Japan Premier League July 23rd-25th Preview

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The Japan Premier League returns this long weekend with five teams competing across three days for the title.

Kansai Chargers are added to the four teams from Kanto, and their inclusion means all matches will be hosted in a central location across three days.

The matches will also be live streamed on the JCA website; please check our detailed match centre where scores and statistics will all be shown as well as the live action. Although the preliminary rounds will be a simple stream with a single camera, the final should include commentary and a second camera.

Our Head of Cricket Operations Alan Curr said: “Despite the challenges of COVID-19 and some unpredictable weather we are ecstatic that we can get all the best cricketers in Japan together for three days of cricket.

We have been planning for Kansai to join this tournament for some time and I have no doubt they will bring fresh energy and a real competitiveness.”

There will be four matches per day, starting at 10:30am on Thursday 23rd July with the Final scheduled for 2:30pm on Saturday 25th July. However Sunday 26th July has also been saved as a reserve day just in case the weather causes postponements.

We would like to thank all the players, and especially the umpires, whose passion for cricket is central for enabling these events to happen. We hope all our fans will join the live stream and enjoy the show.

The Japan Premier League teams are made up of the best players from each of the Japan Cup T20 teams in their respective regions. Plenty of Japan national squad players feature in each squad as well as star players from several different countries. 

We’ve put together the following guide to help you follow all the action. 

Full schedule here.

East Kanto Sunrisers

Captain: Tsuyoshi Takada

Summary: The Sunrisers were the surprise champions last year, defeating the Hurricanes in the final, but it will not be an easy task to replicate last year’s success. There have been quite a few changes to the squad and it remains to be seen whether the new players will be able to perform. The squad still has good batting depth so expect the Sunrisers to compete well in every match.

Player to watch: Sanjaya Yapabandara. The Sri Lankan veteran is an important player for the Sunrisers with both bat and ball. His quick off spin is perfect for T20 cricket and he has the ability to hit boundaries early in his innings. He will need to fire for the Sunrisers to make the final.

Quote: “We’ve lost a couple of senior players who made lots of runs last year but we’re confident our young players can come into the squad and they do a great job. Marcus Thurgate will be a key player for us. He is getting more mature every year. We have many talented players so we don’t have to do anything special. If everyone can do their role, such as bowling in the right areas, and we can run quickly between wickets, we can win JPL again.” Tsuyoshi Takada (Captain).

Squad: Tsuyoshi Takada (C), Sanjaya Yapabandara, Kuldeep Bisht, Dhugal Bedingfield, Neel Date, Naveen Negi, Ashik Chowdhury, Marcus Thurgate, Muneeb Siddique, Bhutto Umair, Rony Taluqdar, Nalin Priyadarshana, Tharindu Perera, Leon Mehlig, Manish Kapil, Abhipray Deewan, Debashish Sahoo, Kushal Kamat.

West Kanto Hurricanes

Captain: Tomoki Ota

Summary: The Hurricanes were so close to capturing their first JPL title in 2019 and will be hungry to improve this year. Their squad is stable and with the addition of Kobayashi and Morita they have strengthened their batting and spin bowling. If the batting order can fire, the Hurricanes might just be the team to beat this year.

Player to watch: Wataru Miyauchi. He may not be the biggest player in the JPL but he might be the most important for the Hurricanes team. Miyauchi has become an excellent T20 batsman who can score 360 degrees and bat deep into the innings. He can also impact the game with his wicket keeping.

Quote: “We’ve lost Taniyama, who has transferred to Kansai, but with the addition of Kobayashi, I think we still have a strong squad this year. We are expecting improvement from former professional baseballer Kimura, as well as Miyauchi, who performed well last year, and Tomizawa. We’ve been disappointed with second place for the last few years, so we want to win this year. I think it’s great for players to be able to play all the matches on the SICG. It’s a short three-day tournament, so we’re going to have to play as a team.” Tomoki Ota, Hurricanes captain.

Squad: Tomoki Ota (C), Nozomi Tomizawa, Shogo Kimura, Naotsune Miyaji, Wataru Miyauchi, Raheel Kano, Takurou Hagihara, Koji Iwasaki, Masato Morita, Takuya Ono, Arjun Gautam, Rajan Karki, Supun Nawarathna, Masaomi Kobayashi, Oshantha Nanayakkara, Asala Wickrama Arachchige, Yoshitaka Uehara, Kakeru Ebisui.

North Kanto Lions

Captain: Hanif Khan

Summary: It’s been a tough few years for the Lions but last year they showed signs of improvement, winning three of their matches on the way to a third place finish. The squad has been strengthened this year and with the addition of a new captain in Hanif Khan, many believe that they may be able to push for a place in the final this year.

Player to watch: Musashi Yamamoto. The former Yokohama Baystar is still relatively new to cricket but he has the talent and power to become an accomplished T20 cricketer. He will be used mostly as an impact player in the Lions middle order. He is also an excellent boundary fielder.

Quote: “This year we have a very balanced team with a combination of players from Pakistan, Sri lanka, India and Japan. We are very confident we can do well in the 2020 JPL under our new captain Hanif Khan. It’s a good idea to arrange a 3-4 day tournament like this this year.” Mihindu Perera, Lions Chairman of Selectors.

Squad: Hanif Khan (C), Ashiq Hussain, Talha Tanveer, Ali Raza, Anil Kumar, Ankit Thakur, Pranjal Thapliyal, Sachin Thakur, Bharat Chugh, Musashi Yamamoto, Kazumasa Takahashi, Reiji Suto, Prabath Dhanushka, Ishara Hasantha, Sameera Pathum, Khan Salman, Ameya Keshkamat, Khawaja Salman.

South Kanto Super Kings

Captain: Sabaorish Ravichandran

Summary: The Super Kings are three-time JPL champions but, unfortunately, last year did not go to plan. They will be looking to make amends this year and the squad looks strong enough on paper. There is a good mix of fast bowlers and spinners to compliment the sublime batting talents of Ravichandran, Patmore and Iyer.

Player to watch: Sabaorish Ravichandran. Is there anything the Super Kings captain can’t do? When he’s not smashing sixes he’s taking wickets with his crafty leg breaks and googlies. The stage is set for the best player in Japan to perform at his best.

Quote:  “As always, we’re blessed to have a balanced squad with strong batsmen, good all rounders and superb bowling line up. Our team is full of match winners such as Sabaorish, Vinay, Gurman, Nikhil and our new signing Kubota. We’re 100% confident we can bounce back and if we play to our strengths we will reclaim the title this year. Having the JPL tournament on the long weekend will be fun for the supporters to watch high level cricket at one place.” Manoj Bhardwaj, Super Kings player.

Squad: Sabaorish Ravichandran (C), Manoj Bhardwaj, Piyush Kumbhare, Gurman Singh (VC), Nikhil Chhajed, Rohit Kesari, Karthick Vellingiri, Alex Patmore, Daniel Mee, Vinay Iyer, Raman Tanwar, Prashanth Kale, Raj Kamal, Kohei Kubota, Hiroshige Murakawa, Ankush Mahasaheb, Mohamed Yusry, Rasika Chandimal.

Kansai Chargers

Captain: Sota Wada

Summary: It’s hard to know what to expect from the newest team to join the JPL. The Japan Cup league in Kansai has grown in standard over the last two seasons and the Chargers have selected a strong squad with many batsmen capable of hitting boundaries. If the Chargers bowlers can bowl accurately they may an outside chance to make the final.

Player to watch: Makoto Taniyama. The former Uenomiya High School prodigy has developed into the most damaging all round cricketer in the Japan national squad. The Chargers will be relying on Taniyama to lead both their batting line up and their bowling line up. He is also a chance for a catch or run out whenever the ball is hit in his vicinity.

Quote: “In my opinion all every single one of our squad members is important for us. In particular we will need Wakita to bowl well and Kuribayashi to make runs for us. There are many good players in Kansai and I think this is a great opportunity to show our strength on the highest stage in Japan. The Kansai Chargers team will work hard to build the profile of cricket in Kansai” Sota Wada, Chargers captain.

Squad: Sota Wada (C), Akira Kuribayasi, Makoto Taniyama, Daichi Motoyama, Kohei Wakita, Mahmood ur Rahman, Syed Farooq Ali, Subhan Arshad, Shahen Silva, Harambage Sukita, Kenjiro Iwamoto, Ikuya Nishioka, Yuji Yamamoto, Chanaka Dushmantha, Remesh Palakkad, Ryuichi Ashida, Umair zulfiqar, Basit Abbasi

JCL Round Two: Ravichandran Century Ignites Season

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Ravichandran: Award Winner

Sabaorish Ravichandran struck the first century of the season in the second round of JCL Division One fixtures as his Tigers team trounced the newly promoted Rising Stars by 142 runs. 

Ravichandran, a serial award winner in Japan, was in no mood to wait around, taking just 74 balls to make 107 as he smoked nine maximums to propel his team to a total of 244/8 after a solid foundation was laid by Ranjith Mouli (39).

There was precious little for the Rising Stars to celebrate, although Kazi Murad again showed defiance at the top of the order, dismissed in the 22nd over for 22. The Tigers spinners toyed with the opposition batsmen, Piyush Kumbhare the pick with three for 18 as they shot down the Rising Stars for 102 in 32.3 overs; just missing out on a bonus point. 

MAX CC -Suitably Distanced Celebrations

Elsewhere the deposed Champions of 2018, MAX CC, made a strong statement of intent by thrashing the other newcomers this season, Sano CC, by nine wickets.

Former Sano player Prabath Sankalpa returned to haunt his old club by taking five for 28 as MAX dismissed the home team for 145 in 28.3 overs. That Sano managed to even that many was almost largely thanks to opener Prabath Dhanushka who made 64.

Although MAX CC lost a wicket in the first over, Makoto Taniyama (59*) and Supun Nawaranthna (73*) made light work of the chase, easing their team home in 22.3 overs to secure a nine-wicket win along with a bonus point. 

There was no such statement from the defending Champions as the Chiba Sharks came unstuck against a rampant Wyverns. 

Bebe Miyaji – All Round Performance

Batting first the Wyverns had contributions but were indebted to their strong batting lower down as Bebe Miyaji came in at number seven and struck 47 from 33 balls to supplement the stoic 43 from 75 by Shogo Kimura further up the order. Those runs propelled the Wyverns to 214 all out in the last over.

The young Sharks line up, which featured five players who travelled to South Africa for the Under 19 World Cup in January, were no match for the pace of Kohei Kubota (three for 36) and then the craft of Miyaji, who completed a fine allround performance by taking four for 23 as they bowled the Sharks all out for just 106 to win by 108 runs and earn a valuable bonus point. 

Alpha Quashers Yokohama also began their season with a win, easing past the Tokyo Falcons with a minimum of fuss. Bowling first the Quashers quickly had the Falcons flapping as wickets were shared around, as they so often are by the Quashers. Nikhil Chhajed was the pick of the bunch, his three for 21 crucial to clipping the Falcons wings and bowling them all out for 111. 

All eyes were on Vinay Iyer as he walked out to open the batting following his high profile move from MAX, and the seasoned pro took all in his stride, easing to 50 and helped by captain Rohit Kesari’s 37*, the captain making sure the team got home with seven wickets still intact and a bonus point to boot. 

That leaves just the Tokyo Wombats as the only team yet to get on the park, their match against the Men in Blue was washed out, and they will now have to wait until 8th August as the Japan Premier League takes centre stage. 

Friday 17th July 2020, 17:00

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Sano 1

Outfield: long,wet. Pitch: good

Sano 2

Outfield: short,very wet. Pitch: good

Sano 3

Outfield: long,very wet.   Pitch: good

Sano 4

Outfield: long,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

Please check groundsman video.

JCL Round One: MIB Win Only Completed Fixture

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You wait and wait for the season to start, then a global pandemic strikes so you wait and wait some more. Then the green light comes…and it rains. Such is the life of a cricketer. 

Just one fixture was completed in Round One of the JCL, as the Men in Blue overcame the newly promoted Rising Stars. 

MIB won the toss and asked the newcomers to bat first and they had to be patient as the opening stand reached 30 and looked fairly unruffled. 

Although Prasanth Manvi claimed the first wicket of the JCL season, knocking over Tawfiqur Sunny for just nine, it was the introduction of Abhi Telang and Sanket Pandhari that caused Rising Stars the most problems. 

Telang (two for eight) grabbed two in quick succession before Pandhari (three for 15) got in on the act. After the run out of Kazi Murad for an obdurate 23 off 64 balls, the opener being the sixth wicket to fall with only 87 on the board, it looked like Rising Stars might struggle to make a hundred. 

Natarajan – Youthful Impact

Abu Hasnat had other ideas however, heaving a quickfire 23, including two maximums, before becoming the second batsman to be caught by Japan Academy prospect Manav Natarajan, who promptly came on to bowl and mopped up the tail taking three for 24 as MIB dismissed their opponents for just 119 in 28.5 overs. 

There was a wobble at the top as the Rising Stars opening bowlers took two early wickets, but Pandhari steadied things with a composed 22 before becoming the third wicket to fall. Rising Stars grabbed a couple more to reduce MIB to 76 for five with 44 runs still required and put the game in the balance. 

It was left to Hitesh Akabari took the game away from the team in green, swatting two sixes on his way to a match defining 28* from 38 balls, supported at the end by Gurdeep Dua’s typically feisty 16* off 18 to give Men in Blue the win by four wickets; although they missed out on a bonus point by a single delivery. 

The win puts MIB top of Pool Two. For the uninitiated there are two pools of five teams in JCL Division One this year with each team playing all the others in their group once along with three crossover matches against teams in the other pool. The top two in each pool will qualify for the playoffs while the bottom two will be relegation contenders, depending on who tops Division Two. 

There is a full round of fixtures coming this weekend, a real rarity, and fingers crossed we might actually get a few more results in this most truncated of seasons.

2020 Japan Cup Preview

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It’s been a frustrating time for club cricketers in Japan. After the Japan Cup finals were abandoned last October we have had to wait even longer, the coronavirus wiping out the first three months of the 2020 season. Finally, we were able to see first cricket of the year, the Japan Cup season opener taking place in Sano on July 4th between Tsukuba and Tokyo Falcons.

Despite a few teams choosing to sit out this season, 42 teams will take part across the seven regions. 

This year the Japan Cup Finals is scheduled to take place in Sano over two days on the weekend of October 10th and 11th due to there being no long weekend in October this year.

For the first time the JCA are publishing Japan Cup team rankings. Teams can measure their success against every other team in Japan. Teams will move up and down on the rankings table based on their performances. The rankings will be updated at the end of each season.

WEST KANTO has been won by the University XI for the last three years but this year the students will face some strong opposition. Tokyo Rhinos will be looking to get revenge after finishing top of the table but losing the West Kanto final last year. Look for Wyverns to bounce back after a disappointing end to 2019 and last year’s semi finalists Beans also appear to be getting stronger. Akishima Aviators are the youngest team in the league but have plenty of talent while Adore will also be looking for improvement. And what can we expect from the two new teams Serendib and Kawasaki Strikers? This could be the most even region in Japan.

There has been plenty happening in KANSAI during the off season. A new cricket ground is under construction in Kaizuka which is set to be the home of cricket in the region. The ground isn’t ready for use yet but there is plenty of excitement around it. Defending champions Shiga Kyoto won’t be competing now so Kobe Hawks will be strong favourites to win the region. Expect Osaka Raiders to improve on last year’s results and Keihan Blaze are also capable of competing against the best. Kansai Tigers are sure to improve but the three new teams in the region are unknown quantities. Osaka Lions and Royal Osaka Tigers appear for the first time, as do Kaizuka Aegirs who will fly the flag for the new City of Cricket in Kansai.

Men In Blue have a monopoly on the EAST KANTO trophy, having won the last four years, but could this be the year that another team finally breaks the cycle? Tsukuba were a close second last year and look the team most likely to beat the defending champions. The newly named Tokyo Rangers are a club on the rise while the Tokyo Falcons continue to grow stronger. Rising Stars will surely improve on last years efforts and the Chiba Sharks have been inconsistent but are capable of beating anyone on their day. East Kanto could be a tight race this year!

NORTH KANTO champions and 2018 national champions Ceylon XI have decided to sit out this season, leaving the region wide open for a new champion to emerge. Could this be the year that the young Sano team return to the top? No fewer than six new teams have joined the region this year so it is almost impossible to predict what to expect. The Roaring Tigers have a strong squad and will probably feature in the semi finals. Tokyo Titans have moved back to the North and are a club on the rise. Rumours are that Sultans of Japan will have plenty of fire power. MIB Challengers and Jaggar Falcons have signed some handy players and will be competitive. Pakistan Stars make a return after a two year absence and could also challenge. 

This year SOUTH KANTO’s eight teams will be divided into two divisions with all matches to take place at the Yokohama Country & Athletic Club. Winners for the last four years, Alpha Quashers Yokohama are yet again the team to beat. If anyone can challenge them it’s the Tigers, who had a much improved season last year.  Indian Engineers have always been a strong T20 team and will take some beating while the Tokyo Wombats are a proud club that can never be underestimated. Looking to Division 2, YC&AC will be hoping to finish top and win promotion. However, Keio Knights have recruited well and could threaten for the division title. British Embassy and Aoyama Gakuin were both winless last year. At least one of those teams will pick themselves off the bottom of the table and challenge for glory.

The TOKAI region has gone through some structural changes in the off-season and this year four teams will take part.  Ebina will be the front runners, having competed well in South Kanto last year in their debut season. There has been a lot of talk about the new club Kawasaki Knight Riders so expect them to perform well. Aichi Warriors and AQ Kings are both new this year but the word is they have plenty of talent in their squads. It could be a close battle at Fuji this year.

Lastly, there is some excitement around the TOHOKU region with news that plans are being made for the construction of a new ground in Shichigahama.  In the mean time, matches will be played at a temporary ground nearby. Sendai CC and Sendai Lions XI are the only teams in the region at the moment and both are evenly matched. It is hoped that a “City of Cricket” can be established in Shichigahama and a thriving cricket comunity can grow there in the future.

Friday 10th July 2020, 17:00

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Sano 1

Outfield: long,wet. Pitch: good

Sano 2

Outfield: short,very wet. Pitch: good

Sano 3

Outfield: long,very wet.   Pitch: good

Sano 4

Outfield: long,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

Every grounds are wet because of weekly rain.

We could not mow ground.too wet to mow.

Friday 3rd July 2020, 17:00

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Sano 1

Outfield: short,wet. Pitch: good

Sano 2

Outfield: short,very wet. Pitch: good

Sano 3

Outfield: short,very 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

Every grounds are wet because of weekly rain.

Groundsman video report will start soon.

Japan Cricket League 2020 Season Preview

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It has been a looooong winter. Such time has give the One Short team plenty of time for contemplation and self-evaluation. Final conclusion; we must do better. With that in mind we are happy to announce the recruitment of our first Japanese scribe, so our musing will now be available to a much wider audience. Ganbatte to the new recruit!

Of course, we are feeling the pressure this year. A glance back to our 2019 predictions reveals an unprecedented four correct league predictions. The chances of repeating that success are virtually zero; we’ve reached the top, had to stop, and that’s what’s bothering us. 

That and a few other things of course. The delay to our beloved season beginning has added spice to a season that was already distinctly minty with the arrival of two promoted teams and no relegated teams last year, meaning JCL Division One will have ten teams battling it out. 

There will be seven rounds in a shortened fixture list; so not all teams will play each other. Last year’s top four all play two of the other three teams who made the playoffs, so no obvious advantages in fixturing (hat tip to the JCL Committee), and matches will come hard and fast – starting this Saturday as Wyverns take on Tigers. 

The final will be held on November 7th, probably the latest date ever, and One Short will do our best to keep you informed of all the results along the way (mops brow, sips liquid and squints a little….there’s that pressure again). 

So, enough rambling from us. It’s time to front up and hang our reputation on the line once more. Predictions, as ever, are on league positions at the end of the season, not even we are foolhardy enough to try and predict the playoffs. 

In order of the 2019 final standings:

MAX CC Predicted Finish: 1st

MAX CC

Never far away from the top of the table, there’s no reason to expect that MAX won’t be there again this year. Kobayashi and Taniyama were consistent run scorers in 2019 but lean seasons for Nawarathna and Khan meant they were not as powerful as previous years; if those two return to form then expect fireworks. Taniyama carried the bowling and finished as the league’s leading wicket-taker, but there is plenty of useful backup in Sankalpa and Tanveer, although Vinay Iyer will be missed.  

 

Sharks Predicted Finish: 3rd

Chiba Sharks

Title winners in 2019 after an eight year wait, the Sharks look well equipped to build on last season’s success as their Under 19 stars begin to break into the first XI. They possess the 2019 leading run scorer in their evergreen captain Dhugal Bedingfield who will again be key in run scoring, even moreso with Neel Date unlikely to feature much and Arata Ueda having moved clubs. This adds increased importance for Tsuyoshi Takada to continue his reinvention as a top order batsman and Marcus Thurgate to deliver on his obvious talent. The bowling stocks remain strong however, with Matsumura, Siddique, Kumar and Retharekar all likely to impact matches. 

 

Tigers Predicted Finish: 2nd

Tigers CC

It remains a mystery how Tigers have made a solitary appearance in a Grand Final, way back in 2016. In Sabaorish Ravichandran they possess the regular player of the year whose human 2019 with the bat in the JCL meant others needed to stand up. Urminder Singh and Rahul Koul both had good years and if all three can fire then there’s hope of Tigers breaking their duck. Where they struggle is in the seam bowling stakes, so the weight of wicket taking will again fall on the spin of Piyush Kumbhare and Ravichandran. 

 

Quashers Predicted Finish: 5th

Alpha Quashers Yokohama

Quashers have become a regular in the fight for the playoffs, yet never made a final despite coming desperately close in 2019. A theory exists that this defeat may be hard to get over and that 2020 represents a bit of a rebuild. Rohit Kesari emerged as a batter to watch last season, scoring three half centuries, but only Srinivasa Pedada joined him in the top 25 run scorers. Their bowling is better with Raman Tanwar, Nikhil Chhajed and Karthik Vellingiri all capable of overhauling opponents, but a team that has long been greater than the sum of its parts needs a hero to emerge; could the cheeky signing of Vinay Iyer make a difference? We’ll wait and see. 

 

Wyverns Predicted Finish: 4th

Wyverns CC

Forever the bridesmaids; Wyverns have finished as runners-up a startling five times in the JCL, and last season only just missed out on the playoffs after a pretty decent season. Wataru Miyauchi established himself as one of Japan’s leading batsmen while if Raheel Kano and Tomoki Ota can find the form of years gone by then a playoff spot is within reach. Kano will always take wickets and with Nozomi Tomizawa and Kohei Kubota providing a potent seam bowling attack, their prospects look good for 2020. 

 

Wombats Predicted Finish: 8th

Tokyo Wombats

One of the toughest sides to predict, the Wombats will likely have the advantage of serial run scorer Alex Patmore being available for the whole of August, which is a rarity. Alongside Richie Bracefield these two represent one of the more formidable partnerships in Division One and can often propel the Wombats to decent scores. However, one bowler in the top thirty wicket-takers last year tells it’s own story. Although Vignesh Bandi’s six for 11 last season were the best figures in the league, more strike bowlers are needed to help Wombats climb the table. 

 

MIB Predicted Finish: 7th

Men In Blue

While the MIB themselves probably felt that 7th place was a disappointing finish in 2019, there were plenty of performances along the way that suggested they can prosper at the top level for a little while. The explosive Sarfraz Petkar was key to their fortunes, and will be again, while Abhishek Telang has had a year to adjust after dominating Division Two in 2018 and should improve on his solitary half century in 2019. Their bowling has a bit more depth and that gives them the edge over the other teams around them, so although a playoff bid is unlikely, in a shortened season you never know.  

 

Falcons Predicted Finish: 9th

Tokyo Falcons

The step up to Division One proved a bigger leap than expected for the Tokyo Falcons, but no relegation in 2019 meant that their winless season did not cost them a place in the Division. Much will depend on Kuldeep Bisht, who managed to finish 14th in the 2019 run scorers list, but the rest of his teammates languished a long way down the table. Worse than that, their best bowler mustered seven wickets for the season. A year of struggle looms and their final match against the newly promoted Rising Stars could be decisive. 

 

Rising Stars Predicted Finish: 10th

Rising Stars

New to the league after an impressive season in Division Two, despite a bruising defeat in the final. The predominantly Bangladeshi team will certainly bring colour and energy, but will be tested in what is an already highly competitive division. Udaibus Sobhan and Sunny Rahman will be key to the batting while Hasan Asif managed 13 wickets in just five matches and will shoulder the burden of containing opponents. They too could be forgiven for casting an eye ahead to Round Seven and the crucial match against the 2019 basement dwellers Tokyo Falcons in what promises to be a key fixture. 

 

Sano CC Predicted Finish: 6th

Sano CC

The yo-yo club of the JCL, Sano remain unpredictable and slightly volatile, however their experience in previous years and ability to perform when united means that they should ease back to life in Division One more easily than others have managed. Prabath Dhanushka is a classy bat while Hasantha Ishara should adjust OK. The Japan youth of Shu Noguchi and Reiji Suto will certainly be tested but the bowling looks well equipped too with Shameera Pathum eager to make a Division One bow after dominating the second tier, and Ishara Gunatilaka handy backup. No word yet on the return of the prodigal son; Kazumasa Takahashi from MAX CC, but with time for that transfer to still go through it could make a key difference to a side capable of a surprise playoff run if they can start fast. 

Competitive Cricket Returns

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Following on from our previous announcement regarding the restart of cricket, we can now confirm that competitive cricket will return to Japan on the weekend of 4th/5th July.

 

This return will be conditional on all participants taking the necessary precautions to ensure that distancing and safety controls become a fundamental part of the game for this season.

 

We must also remind everyone we will always follow the guidance of local and national governments and should there be a second wave of COVID-19 cases we may be forced to either scale back or halt activities completely once again.

 

A detailed participant checklist which can be found by clicking here, has been created for all to follow. Additionally the competition committees and regional associations will be provided with an umpires / staff checklist, which includes some frequently asked questions.

 

A member of JCA staff, a regional representative or a competition committee member, will also speak to all participants before the first match each team takes part in this season to ensure all checklists have been fully understood and all measures are being followed. 

 

CEO Naoki Miyaji said: “This has been a difficult time globally, and continues to be a challenge, however we will do our utmost to provide opportunities to play cricket and bring joy to the lives of people through the sport.

 

“We ask everyone to be careful and take all the precautions necessary to ensure we can keep playing for the rest of the season. We are grateful to everyone for their patience and to our staff and committees for the tireless work they have put in to restart cricket.”

 

The chances of any international cricket for the Japan teams remains small while travel restrictions are still in place. However, if restrictions do ease then we are communicating with our East Asia Cup partners to try and bring some international cricket action to the region if at all possible.

JCA Says Thank You and Farewell to Rob Holt

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After six years of outstanding commitment to Japan Cricket the JCA would like to say thank you to Rob Holt, who will soon depart Japan and return to Europe.

Rob, who started as a volunteer at various Cricket Blast events for the Under 12 age group in Japan, later became an integral coach throughout Tokyo as he ran activities across the city.

The Indian International School, Yokohama International School and most significantly the British School Tokyo, all have Rob to thanks for maintaining their cricket programmes and in some cases starting them from scratch.

The British School owes Rob a special debt as he, along with Tamlyn Worrall and later Lindsay Clements, began the Under 15 Lions Club which has been a significant step forward for cricket at the school and gave opportunities which have led to three players been selected for the Japan Under 19 Academy Squad.

Where Rob has been most valuable to the JCA has been his running of the Cricket Blast Centres in Yokohama and Edogawa over the last few years. These events have been crucial for providing playing opportunities for the Under 12 age group across Tokyo and giving many children their first taste of cricket.

The JCA has been unable to give Rob the kind of send off we would have liked with the ongoing challenges caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic, but we would like to formally thank him for the many hours he has put in to developing the game over here and wish him and his wife all the best in their future endeavours. Thanks Rob and Good Luck!

Source: safenongamstopcasinos.com