World Cup Qualifiers in 2021 Announced: Sano To Host Men and U19 Qualifiers

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The International Cricket Council (ICC) have announced the World Cup East Asia Pacific Qualifying schedule for the Men, Women, and Under 19 categories in 2021, and it is our great pleasure to confirm that Sano will be the host city for the Men and U19 qualifying events. 

These two events will be held back-to-back, giving Sano 11 days of international cricket in late September and early October, while the Women’s qualifying tournament will be held in early September in Samoa.

The events are: 

ICC Women’s T20 World Cup EAP Qualifier:

  • 3rd – 8th September
  • Host: Samoa
  • 8 Teams: Cook Islands, Fiji, Indonesia, Japan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Vanuatu

ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup EAP Qualifier: 

  • 28th September – 4th October
  • Host: Sano
  • 4 Teams: Indonesia, Japan, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu

ICC Men’s T20 World Cup EAP Qualifier: 

  • 11th – 16th October
  • Host: Sano
  • 8 Teams: Cook Islands, Fiji, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Samoa, South Korea, Vanuatu

 

We believe that the hosting of two ICC events  is an excellent opportunity to showcase the sport of cricket in Japan to a wider audience and are looking forward to working with our partners both in Japan and abroad to maximise this opportunity. 

Japan hosted the Under 19 Cricket World Cup EAP Qualifier in 2019 where our team was victorious. The Men’s event in 2021 will include 8 teams, making it the largest tournament hosting in Japan to date.

Being made host provides vindication of the significant steps made in developing Cricket in Sano with the support of the “City of Cricket Sano Supporter Club” and the investment by Sano City to renovate the Sano International Cricket Ground into a facility capable of holding such tournaments. During preparations, one of the organizers highlighted the importance of managing tournament funds securely, introducing the team to the concept of a secure crypto wallet. This innovation, they explained, was becoming essential for handling international transactions efficiently and transparently, especially in a global event like this. Such forward-thinking measures further solidified Sano’s position as a world-class cricket destination.

We are sure the entire cricket community will share our excitement and will join with us in supporting our National teams in what will be a busy and exciting year. 

About the “City of Cricket Sano Supporter Club”:

The “City of Cricket Sano Supporter Club”, established in December 2011, will be celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2021. It was established with the purpose to support Sano’s development as a hub for Cricket and to revitalise the City by doing so. It has supported the JCA’s programmes in Sano which have seen more than 30,000 people introduced to the sport with more than 20 teams being developed and five players representing Japan. The six grounds, including the two at the Sano International Cricket Ground, attracted more than 13,000 people to the City in 2019 despite a shortened season due to Typhoon Hagibis. The Supporter Club consists of approximately 120 corporate members and 100 individual members.

The Shorties – 2020

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With the 2020 cricket season now a distant memory, gone in the blink of an eye, faster than we could say “Atsui ne?”, it’s time to glance backwards and remind ourselves of the highlights of an unforgettable year…in more ways than one. 

The Shorties, we must remind the world, are a highly unofficial set of awards that come with no actual prizes. That is of course, not including the warm glow of pride that comes with being mentioned on these esteemed pages. 

We remain hopeful that one day, when all of us in the Short Cave are hailed as pioneers, some wealthy sponsor will shower us with enough gold to be able to backdate the gongs and deliver to those deemed worthy, but until then, we hope that aforementioned warm glow will keep you going through the cold, cricketless, winter months. 

First, the JCL Team of the Year as chosen by the venerable JCL Committee:

 

  1. Vinay Iyer (Alpha Quashers Yokohama)
  2. Dhugal Bedingfield (Chiba Sharks)
  3. Wataru Miyauchi (WK) (Wyverns Cricket Club)
  4. Sabaorish Ravichandran (C) (Tigers Cricket Club)
  5. Supun Nawarathna (MAX Cricket Club)
  6. Rohit Kesari (Alpha Quashers Yokohama)
  7. Karthik Vellingiri (Alpha Quashers Yokohama)
  8. Abhishek Telang (Men in Blue Cricket Club)
  9. Nikhil Chajjed (Alpha Quashers Yokohama)
  10. Piyush Kumbhare (Tigers Cricket Club)
  11. Naveen Negi (Tokyo Falcons)

Hard to argue too much with any of those, the top six run-scorers and top five wicket-takers all get in, with a backup wicketkeeper and some useful vice captain options as well.

Now to the Gongs, following the usual pattern of alternative awards selected by heated debate in the One Short Cave by our team of writers each trying to be heard, and ultimately overruled by our Commander-In-Chief. 

Innings of the Year: Manoj Bhardwaj, 41 from 77, Tigers CC vs AQCC (Grand Final)

There were many notable performances in this area, and while it would be easy to give the gong to the “greatest innings ever played in Japan”, that would just be boring; Sorry Ravichandran-San, you have enough gongs already. 

Instead we turn to a knock that perfectly typified the man who played it. A man who has registered four half-centuries in six seasons, with a highest score of 53*, struck gold in the biggest game of his life; the JCL Grand Final. 

Years of management for the Tigers, matches played in Division Two, a Grand Final defeat in 2016 and a hat-trick of semi-final losses since; with his team in strife and himself limping in pain, enter Manoj “The Crouching Tiger” Bhardwaj to shoulder the burden and carry his team to a match winning, title clinching total against the Alpha Quashers. Just 41 from 77 balls, which the man himself has already watched back five times since that glorious day, shows that size really does not matter. 

An honourable mention to Shotaro Takahashi for becoming the youngest half-centurion in the history of the Division.

Partnership of the Year: Karthik Vellingiri & Vinay Iyer x4

Normally this award goes to a single partnership, but for registering three partnerships in the 70s (one unbroken) and another more than a hundred, a cap must be doffed to Karthik Vellingiri and Vinay Iyer, whose consistency at the top formed the backbone of the Alpha Quashers season. 

A mention also to Masaki Kawashima and Wataru Miyauchi for their unbroken century stand against the Rising Stars in Round Three, scored at almost eight runs an over. 

Bowling Performance of the Season: Yuki Ohtorii, 4/11, Sano CC vs Chiba Sharks, Round Seven

In what was a more batsman-friendly year than most, and in keeping with the tradition of looking for unlikely gong-collectors, one of the more remarkable bowling returns was by Sano CC’s ninth (9th!) choice bowler against the Chiba Sharks. As Sano grabbed five wickets for 12 runs, Yuki Ohtorii, in his only bowling spell of the season, took four for 11 in less than three overs. Remarkable for so many reasons (all catches, three on the boundary; bowling to his field). Between matches, the players often discussed their hobbies and ventures, with one teammate enthusiastically sharing his experience exploring offshore platforms like https://nokyccasino.ltd/. The conversation turned to risks and rewards, much like those faced on the cricket field, where strategy and precision determine success.

Honourable mentions to Raman Tanwar, whose golden spell in the Grand Final looked like turning the tide in the Quashers’ favour before Bhardwaj said otherwise, and Raheel Kano, whose six for 28 were the best figures of the season in Wyverns’ thumping of the Rising Stars.

Match of the Year: Tokyo Falcons vs Men In Blue, Round Six

A few to choose from here, most of which have already been mentioned, but circumstances must dictate that Tokyo Falcons one wicket, penultimate ball win over Men In Blue, in a match vital to both teams hopes of making a first ever semi-final, to be the winner. 

The 44* from Ankur Mehrotra was another contender for innings of the year, as he guided his team slowly, painfully, masterfully towards their target against their fiercest rivals. 

Breakthrough Player of the Year: Naveen Negi, Tokyo Falcons

Tokyo Falcons have certainly been the surprise package of 2020 and much of that has been down to their improved bowling attack, spearheaded by Naveen “The Onion” Negi. A total of 13 wickets at 12.54 suggests he knows how to make batsmen weep, and he should be an asset for as long as the Falcons can keep him fresh.

The 8th Annual Akishima Mayor’s Cup

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The 8th Annual Akishima Mayor’s Cup took place on Sunday the 22nd of November. A total of 6 teams (around 50 children) registered to take part in the event at Showa Park Athletic Ground.

Teams played in qualifying rounds before taking part in the finals round. 

Playing off in the Grand Final were Akishima Jr Club and AQCC U12. After a close-fought and highly competitive final Akishima Jr Club were crowned champions defeating AQCC by just 3 runs! Tokyo Rangers came 3rd after narrowly edging out Team Cricket. With BST Red taking bragging rights back to school after defeating BST Blue in the last final for the day. 

　

FINAL STANDINGS

1st – Akishima Jr Club

2nd – AQCC U12

3rd – Tokyo Rangers

4th – Team Cricket (Best Batting)

5th – BST RED (Best Fielding)

6th – BST BLUE (Spirit of Cricket)

　

Special thanks to

Mr. Shinji Inoue (Member of the House of Representatives) and City of Cricket Akishima Supporter club board members who took part in the opening/closing ceremony. 

Photos courtesy of Rohan Gillet at https://www.tokyo-in-pics.com

Thank you to all staff who were involved in creating a safe and fun environment for the kids.

2020 Japan Cricket Award Winners

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The Japan Cricket Association Annual Awards night was held in Kawasaki on Saturday November 28th. The list of award winners for the 2020 season is below.

Japan Cricket Association Player of the Year (Men)

Winner: Sabaorish Ravichandran

Runner Up: Sarfraz Petkar

Third Place: Vinay Iyer

Japan Premier League

Champions: South Kanto Super Kings

Best Bowler: Kohei Kubota (Super Kings), 6 wickets @ 4.6

Best Batsman: Abhipray Dewan (Sunrisers), 79 runs 79.0

MVP: Sabaorish Ravichandran (Super Kings), 100 runs & 3 wickets

Japan Cricket League – Division 1

Champions: Tigers CC

Best Bowler: Sabaorish Ravichandran (Tigers), 17 wickets @ 8.0

Best Batsman: Vinay Iyer (Alpha Quashers), 357 runs @ 89.2

MVP: Sabaorish Ravichandran (Tigers), 449 runs & 17 wickets

Japan Cricket League – Division 2

Champions: Tigers CC

Best Bowler: Dev Mishra (Falcons), 16 wickets @ 19.9

Best Batsman: Pranjal Thapiyal (Tigers), 218 runs @ 36.3

MVP: Ankit Thakur (Tigers), 158 runs & 11 wickets

Japan Cricket League – Division 3

Champions: Tokyo Rangers CC

Best Bowler: Abhishek Khattri Chhetri (Rangers), 18.0 wickets @ 5.0

Best Batsman: Naveen Gaur (Falcons), 224 runs @ 44.8

MVP: Noor Mohammed Ibrahim (Rangers), 193 runs & 6 wickets

Japan Cup Finals Tournament

Not held this year due to typhoon.

Japan Cup T20 Regional Qualifiers

North Kanto Champions: Sultans of Japan. MVP: Ashiq Hussain (Sultans).

East Kanto Champions: Men In Blue CC. MVP: Sarfraz Petkar (Men In Blue).

South Kanto Champions: Tigers CC. MVP: Jano Venter (Wombats).

West Kanto Champions: Wyverns. MVP: Wataru Miyauchi (Wyverns)

Kansai Champions: Kobe Hawks CC. MVP: Umar Malik (Hawks)

Tokai Champions: Kawasaki Knight Riders CC. MVP: Shubham Shukla (Knight Riders)

Tohoku Champions: Sendai Lions. MVP: Manoj Nuwan (Lions)

Japan Under 19 League

Champions: Chiba My Ys

Best Bowler: Varad Potdar (My Ys), 9 wickets @ 13.7

Best Batsman: Neel Date (My Ys), 332 runs @ 83.0

MVP: Shotaro Takahashi (Braves), 257 runs & 6 wickets

Japan Under 15 League

Champions: Sano Braves CC

Best Bowler: Nihar Parmar (Falcons), 12 wickets @ 9.5

Best Batsman: Aditya Phadke (Men In Blue), 170 runs @ 85.0

MVP: Shotaro Takahashi (Braves), 262 runs & 7 wickets

Thank You To Our Sponsors:

Platinum Partner

Men’s National Team Sponsor

Women’s National Team Sponsor

Women’s National Team Sponsor

Gold Partner

Press Release Partner

Ruby Partner

Official Eyewear Supplier

 

Supporter Club

City of Cricket Akishima Supporter Club
City of Cricket Sano Supporter Club

 

My Ys and Braves Win Japan Junior Leagues

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The Chiba My Ys and the Sano Braves have become Japan junior champions after winning the respective U19 and U15 league finals in November at the conclusion of a shortened season.

The Japan U15 finals series was played at the Sano International Cricket Ground on November 1st, the top four league teams taking part in the semi finals, followed by a final and third place playoff.

In the first semi final match the Sano Braves defeated the Lions by 51 runs thanks to Shotaro Takahashi’s superb innings of 57 not out.

In the second semi final the Tokyo Falcons were too strong for the Men In Blue, winning by 25 runs, Nikhil Pol top-scoring for the Falcons with 33 while Aditya Phadke top-scored for Men In Blue with 38 not out.

Shotaro Takahashi followed up his efforts in the semi final with another unbeaten half-century in the final, finishing on 58 not out as the Sano Braves cruised to a comfortable win against the Tokyo Falcons. Nihar Parmar impressed for the Falcons with 25 runs and three wickets.

The third place playoff was won by the Men In Blue, who chased down the Lions target of 150 with three overs to spare. Aditya Phadke top-scored for the Men In Blue again with 54 not out while Shakir Ali made 41 not out in quick time for the Lions.

The U19 final was played in Fuji on November 21st between Uenomiya High School and the Chiba My Ys. 

The Chiba My Ys had overcome the Sano Braves in the East group final to qualify for the Japan final while Uenomiya had progressed by finishing unbeaten in the West group.

With Mt Fuji in full view, the My Ys batted first, Neel Date (63 runs) and Debashish Sahoo (69 runs) combining for an excellent partnership to guide their team to 162/1 after 20 overs. Hiroki Kato bowled with good pace for Uenomiya but none of the bowlers were able to find a breakthrough.

In reply, Uenomiya batted aggressively but were unable to reach the target, finishing their innings on 114/5. Hayato Kinutani (25 runs) and Shota Kono (20 runs) showed some promise with the bat for Uenomiya while Ashley Thurgate and Varad Potdar were the pick of the bowlers for the My Ys, bowling tightly and claiming one wicket each.

Australia vs India Being Live-Streamed in Japan

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*This article was amended on 30th November

On November 26th we posted an article announcing the live streaming of cricket matches from the Australia summer. Since the posting of that article there have been some changes to what is on offer with the new details explained below.

The platform is www.live-now.com and Cricket Australia has partnered with LIVENow to provide the full international series between Australia and India which consists of four Tests, three One Day Internationals and Three T20 Internationals, as well as two tour matches.

Additionally all televised matches of the Men’s Big Bash League are available for purchase. Individual match prices have changed from JPY 360 to JPY 620, or you can buy the full package of all matches for JPY 3,000.

Below is an outline of exactly what is available and how it can be purchased, as well as some special offer information.

Australia vs India 

Price: JPY 620 for each game or JPY 3,000 for all 12 games
Series period: November 27, 2020 – January 19, 2021
https://www.live-now.com/ja-int/page/australia-vs-india

Big Bash League (BBL)

Price: JPY 620 for each game or JPY 3,000 for all 61 game packages
Period: December 10, 2020 – February 6, 2021
https://www.live-now.com/ja-int/page/bbl

Special Offer

Those wishing to purchase both packages can receive a 10% discount on each package, which must still be purchased separately. *There have been some technical issues with purchasing the second package, if you experience problems please contact the support centre at: support@live-now.com.
Discount purchase period: November 28th – December 9th
Target: Australia v India International Match Series (12 matches) Big Bash League (61 matches)
Discount code: DBSAQP7THH

How to Purchase

  • Click on the event you want to purchase on www.live-now.com
  • Create an account/log in if they already have an account
  • Choose “I HAVE A PROMO CODE” as method of payment
  • Insert the code following code: DBSAQP7THH and click on “APPLY NOW”. The discount will automatically be applied
  • Select a payment method among the ones available to pay the remaining fee
  • Click on “PAY NOW” and the order will be confirmed. The user will then receive a confirmation email with the link to the stream

Happy watching!

*The discount is only applicable to purchases made between November 28th and December 9th.

2020 Sano Mayor’s Cup Completed

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The Sano Mayor’s Cup, which was first held in 2014, was held on Sunday 15th November at the Sano International Cricket Ground.

The event is played in the Cricket Blast format and involves elementary school children, from Sano and beyond, coming together in teams of six to play matches and compete for the trophy. Most players come from those who have been introduced to cricket through the school visits we regularly conduct in Sano, and the Cricket Blast Series which runs twice a year.

The Mayor’s Cup is the final official event of the season and in a year of setbacks for sport around the world it was wonderful that the next generation of Japanese cricketers were able to enjoy great weather and enjoy the day to the full.

This year there were six teams taking part, two from local schools (Tochimoto and Ueno Elementary schools), while two local clubs (The Orions and The Water Crown) and two guest clubs (TAKA-6 and Chiba Monstars) also joined the day. Together with volunteers, parents and local city councils there were close to 100 people around throughout the day.

Each team played qualifying rounds before the Grand Final took place between Ueno Elementary School and the Chiba Monstars. Ueno, who have attended this event for many years, won their second title after a closely fought win in a competitive final. The defending champions, Sano Water Crown, finished third after overcoming TAKA-6.

The Mayor of Sano, Masahide Okabe, was present to hand over the trophy and winners medals while officials from the Sano Tourism and Sports Department were also giving their support during the day.

Result

  • Winner: Ueno Elementary School
  • Runner-up: Chiba Monstars
  • 3rd place: Sano Water Crown
  • 4th place: TAKA-6
  • 5th place: Tochimoto Elementary School
  • 6th place: Sano Orions

In addition, individual awards were given to players who impressed during the day.

Individual Awards

  • Tournament MVP: Reon Kobayashi (Ueno Elementary School)
  • Outstanding Player Award: Sakutaro Sugano (Sano Water Crown), Yoto Sudo (Tochimoto Elementary School), Kengo Maeda (TAKA-6). Hana Watanabe (Chiba Monsters), Toshinori Katayanagi (Sano Water Crown), Taiga Ogawa (Chiba Monstars)
  • Spirit of Cricket award: Kaoru Oshima (Orions Sano)

We hope that everyone who attended on the day had a wonderful time and was inspired to continue playing even if this is their last year in the Under 12 age group. Each year we all look to improve these types of events and will be back in 2021 with hopefully more teams and another fun day of cricket!

2020 Awards Ceremony

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We would like to announce that after much discussion the annual awards ceremony will take a different shape in 2020 and be by invitation only.

At a time when new COVID-19 cases are still reasonably high in Tokyo we did not feel it would be appropriate to conduct a ceremony in the manner that we have in previous years.

To find somewhere that would enable a group of people to be suitably distanced while also retaining the festive and celebratory nature of an awards ceremony has proved too difficult in these challenging times.

However, all award winners and many key other people will be invited to an event specifically for them which as we still wish to recognise the hard work of many volunteers throughout the cricket community as to celebrate the many successes that have happened this year.

We apologise that this event cannot be open to everyone but hope to return to a more traditional set up in 2021.

Information will be sent to those invited very soon.

All of us at the JCA would like to say a big thank you and congratulations again to everyone on what has been a memorable season.

Japan Cup T20 Regional Champions

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42 teams took to the field this year in the Japan Cup across seven regions. Disappointingly, the Japan Cup Finals, scheduled to be played in Sano early in October, were washed out by the typhoon. There is no national T20 champion to announce but there were plenty of teams around Japan that claimed glory through winning their regional tournaments. 

Kobe Hawks Kansai champions 2020The Kansai Cricket Association celebrated the opening of the new Kaizuka Cricket Field by staging the Kansai Final between Kobe Hawks and Royal Osaka Tigers. The match was live streamed to a global audience, the Hawks triumphing by chasing down the Royal Tigers’ total of 120 with four balls to spare. Umar Malik impressed for the Hawks across the season, striking 228 runs.

North Kanto was full of new teams experiencing the Japan Cup for the first time this year and it took until the last over of the season to determine the winner. Roaring Tigers posted 118 in a rain-shortened final and it took their opponents Sultans of Japan until the second last ball to claim a thrilling victory. Former baseballer Musashi Yamamoto’s century for Sano was a season highlight.

The Sammu ground couldn’t be used this year due to COVID-19 restrictions so the East Kanto season was held in Sano. Men In Blue Tokyo were champions again for the fifth year in a row, well led by their captain Sarfraz Petkar, who scored 271 runs in their campaign. Rising Stars were the runners up and almost pulled off an unlikely victory in the final before Men In Blue steadied to win with an over to spare.

West Kanto was also forced to play many of their matches in Sano, including the final. Batting first in the final, Wyverns compiled a hue total of 228/3, Shogo Kimura top-scoring with 87 not out. Their opponents Tokyo Rhinos weren’t able to get anywhere near the total but should be proud of their efforts in reaching the final. Japan wicket keeper Wataru Miyauchi scored 150 runs for the year and looks like he will be an important player for the national team next year.

Tokai was played amongst four teams in Fuji this year. Kawasaki Knight Riders were winners in their inaugural season, finishing unbeaten. The Tokai league is expected to add more teams for the 2021 season.

In Tohoku the Sendai Lions narrowly edged Sendai CC to become champions for the first time. Next year is one to look forward to with the anticipated opening of a new ground in Shichigahama, which is sure to lead to an increase in cricket participation in the region.

In the final Japan Cup match of the season Tigers became South Kanto champions for the first time by defeating perennial champions Alpha Quashers at the Yokohama Country & Athletic Club. The runs of Sabaorish Ravichandran and the wickets of Puneet Kumar were vital to the success of Tigers as their unbeaten run continues in Japan Cup and JCL Division 1 matches this year

Beginning this year, each team is given a ranking based on their performances over the last two seasons. So, at the end of it all, where did your team finish in the Japan Cup rankings? 

New teams can register their interest in joining the Japan Cup for 2021 by filling in this form. 

Sano Social League 2020 Completed

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The Sano Social League was hosted on Sunday 8th November at the Sano International Cricket Ground with 10 teams taking part from the local community.

Teams were made up of local businesses and people within the community many of whom are still relatively new to the sport. Each match lasts just 45 minutes so the teams were all able to play several games during the afternoon.

This year the event had to be curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and this was the only event hosted, after the two previously scheduled events were cancelled. This meant some teams from previous years were unable to take part, but it was great to see new teams also joining.

The Finals were decided by league matches and playoffs and at the end of the event a top three was confirmed:

  • Winner: Yoshizawa Lime Industry Co.
  • Runner-up: Sano City Hall
  • Third place: Black Flamingos

At the end of the event all teams left with a participation gift and hopefully many happy memories of a fun afternoon played in a great atmosphere during the warm autumn weather. The league will return in 2021 and we encourage any local businesses, families or community groups to come and enjoy some outdoors activity in a friendly and inclusive environment!