Doshisha University Make Clean Sweep of Champions Wicket

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Doshisha University mens and womens teams are Japan University champions for the first time after both claimed victory in the Champions Wicket university national finals, held in Akishima on Sunday September 19th.

In the womens match, which took place in the morning, the Kansai champions Doshisha faced Kanto champions Waseda University.

Bowling first, the disciplined Doshisha bowling attack restricted Waseda to just 80/7 off their 20 overs, Ia Sakashita top-scoring with 15 runs.

Doshisha easily chased the target just two wickets down and with six overs to spare, Rin Yamazaki top-scoring with 18 runs.

Japan national squad player Mao Takatsuka was named MVP for her all-round performance.

The mens final in the afternoon was a much tighter match, the winner decided in the last over of the day.

Again it was Doshisha University facing Waseda University with Waseda the favourites, having won the Champions Trophy no less than eight times in the past.

Waseda batted first but their innings never really gathered momentum and they were eventually bowled out in the last over of the innings for just 82.

Wataru Uebayashi and Yukihiro Matsushita both took three wickets in an impressive Doshisha bowling display.

83 seemed to be an easy target for Doshisha until Noboru Asanaka ripped through the middle order, taking four wickets for just eight runs.

The match was back in Waseda’s favour but, thanks to a calm innings from number nine batsman Ken Sakaguchi, Doshisha were able to inch towards the target.

Nine wickets down with just three balls remaining, Sakaguchi took a daring run after the wicket keeper made a slight fumble and a subsequent overthrow at the bowlers end sealed a historic win for Doshisha. 

Doshisha captain Ryuichi Ashida was named MVP for his all-round performance.

Summer J-BASH Day Held in Kawasaki

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Despite the many barriers to sport across Japan this summer, we were delighted to be able to host the latest edition of the J-BASH this August.

The Nagasawa Ground in Kawasaki is ideal for these events, providing plenty of space for everyone to play and train in a COVID safe environment.

As with the April event, the day began with the J-BASH Social where a number of players were able to experience cricket for the first time. Yoshitaka Uehara and Chelsea Moscript were present to make sure the event ran smoothly and all the participants had a great time.

 

 

Following that the J-BASH All-Stars match once again pitted Team Pink against Team Yellow, and Chelsea Moscript looked none too tired from her work in the morning as she walked away with the MVP award.

Batting first, Team Pink made a great start thanks to Akari Kano (16 off 20 balls) and Akari Kitayama (25 off 32 balls) before Moscript (51 off 32 balls) and Nao Tokizawa (30 off 24 balls) took the total to 158 runs after 20 overs.

Batting second, Team Yellow were unable to score quickly and despite 29* off 26 balls from Shizuka Miyaji, Team Pink restricted them to just 113/4 meaning a victory for Team Pink by 45 runs.

 

 

We would like to thank all the staff and volunteers for making the effort to get the day on as scheduled and look forward to running a final event in October.

ICC Confirm Cancellation of EAP Tournaments in 2021

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The International Cricket Council (ICC) have announced the cancellation of the Under 19 Men’s World Cup Qualifier for the East Asia Pacific Region which was due to be hosted next month in Sano, Japan.

The primary reason is that with the current COVID-19 restrictions on travel to Japan the ICC felt it impossible to hold the event, and with no more room in the schedule for postponement, the cancellation is now confirmed.

The ICC decided that the winner of the most tournaments from 2011 – 2019 will travel to the West Indies for the Under 19 Cricket World Cup in early 2022; under that system Papua New Guinea will progress ahead of Japan.

As defending Champions in the Under 19 category we have made our displeasure and disappointment clear to the ICC and we are yet to receive satisfactory justification on why historical results have been given more value than recent ones.

Additionally, we believe that the immediate implications and knock-on impact that it will have on the member nations who are being removed from the tournament were not adequately considered.

Our CEO Naoki Miyaji said: “We wish to express our sympathy with the players who have carried dreams of another World Cup appearance for the last two years, and trained hard to ensure they could earn the right to play on the field.”

He added that the JCA will continue to discuss this matter, and its implications on the organisation, with the decision makers at the ICC to ensure that a fairer system is in place should a similar situation happen in the future.

Additionally, the ICC have confirmed that the Men’s Regional T20 World Cup Qualifier, also scheduled to be hosted in Sano in October, has been cancelled.

The Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier, originally due to be held in Samoa in early September was initially postponed but has now been cancelled too.

For men’s & women’s pathways the ICC have used the recently introduced ranking system to decide the team which qualifies for the next stage in the World Cup Qualification pathway. In the men’s case this is the Philippines while for the women the highest ranked team at the end of November 2021 will be the beneficiary.

Japan men have not played an international fixture since the ranking system was introduced in early 2019.

JCL Round Nine (Part 1): Hundred, Hundred, Hundred!

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Changing circumstances may have interrupted Round Nine halfway through, but there was enough action in the matches that did take place to fill us up for quite some time! 

Two Japanese players scored their first Division One hundreds, while there were two other sublime innings in run chases. THe number of centurions in this season’s Division One was doubled in a single weekend. 

The SICG One field had three of those centuries scored across two days with the contest between Sano CC and MAX CC providing incredible entertainment. Batting first Sano made a solid start thanks to 51 from veteran Mohammad Rizwan, but the fireworks started when Musashi Yamamoto came to the crease. 

Fresh from his Japan Premier League century in his last outing on the same field, the burly former baseballer took aim at anything loose as he dominated a 139-run partnership with Shotaro Hiratsuka, in which the latter contributed just 16. 

Yamamoto hammered the bowlers to all parts, hitting 14 sixes on his way to a 58-ball hundred, four of those coming in the over he reached the landmark, before eventually being dismissed for 136 off just 71 balls. That display lifted Sano to 266 all out off the last ball of the 40 overs. 

Chasing 200+ is no easy task in Japan, especially in August when the heat at its energy-sapping wors (just ask the Olympians); however, MAX have long boasted the most powerful batting line up in the Division for some time, and in Vinay Iyer they possess the form player of the season. 

Iyer went about building a score while the bigger hitters around him brought the required rate down. First Supun Nawarathna (58 off 32 with eight sixes) and then Hanif Niazi (26 off 18) came and went, all the while Iyer moved serenely on, reaching fifty off 80 balls before accelerating to reach his hundred off 106. 

Ultimately Iyer proved uncontainable for the Sano bowlers, his 137* thought to be the highest score in a successful run chase in JCL history (unconfirmed!), and a personal best for him in a season full of outstanding performances. MAX winners by six wickets with eight balls to spare and looking like they can win from anywhere, while Sano remain at the wrong end of the table. 

Both Iyer and Yamamoto enter the top ten highest scores ever in the Japan Cricket League Division One in what must be one of the league’s highest scoring matches. 

Top 10 highest scores ever in the JCL

The previous day, on the same ground, another young Japanese player began repaying some of the faith shown in him by the Chiba Sharks with his first top flight century. Marcus Thurgate only registered his maiden half century late last season but went one better against Tigers CC who themselves are having a surprising mid-season wobble. 

Opening with veteran Dhugal Bedingfield, who compiled an assured 84 in an opening partnership of 159, Thurgate was the aggressor and reached 50 off 54 balls before bashing his way to a hundred off 92 balls, going 4,4,6 off Abhijith Sash to avoid any “nervous nineties” moments.

That opening stand set the Sharks up to post 282/6 from their 40 overs, Piyush Kumbhare taking three for 52 for Tigers, a tall order for the Tigers and the chase followed a similar pattern to their previous match. 

The defeat to Tokyo Falcons featured a duck for talisman Sabaorish Ravichandran, and resistance from Anil Kumar and history repeated itself when the Tigers captain was pinned in front second ball by Neel Date and despite a defiant 53 from Kumar, the Sharks took all ten Tigers wickets for 160 to wrap up a 122-run win and give themselves a great chance at making the play-offs. 

The lowest individual score of these four outstanding knocks was arguably the most impressive. April Player of the Month Alex Patmore anchored his team, the Tokyo Wombats, to victory with 97 not out against the Tokyo Falcons, who were themselves riding high after ending the Tigers winning run. 

Batting first the Falcons were themselves well anchored by Ankit Chawla (52) before Sameep Dawar made a rapid 33 to boost the total to 253 all out with two balls remaining. 

Patmore, having kept wicket for 39.4 overs, then opened the batting and shared another mightily impressive opening partnership, this one worth 122 in 17 overs with Richie Bracefield (81 off 61).

Patmore ploughed on, hitting eight boundaries and doing an awful lot of running, and was grateful to 25 not out off 15 balls from Owen Morris to take the Wombats to victory by seven wickets with an over and one ball to spare. Despite being stranded on 97* Patmore was undoubtedly more concerned with winning the game than the personal milestone. His work was not yet done however, as he then drove several of his teammates back to Tokyo.

Those wins move the Sharks and Wombats into 3rd and 4th respectively, although the top three have all played at least one game more than everyone else and with matches being further delayed, we may be in for a torturous wait to see how this season pans out. 

Thanks as ever goes to the umpires for the round: 

  • Chiba Sharks vs Tigers CC: Shrikanth Durairaj & Mihindu Perera
  • Tokyo Falcons vs Tokyo Wombats: Chris Thurgate & Raja Nagarajan
  • MAX CC vs Sano CC: Rob Newman & Jason Fouracres

 

JCA awarded the “Best Action Award” from the Kanto Chamber of Commerce and Industry

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We are delighted to announce that the JCA has received the “Best Action Award” from the Kanto Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The “Best Action Award” is awarded to members of the local chamber of commerce who have significantly contributed to the development of the local economy and the chamber of commerce in their city.

This award is in recognition of the hard work of the many volunteers and support of various people from in and outside of Sano over many years and we would like to say a heartfelt thank you to all those who contribute so regularly.

We would especially like to take this opportunity to thank the Sano Chamber of Commerce and Industry for the invaluable support they have provided for more than a decade as one of our principle partners. We hope to continue to contribute to a brighter future for the local communities of Sano and beyond.

Tohoku Cricket Tournament opens the Torinoumi Multi Purpose Field in Watari-cho

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We were thrilled to be able to attend the annual Tohoku Cricket Tournament last weekend, which was the most significant cricket event to happen in the region for many years.

Held on the 31st of July and the 1st of August, the tournament commemorated the opening of the Torinoumi Multi Purpose Field in Watari-cho which was officially opened on the 1st of August. The field had been identified as the central Cricket venue for the Tohoku region in the City of Cricket Agreement signed by Watari-cho, Sendai University and the JCA on the 20th of July.

The opening ceremony was attended by officials from Watari-cho, Miyagi Prefecture, Sendai University, the JCA and the Tohoku Cricket Association as well as the participating teams. Following the cutting of the tape, officials from the town hit the first balls onto the ground.

The Tohoku Cricket Tournament was contended by Sendai Cricket Club, Sendai Lions Cricket Club, and Sendai University Cricket Club. Sendai Cricket Club won the final against Sendai Lions Cricket Club. The tournament was played in great spirits, despite some rain during the third match on Saturday.

Around 15 members of the Watari-cho Sport Development Committee also attended the match and participated in a short course on the sport. Such engagement is vital in our mission to grow the game to new audiences and we were delighted to see the smiles and enjoyment clear on the faces of those experiencing cricket for the first time.

The weekend marked a great beginning of the Cricket in Watari as the City of Cricket in the Tohoku region. We will be working closely with the Tohoku Cricket Association, Sendai University and Watari-cho to develop Cricket facilities and to host events as well as developing local players and fans, which will bring a wide range of social benefits to the city through the sport.

Hurricanes Win Maiden Premier League Title

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The West Kanto Hurricanes won an edgy contest against the East Kanto Sunrisers to claim their first ever Japan Premier League title, after being runner up three times previously.

Both teams slipped up in the final round of matches but did so safe in the knowledge that their place in the final was secured; however, the morning loss, and the occasion, seemed to get to the Sunrisers.

Hurricanes captain Wataru Miyauchi won the toss and chose to bat, unsurprisingly, and watched as his team were the beneficiaries of some wayward bowling by the Sunrisers, allowing Vinay Iyer and Shogo Kimura to plunder 58 runs in the powerplay.

At the halfway stage the Hurricanes had raced to 93/2, with Vinay Iyer in ominous form, his 39 laying the foundations for a late charge that never came. Instead the Sunrisers found their rhythm in the second half of the innings, Malith Neranjan recovering from a disastrous first over to grab four wickets for 18 runs and ultimately restrict the Hurricanes to 140/9 after 20 overs.

Kakeru Ebisui (two for 21) continued his excellent tournament with the new ball, striking early and seeing run out off his bowling as pressure mounted on the Sunrisers. Sarfaraz Petkar looked their best hope as he made 50 from 40 balls. The crucial moments came in over number 13 when Sora Ichiki, having been hit to the straight boundary off the first ball, then cleaned up Petkar and knocked over Yapabandara first ball to leave the Sunrisers reeling at 75 for six.

The Sunrisers hung in, Neel Date (17) making sure they took the game deep, but his dismissal, to a spectacular caught and bowled by Shubham Shukla, seemed to end the game as a contest, and Shukla (two for 20) wrapped things up in the final over to spark wild celebrations among the Hurricanes; the margin of victory just eight runs.

Sora Ichiki was named MVP of the final for his key contribution with the ball, while Vinay Iyer walked away with Best Batsman after making 272 runs at an average of 136, and his eight wickets also earned him the tournament MVP award. Makoto Taniyama, with 13 wickets, was named Best Bowler.

 

 

The deposed champions, South Kanto Super Kings, finished third thanks for a 29-ball 51* from Raman Tanwar helped them to a 13-run win over the Kansai Chargers, while in the morning the spectators were treated to some spectacular hitting as Musashi Yamamoto made the second highest ever score in the JPL. He cracked seven maximums on his way to 114* off just 65 balls as East Kanto finished  a tough few days with a well earned win over the eventual champions, holding on by 14 runs to leave with their heads held high.

 

 

In the other game in the morning the Kansai Chargers put in a fine performance, Makoto Taniyama taking three wickets and scoring 33 as his team defeated the Sunrisers by six wickets.

Final standings are:

  1. West Kanto Hurricanes
  2. East Kanto Sunrisers
  3. South Kanto Super Kings
  4. Kansai Chargers
  5. North Kanto Lions

Best Batsman: Vinay Iyer (272 runs @ 136)

Best Bowler: Makoto Taniyama (13 wickets, economy 4.4)

MVP: Vinay Iyer (272 runs, eight wickets)

Sunrisers and Hurricanes take control on JPL Day Two

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It was a perfect day for the East Kanto Sunrisers as they registered two wins to book their place in the Japan Premier League Final. 

The morning result was the most significant, taking on defending Champions South Kanto Super Kings who knew they had to win to keep their own final aspirations alive. 

Supun Nawarathna launched in the powerplay, his 29 off 14 balls taking the Sunrisers to 44 before his dismissal in the fifth over. Ibrahim Takahashi (22) and Sarfaraz Petkar (50) then continued the charge before a flurry of wickets late on threatened to derail their efforts. Kohei Kubota finished with 5/37 as the Super Kings took all ten wickets in 19 overs. 

Set a target of 144 to get their campaign back on track, the Super Kings struggled for momentum throughout and never really looked up to the task, finishing a rather tame attempt at 111/9 from their 20 overs. The 33 run win for the Sunrisers was in part thanks to Dinesh Sandaruwan, whose 3/19 gave the Sunrisers one foot in the final. 

They followed that up with an explosive display against the North Kanto Lions. Nawarathna was on fire again in the powerplay, this time alongside Ashik Chowdhury, as the pair struck five maximums between them; putting on 77 in the powerplay. 

Chowdhury’s dismissal for 41 with the score on 92 sparked a huge collapse as the Lions found energy and verve in the field that had previously been lacking. Shotaro Hiratsuka (2/17) made that breakthrough and bowled beautifully in tandem with Pradeep Roshan (3/15) who took three wickets in the ninth over.  

At 116/8 in the 17th over the Lions were on top, but Malith Neranjan changed the game with some huge straight hitting, his 42* off 14 balls propelled the Sunrisers to 168/8 and ultimately out of the reach of the Lions. 

The Lions showed much more fight than they had the previous day, refusing to lie down and 34 from Roshan gave some hope before he feathered one behind. Neel Date finished with 3/15, one an acrobatic caught and bowled, as Sunrisers kept the Lions to 129/7 to secure a win by 39 runs and their place in tomorrow’s final with a game to spare. 

West Kanto also had it all to play for after their win against the Super Kings yesterday, and were indebted to Vinay Iyer for a virtuoso performance against the Kansai Chargers. 

Fresh from their own fine start the Chargers looked solid again as Makoto Taniyama made a fluent 45 from 41 balls, but after he was dismissed by Iyer (3/17) things fell away quickly as the Hurricanes, led up front by the accurate bowling of Kakeru Ebisui (0/8 from 4 overs) restricted the Chargers to 107/7. 

Iyer then combined with Shogo Kimura (30*) in an unbroken stand of 109 in 12.4 overs, to see the Hurricanes home by 10 wickets, his 66* earned him a second MVP award in succession. 

The final match of the day allowed South Kanto to get some pride back, and ended any hopes Kansai had of making the final. 

An opening stand of 66 between youngster Aditya Phadke (26) and Rohit Kesari (57) was followed by 39 off 20 balls by Sabaorish Ravichandran as the Super Kings made the highest total of the competition, an imposing 170/6; Makoto Taniyama finished with 2/20 off his 4 overs. 

The Chargers raced to 42 in the 5th over to give the Super Kings a bit to think about, but once both openers fell in successive balls the steam went out of the chase. Piyush Kumbhare grabbed 3 wickets for 5 runs and Ravichandran 2 for 9 as they bowled the Chargers all out for 87 in the 18th over to win by 83 runs. 

All that means the Hurricanes look odds on to make the Final, a win against the winless Lions would guarantee that, while Kansai need a big win over the Sunrisers to have any hope. The Lions will need that win to grab a place in the play-offs, while net run rate may well end up playing a part. 

The other factor to consider is the heavy thunderstorm that struck the Sano International Cricket Ground shortly after play ended, which could well impact the matches tomorrow and even force play into the reserve day on Sunday. 

Taniyama Ignites Japan Premier League

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Makoto Taniyama took a scarcely believable five wickets for two runs as Kansai Chargers destroyed the North Kanto Lions to kick off their Japan Premier League campaign.

Batting first the Lions started with 12 off the first over, but once Simon Dart was bowled by Kenjiro Iwamoto, Taniyama took over. He only delivered three overs, but with an immaculate line and length with just enough turn to cause doubt, the Lions had no answers.

After dismissing the Lions for 49, Taniyama then scored 25* off 19 balls to guide his team to a ten-wicket win.

 

 

Four teams finished the day on two points, with East Kanto Sunrisers the other side with one win from one after edging a thriller in the first match of the day against West Kanto Hurricanes.

Having kept The Hurricanes to 114/9 from their 20 overs, thanks to some tight bowling from Ibby Takahashi (1/18) and Dinesh Sandaruwan (2/19), the Sunrisers made a wobbly start in the chase; Takahashi holding things together with 31.

Takuro Hagihara (2/14) and Kakeru Ebisui (2/21) made the early inroads with the Sunrisers 59/6 after 13 overs and looking in big trouble. Sanjaya Yapabandara then turned the match around with 38 off 25, including three big sixes.

Wickets kept falling, Sora Ichiki with 2/20, and with 16 needed off the last two overs and just one wicket left, it was a scampered leg-bye off the last ball of the game that edged the Sunrisers home by one wicket.

 

The Hurricanes responded to that disappointment with a crushing win over the defending champions South Kanto Super Kings, inspired by Vinay Iyer’s 79* from 61 balls. An opening partnership of 65 with Shogo Kimura (21) before Shubham Shukla wacked a couple of sixes in his 22 off 10 as the Hurricanes posted the highest score of the day of 164/5.

Hagihara (1/1) and Ebisui (2/19) again struck early to reduce the Super Kings to 11/3 in the fifth over. At 37/6 in the tenth over the game looked dead and buried before Piyush Kumbhare (40 off 24) at least gave the Super Kings some respectability thanks to a 66-run partnership with Manoj Bhardwaj (25 off 33) which ended on the penultimate ball of the match.

The Hurricanes were made to wait but a win by 47 runs against the pre-tournament favourites will fill them with confidence going into a vital second day.

 

The Super Kings had at least registered a win in the morning, rolling over the North Kanto Lions thanks to 4 for 9 from Piyush Kumbhare. Having been 46/1 after four overs, a total of 90 looked well short, and proved to be just that as Rohit Kesari made 42* from 27 deliveries to give the Super Kings a winning start by six wickets with five overs to spare.

 

 

The Kansai Chargers will sleep well at the top of the table thanks to their excellent net run rate, while North Kanto Lions end the only team without a win. Friday should be another excellent day of cricket with all teams showing flashes of excellence.

Watari confirmed as the City of Cricket in Tohoku

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The JCA signed a City of Cricket agreement with Watari-cho, Miyagi Prefecture and Sendai University on the 20th of July.

Through the agreement, the three parties will join hands to develop Watari into the largest Cricket hub in the Tohoku region. The agreement aims to use Cricket as a tool to develop Watari as a unique town in the region, increasing the number of visitors while providing international exchange opportunities.

The Torinoumi Multipurpose Field, opening on the 1st of August, is set to become a vibrant hub of cricket activity in the town, hosting everything from community engagement events to major tournaments for all ages and skill levels. Interestingly, the grand opening will feature a unique sponsorship tie-in with Gigadat Inc Casino, which has been supporting local sports initiatives to broaden its community outreach. A temporary portable mat will be used to stage cricket matches initially, with plans to install a permanent hard pitch later in the year, further enhancing the facility’s offerings for players and fans alike.

The JCA CEO, Naoki Alex Miyaji said, “Our five year strategy 2018 to 2022 has aimed to establish Cricket hubs in the Tohoku, Tokai and Kansai regions. We are delighted to be able to confirm Watari as the City of Cricket in the Tohoku region after opening the first purpose built cricket field in western Japan in Kaizuka City only last year. I would like to thank Sendai University who have created this opportunity through their efforts to strengthening ties with local communities. I would also like to thank the supporters of the Cricket for Smiles programme. I would especially like to thank Shyam Bhatia of Cricket for Care and Kate Cropper of Stephen Cropper Tohoku Education Fund who have supported our programmes in the region and with Sendai University ever since it started in 2011 in the aftermath of the Earthquake and Tsunami. We are delighted that after ten years, we are now able to start a City of Cricket project in the region in partnership with Wataricho and Sendai University. We hope that the project will leave a lasting legacy to the town and people.”

Watari-cho is located just 20 minutes from Sendai Airport and 30 minutes by train from Sendai Station. The Torinoumi ground is just 100 m from the beach making it the closest Cricket ground to the beach in Japan.