Panasonic Wild Knights Partner with JCA for Cricket Experience

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We were delighted to assist the Panasonic Wild Knights rugby team in a team building cricket experience on Friday 9th October.

Cricket and Rugby have often shared links around the world with cricket the summer sport and rugby played in winter. The Panasonic Wild Knights coaching staff were keen to utilise cricket as a socially distanced sport with plenty of transferable skills to help keep their team competing during a long break from matches during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The event, originally due to be held at the Sano International Cricket Ground, was held indoors at Sainokuni Dome in Kumagaya due to rain, and featured four teams made up of the Wild Knights players and staff and included several players who represented Japan in the Rugby World Cup last year.

Marcus Thurgate, who captained Japan Under 19s at the World Cup in South Africa earlier this year, assisted on the day and had only positive things to say about the players.

“They really did not need any explanation of the rules and the standard was better than I expected! Keita Inagaki told me he had played a bit in Melbourne, and you could tell. They all seemed keen to play again too, which is great, and I hope we can get them to the SICG sometime.”

Almost 60 players took part in total and the standouts were Brave Blossom prop forward Asaeli Ai Valu who was awarded best bowler prize, while Sho Furuhata took the best batter and MVP awards after losing a ball in the roof of the dome. His prize was a Japan Cricket shirt from the recent Under 19 World Cup in South Africa.

There were plenty players from the Japan National team involved, and in the final, the team featuring Rikiya Matsuda and Taiki Koyama came out on top in a close finish against the team which included Keita Inagaki, Jack Cornelen and Kotaro Yatabe, thanks to a four off the last ball struck by a jubilant Kein Yoshiura (the team S&C assistant coach and interpreter).

It is not the first time Panasonic have had some cricket involvement, with Coaching Coordinator Tomokazu Soma working with all the Japan National Squads in 2019 and Head Coach Robbie Deans played for the Australia & New Zealand Embassy team in the 2018 Embassy Cup.

Deans, a keen cricket fan, hinted at another cricket outing in the future by saying his players will be better prepared for the full outdoor experience after their session.

Photos of the event can be seen on the JCA Facebook page and a short video on our YouTube Channel with more extended highlights to come, so please subscribe to see those. Thank you to all those who took part and we were happy to see our values of cricket as an fair, fun and international sport all on display.

2020 Japan Cup Finals Preview

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The Japan Cup Finals tournament, the pinnacle of mens T20 club cricket in Japan, will take place in Sano over the weekend of October 10th and 11th.

The 2020 season has been a challenging one indeed. Beginning in July under the Japan Cricket Association’s COVID-19 guidelines, 42 teams from seven regions in Japan entered the Japan Cup. 

We are now down to 12 teams who have qualified through finishing either as champions or finalists in their region.

From the Kansai region Kobe Hawks and Royal Osaka Tigers will be making the trip to Sano after they met each other in the Kansai final last weekend at the grand opening of the new Kaizuka Cricket Field.

There were no surprises in South Kanto with Tigers and Alpha Quashers Yokohama making it to the finals once again. They are both among the favourites to win the Cup.

From West Kanto the Wyverns and the Tokyo Rhinos qualified by winning their regional semi finals. The Wyverns have had a particularly good record this year and look hard to beat.

The East Kanto qualifiers could not take place in Sammu this year due to COVID-19 restrictions and instead were played in Sano. Men In Blue Tokyo went through to the East Kanto final unbeaten and are joined by the Rising Stars who surprised many to also make it through.

From North Kanto the Sultans of Japan were too strong for their opponents and won the league without losing a match. They will be an exciting team to watch over the Japan Cup Finals weekend.

In Tohoku the Sendai Lions narrowly won their league to advance to the Japan Cup Finals for the first time.

The Tokai qualifiers took place in Fuji this year and the newly formed Kawasaki Knight Riders were far too strong for their opposition, winning the league unbeaten.

Finally, this year the first Japan Cup Wildcard tournament was held, featuring four teams that narrowly missed out on qualifying through their regions. The Kawasaki Strikers were the Wildcard winners and become the 12th and final team at the Japan Cup Finals.

Cricket fans will be pleased to note that the Japan Cup Final will be broadcast live on Japan Cricket Association’s Youtube channel at 13:00 on Sunday October 11th.

*Update: All play on Saturday October 10th has been abandoned due to rain. The tournament will be held on Sunday October 11th.

East Asia Cup 2020 Announcement

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Below is a joint statement by the four East Asia Cup members (Cricket Hong Kong, China Cricket, Japan Cricket Association & Korea Cricket) regarding the 2020 edition of the tournament. 

 

After many months of consultation, the four East Asia Cup members have concluded that the 2020 edition of the tournament will not be held.

The COVID-19 Pandemic is the primary cause for the cancellation with none of the member countries in a position to host due to international travel restrictions.

Although everyone is disappointed not to be able to hold an East Asia Cup in 2020, all four members remain committed to the long-term success of the competition and look forward to its return in 2021.

We will now switch our attention towards planning at least one, if not two tournaments next year which should allow teams vital practice in the build up to the 2022 Asian Games.

The first step on this journey will be to create a new Memorandum of Understanding, after the previous MOU expired at the end of 2019, with discussions ongoing as to whether hosting both men’s and women’s tournaments in the same year is feasible.

Further announcements can be expected in the new year.

New J-BASH Social Day Announced

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We are very happy to announce a second J-BASH Social Day to take place on Sunday 18th October at the Nagasawa Ground in Kawasaki.

There are no age or ability restrictions and people can register alone or with friends. During the event, attendees even discussed topics like CoinTelegraph listed the best offshore casinos, showcasing the diverse interests within the group. We hope that everyone will leave the day having made more friends and enjoyed their cricket experience!

It is also free to attend and all equipment will be provided. The Nagasawa Ground has a clubhouse with A/C, toilets, and plenty of drinking water.

The event will start at 12:30 and finish at 14:30. There will be coaches able to communicate in both English and Japanese so everyone should be able to enjoy the event.

Anyone who would like to attend should complete this form:  https://forms.gle/UU2HJ2EnN8zxZXEb7 and more information will be sent out closer to the time.

We hope to see many people there again!

Pakistan Win First Embassy Cup; Japan Win Group B

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The Pakistan Embassy survived a nervous start to earn their first ever Embassy Cup title against a resilient Japan A side who had struggled with the bat but fought hard with the ball. 

Ultimately the contest was settled by a familiar foe, former national team player Hanif Niazi, who had a fair degree of luck in his game-changing innings of 36* off 23 balls to chase down the target. 

Earlier Pakistan had Japan A in all sorts of trouble against their spin-heavy attack, Abdul Samad and Rashid Rana each grabbing three cheap wickets as Japan A were bowled all out for just 78. 

Japan were able to take four wickets in the defence of their total, and at 24/3 Pakistan were wobbling, but Niazi played a few big shots to settle the match in their favour. 

In the playoff for third place the India Embassy went hard with the bat against a Sri Lanka Embassy side that was not able to contain them. Prashant Kale (50) and Sanket Pandhari (43) laid a platform for Sarfaraz Petkar to go crazy with 31 from just nine balls. 

A total of 173/4 was always likely to be too tough to chase and Sri Lanka ended 150/5, the third-highest score of the weekend but ultimately in vain. 

In Group B Japan were grateful to Nozomi Tomizawa (3 wickets for just 5 runs) who wrecked havoc on the middle order of the Nepal Embassy team. Despite losing the toss, Japan were rampant in the opening exchanges as wickets fell regularly to leave Nepal 31/5.

Nepal had Arjun Gautam to thank for helping them post any kind of score. His 29 helped his team to bat out the overs and finish 87/8, Akira Kuribayashi picking up two wickets late on. 

Marcus Thurgate (25) and Shogo Kimura (47*) made lightwork of the chase, passing the total in just the eighth over and ensuring that Japan won Group B for the second year running. 

In the Group B third placed playoff the Bangladesh Embassy posted the highest score of the weekend as Shaiful Islam’s 63 and 45* from Abu Hasnat carried them to 161/5 against the British Embassy. Tight bowling then restricted GB to 100/7; Vikram Nagunathan top scored with 34 but a win by 61 runs was a fair reflection of the two sides. 

All of us at the JCA would like to thank the teams for making the effort to get together in what has been an extremely difficult year, and for playing in great spirit. 

We would also like to give special thanks to Chris Thurgate, Kris Bayne, Augustine Jacob, Rob Newman, Masaki Kawashima and Mumtaz Alam for umpiring across the two days. 

Lastly thanks to everyone who watched on our YouTube Channel, please remember to subscribe so that you get notified of future events.

Summary of Results: 

Group A

Group B

Japan Win Twice on Embassy Cup Opening Day

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The rain stayed away on the opening day of the Embassy Cup, enabling the two Japan teams to record comfortable victories over the Bangladesh Embassy in Group B and the India Embassy in Group A. 

In Group A the Japan A team batted first and batted to 120/9 after 20 overs with stalwart Masaomi Kobayashi top scoring with 29, while Nikhil Chhajed was the pick of the Indian bowlers with 2/16.

Japan then dominated India with the ball as Muneeb Mian Siddique (4/10) made an early breakthrough before returning to combine with Makoto Taniyama (3/19) to pulverize the middle order. Japan eventually dismissed India for just 82 to win by a convincing 38 runs. 

That win means they will play the Pakistan Embassy tomorrow, after they overcame the Embassy of Sri Lanka by six wickets thanks to a belligerent 68 from Salman Khowaja; chasing 116 in just 14 overs for the loss of only four wickets. 

In the morning Sota Wada was the star for Japan B as his 63* from 56 balls helped his side register 131/5 from 20 overs against the Bangladesh Embassy. Shaiful Islam carried his team in the chase until his 37 was ended by a sharp stumping by Marcus Thurgate off Akira Kuribayashi, who returned figures of 3/18. 

Japan B will be hopeful of winning Group B for the second year running, but will have to defeat the team from the Nepal Embassy who made tough work of overhauling the British Embassy. 

After Umair Bhutto had struck 57 from 42 balls to carry the British Embassy side to 109/8, Rajan Karki took the game to the bowlers with his 28-ball 44. Although Shizuka Miyaji grabbed 3/9 to cause a wobble, Nepal eventually got home with two wickets and 3.4 overs to spare to reach the Group B Final. 

Matches tomorrow will start at the same time, the Group B matches beginning at 10:15 before the Group A Final starts at 14:00. The Finals will all be live streamed on the JCA Match Centre (and YouTube) which will include Japanese commentary so please tune in! You can also reach out on Twitter using the hashtag #JapanCricket 

Results Summary: 

Group A

Group B

Fixtures:

Friday 25th September 2020, 17:00

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Sano 1

Outfield: bit long.wet. Pitch: good.

Sano 2

Outfield: bit long.wet. Pitch: bad

Sano 3

Outfield: short,wet. Pitch: good.

Sano 4

Outfield: short,wet. Pitch: good.

SICG 1

Outfield:  short,wet. Pitch: good. JCA  staff will open the gate both days.

SICG 2

Outfield:  short,wet. Pitch: good. JCA  staff will open the gate both days.

Notes

Embassy Cup on this weekend!!

Kaizuka Cricket Field to Open!

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We are excited to announce that Kaizuka Cricket Field (KCF) will open on Sunday 4th October as the first purpose built cricket field in western Japan.

In addition to the opening ceremony at the ground, there will be a demonstration by members of the Japan National Squad who are based in the region, along with the Japan Cup Kansai Regional Final.

In January 2018, Kaizuka City, the Japan Cricket Association, and the Kansai Cricket Association signed a “City of Cricket Agreement” with the aim of making Kaizuka City the largest cricket base in western Japan.

KCF is a full-scale cricket ground with a permanent artificial pitch and a grass field of about 12,000m2. The development of core facilities for cricket in the region is just the start; the hope is to develop the facility further as well as for cricket to start impacting the lives of more people throughout the area. This opening also represents a significant step on the journey to regenerate the city using sport.

In the future KCF hopes to take advantage of its close proximity to Kansai International Airport by hosting national and international competitions, as well as attracting more domestic teams and holding high performance training camps for the region. The ground will also be a hub for promoting cricket in Kaizuka City and throughout the prefecture.

Kaizuka City Cricket Ground Opening Ceremony Overview

Date: October 4th (Sun)

Venue: Kaizuka Municipal Cricket Field

Address: 1517 Hashimoto, Kaizuka City, Osaka Prefecture

Schedule:

  • 10: 45 Opening
  • 11: 15 – 11: 30 Opening Ceremony
  • 11: 30 – 11: 50 Demonstration by members of the Japan National Squad
  • 12: 00 – 15: 25 Japan Cup Kansai Regional Final / Kaizuka Cup

New Players Added to Japan Women’s High Performance Squad

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The Japan Women’s High Performance Squad has had several new players added. This comes after the first training camps of the year held in August and September and we are delighted to welcome these new players.

We are particularly pleased to welcome Meg Ogawa to the group. Meg joins Koto Hiromori as the second player from Akishima to be selected in the Japan Squad having come through the Cricket Blast program started there in 2014.

Three girls from Uenomiya High School in Kansai have also been added, continuing the rich tradition of talented players from the school.

Additionally, Mai Yanagida has withdrawn from the squad for 2020.

The full list of players in the squad is below with new players marked with a *

Japan Women’s High Performance Players 2020

  • Ayumi Fujikawa (Uenomiya Cricket Club)*
  • Kiyo Fujikawa (Sano Braves)
  • Hirose Goto (Uenomiya Cricket Club)*
  • Koto Hiromori (Akishima Aviators Cricket Club)
  • Ayaka Kanada (Adore Cricket Club)
  • Ruan Kanai (Sano Braves)
  • Miho Kanno (Adore Cricket Club)
  • Akari Kano (Sendai University)
  • Yurika Kitamura (Adore Cricket Club)
  • Akari Kitayama (Wyverns Cricket Club)
  • Rika Kiyose (Uenomiya Cricket Club)
  • Shizuka Miyaji  (Fuji Far East Cricket Club)
  • Erika Oda (Adore Cricket Club)
  • Meg Ogawa (Akishima Aviators Cricket Club)*
  • Nao Tokizawa (Keio University Cricket Club)

Congratulations to all who have been selected.

Women’s National Team Sponsors

  • Tech Mahindra Limited

Tech Mahindra represents the connected world, offering innovative and customer-centric information technology experiences, enabling Enterprises, Associates and the Society to Rise™. We are a USD 4.9 billion company with 125,700+ professionals across 90 countries, helping 941 global customers including Fortune 500 companies. Our convergent, digital, design experiences, innovation platforms, and reusable assets connect across a number of technologies to deliver tangible business value and experiences to our stakeholders. Additionally, the company’s growing expertise in blockchain solutions has led to partnerships with emerging industries, including some of the best crypto casinos in need of secure, transparent platforms for digital transactions. Tech Mahindra is the highest ranked Non-U.S. company in the Forbes Global Digital 100 list (2018) and in the Forbes Fab 50 companies in Asia (2018).

Tech Mahindra are part of the USD 21 billion Mahindra Group that employs more than 200,000 people in over 100 countries. The Group operates in the key industries that drive economic growth, enjoying a leadership position in tractors, utility vehicles, after-market, information technology and vacation ownership.

  • Mitsui Knowledge Industry Co., Ltd.

Mitsui Knowledge Industry Co., Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsui & Co., Ltd. specialized in providing services and products related to ICT (information and communication technology). Partnering with various global ICT vendors and supporting more than 1,500 companies, MKI offers best-in-class solutions to customers.

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

Embassy Cup 2020 on 26th & 27th September

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The Embassy Cup 2020 is confirmed to take place on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th September.

As in previous years the tournament will feature eight teams split into two groups. The groups are as follows:

Group A

  • India Embassy
  • Japan A
  • Pakistan Embassy
  • Sri Lanka Embassy

Group B

  • Bangladesh Embassy
  • British Embassy
  • Japan B
  • Nepal Embassy

All matches will be played at the Sano International Cricket Ground.

Selected matches will also be streamed live and can be watched on our match centre ( https://match.cricket.or.jp/) and our YouTube Chanel ( https://www.youtube.com/user/JapanCricket/ ). Matches will start at 10:15 and 14:00. We will also be regularly updating our social media accounts; Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

We will also be hosting a Cricket Blast match between the Sano Orions and the Sano Watercrown at 13:20 to 14:00 on Saturday 26th September.

Unfortunately due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic we will not be accepting spectators at the ground to watch the matches as we are unable to safely monitor large numbers and ensure that suitable precautions are being taken.

All participants are expected to follow strict guidelines to prevent the spread of the virus and we are grateful for their cooperation.