Titans Cricket CEO, Dr Jacques Faul said: “Titans Cricket has always been committed to globalizing our brand and growing the game beyond borders. Our partnership with the Japan Cricket Association is an exciting step in that direction, and we take great pride in the opportunities it has created for our women’s players, as well as the Japan women’s players who have travelled to South Africa.

He added, “As we look forward to the 2025 Women’s Japan Premier League, this collaboration represents an incredible opportunity to drive change and growth in women’s cricket. We are excited about the impact Titans and Japan Cricket can make together in elevating the women’s game on a global scale.”

Head of Cricket Operations at Japan Cricket, Alan Curr said: “The partnership with Titans Cricket continues to provide amazing opportunities for players from both parties and we are delighted that they are joining us on this next step of the WJPL. We believe this can help raise the level of the competition and take it to a whole new audience.”

Since the partnership began in 2023, six Japanese female players have travelled to Pretoria for the “Global Cricket Tournament” hosted by the Titans, while five Titans Ladies have visited Japan for the WJPL.

The full structure, teams and players  involved in the 2025 WJPL will be announced in due course.

Japanese Players Return from South Africa

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Three Japanese players travelled to South Africa last month to participate in the annual “Global Cricket Tournament” hosted by Titans Cricket. 

Mai Yanagida, Japan’s most capped player, was joined by Haruna Iwasaki and Nonoha Yasumoto, each visiting South Africa for the first time. 

The three players were initially part of an “International XI” who trained together and played against the Titans Ladies in an friendly match as part of the preparations for the GCT. The team also included players from England, Namibia and South Africa. 

The GCT itself is a three-team tournament and the Japanese players were each placed on a different team: Yanagida with the Fidelity Titans, Iwasaki with Eastern Storm, and Yasumoto with the DP World Lions. 

While both Yanagida and Yasumoto put in strong performances for their teams, it was Iwasaki’s team, the Eastern Storm, who finished as winners. 

Congratulations to all three players and thank you to Titans Cricket for continuing to provide such an excellent experience for our players. 

JCA Official Social Media

Under 16 Trials Date Confirmed

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The Japan National Academy will hold trails for the Under 16 Squad on Sunday 30th March at the Sano International Cricket Ground.

To be selected in the Under 16 National Squad a player must meet the JCA Eligibility Criteria and must also be born on or after 1st September 2008.

To register, players must complete the following form: https://forms.gle/fA11S2iTk4pn9cvAA and the day will be run by Under 16 Head Coach Reo Sakurano with other support staff present. 

The event will run from 10:00 – 16:00.

The deadline to register is Sunday 16th March.

There will be no official trials for the Japan National Academy Men’s Under 19 Squad as past performances such as in the 2024 Under 19 Japan Cricket League will be considered along with performance at the 2025 Futures League for that squad.

For any further information please contact: jca-info@cricket.or.jp

About the Japan National Academy

  • The Japan National Academy has a Men’s U19 category and a Men’s U16 category. Each category is a group of promising players within each age limit that take part in an annual training program. The aim of the Men’s U19 category is to build an inspirational Men’s U19 Japan National Team while the Men’s U16 category aims to develop the next generation of players. Men’s U19 & U16 Japan National Teams that play International Cricket are selected from both categories of the National Academy.

Players in the Under 19 and Under 16 Squads may be called up to represent Japan at a higher level in international tournaments.

JCA Official Social Media

Women’s Japan National Squad Trial Date Confirmed

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The trials for the Women’s Japan National Squad and National Academy (Female) will be held at the Sano International Cricket Ground, and registrations are open.

The trials will be held on Saturday 29th March and are open to anyone who believes they might have what it takes to play international cricket.

With the announcement of cricket as an Olympic Sport in 2028 we are expecting to see many athletes from other sports try their hand at cricket and we look forward to welcoming them.

The main trials for the The Japan National Academy (Female), will be during the Junior Girls Cricket Tournaments in May, however any players over the age limit for those events can still try out for the National Academy Squad. 

To register all players have to do is complete the following form: https://forms.gle/7tNVxVwGNR8kQcMS8 

The event will run from 10:00 – 16:00.

The deadline for registration is Friday 14th March. 

For any further information please contact: jca-info@cricket.or.jp

Women’s National Team Partner

  • Mitsui Knowledge Industry Co., Ltd.

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/

JCA Official Social Media

Sakurano Appointed New Head Coach of the Men’s U19 & U16 National Academy

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We are proud to confirm Reo Sakurano-Thomas as the new Head Coach of the Men’s U19 and Men’s U16 categories of the Japan National Academy.

In this new role Reo will oversee the development of the next generation of Under 19 and Under 16 male cricketers and also act as Head of the Selection Committee for the Men’s U19 and U16 Japan National Teams.

Reo joined the Japan Cricket Association in 2022 the following year travelled to Vanuatu to complete the new ICC Level Two Coaching Qualification along with Vinay Iyer. 

Along with assisting in the National Academy for the last two years, he has coached Futures League teams as well as joined the Under 19 team on their most recent Asia Cup campaign in Dubai last year. 

As an experienced international for Japan who has captained the Men’s National Team in the last year, he brings knowledge and experience to help the players in what is set to be a busy year. 

Good luck Reo and Congratulations!