The Japan Under 19 team had to wait almost seven hours to start their final Group A match against Sri Lanka at the PUK Oval in Potchefstroom.

Heavy overnight rain meant that the outfield was flooded in parts and the ground staff had to work exceptionally hard in hot weather to make sure any play was possible at all.

The contest eventually began at 14:50 local time and was reduced from 50 overs to 22 per side; Sri Lanka then won the toss and chose to bowl first.

Dilshan Madushanka delivered a devastating opening spell as the Japanese batsmen tried to be positive in the shorter format of the game. His early wickets meant Japan had to battle all the way through and were dismissed for 43 after 18.3 overs.

In reply Kento Ota-Dobell clean bowled Navod Paranavithana to claim his first wicket of the tournament but thereafter Sri Lanka moved past the total without further loss to win the game by nine wickets.

Although a tough defeat for Japan the journey continues for this young team who have much still to play for with England confirmed as the next opponents on Monday at the Witrand Oval.

January 21^st  2020 will forever be a day of significance for Japan Cricket; the day the Under 19 side had the opportunity to play against the best and wealthiest cricket nation in the world – India.

While the match itself was one-sided, with Japan dismissed for 41 and India reaching the score without losing a wicket, the result itself was less important than the significance of the moment.

There were moments to cheer as Shu Noguchi and Max Clements struck boundaries, and with fans in the stand cheering on a team with an average age of 16 in everything they did.

Coach Dhugal Bedingfield said after the match that for the team it is about “improving game by game” and that “although improvements may not have been apparent in the score today, these players will grow from this experience.”

After the match the Japanese players joined the Indian team, many of whom already have professional contracts, in a group photo before posing for photographs with enthusiastic local children who had come to cheer on the newest nation competing on the world stage.

Team Manager Alan Curr spoke of the journey the team are on: “25 years ago the Japanese rugby team lost 145-17 in the World Cup in that stadium just across the road, and now they are a force in world rugby. Japan cricket is still at the start of our journey and we need continued exposure to this level of opposition to see the standards we need to reach. It’s exciting, we have seen what’s possible and want to emulate that”.

The team has four more matches to play in the World Cup, with Sri Lanka up next on Saturday 25^th January, and will have the opportunity to visit the Wanderers Cricket Ground for the first day of the fourth Test between South Africa and England, a rare opportunity to see high level cricket.

The team would like to express their thanks to the fans who came to the stadium today and all the others who sent messages of support from around the world.

Japan’s Under 19 Cricket World Cup campaign started with a rained-off contest against New Zealand with only 28.5 overs being bowled a the PUK Oval in Potchefstroom.

In gloomy conditions captain Marcus Thurgate won the toss and chose to bowl first. After a probing opening spell from Kento Ota-Dobell it was Neel Date who sparked the celebrations by taking Japan’s first ever World Cup wicket.

Date, bowling stump-to-stump, forced an error from Rhys Mariu the ball after the New Zealand opener had reached his fifty. Sora Ichiki was the alert fielder, diving forward to scoop up a catch at cover.

That wicket broke an opening partnership of 119 with Ollie White who himself moved calmly onto 80 before Yugandhar Retharekar sneaked one through his defences to peg back the off stump.

Only 10 more deliveries were possible after that breakthrough with the umpires taking the players off with the score 195/2 and, after a lengthy waiting period, the match was called off shortly after 14:30.

Speaking post game captain Thurgate said: “It was a great experience to be on the field for a World Cup match against New Zealand. Of course we wanted to play a full match but this day can never be taken away from us and we hope it’s the first of many to come for Japan Cricket.”

Coach Dhugal Bedingfield shared the sentiment: “We were hoping to play a match that went the distance and it felt like everyone was switched on despite the early nerves. We were just settling into the contest but the squad is fresh and we’re all excited about the opportunity to test ourselves against India in the next game.”

Japan will play India on Tuesday 21^st January at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein.

United Arab Emirates Under 19 team displayed their strength with the bat in a 253-run win over Japan at the Braamfischer Oval in Soweto today.

Winning the toss and batting first it was Vriitya Aravind who set the tone as his 98 set the team up well in the first 30 overs of the innings.

Ashley Thurgate had caused problems for the UAE batsmen taking 3/40, before Sora Ichiki dismissed Aravind to give Japan an opening. However, an outstanding century by 15-year-old Kai Smith, who scored 102* from 69 balls, propelled his team to 382/7 at the end of the 50 overs.

Japan were in trouble early after the two openers were dismissed before Neel Date (39) and Debashish Sahoo (11) put together a partnership of 44. Once that partnership was broken Japan continued to lose regular wickets, although Kazumasa Takahashi fought bravely for his 29, a welcome return after his injury layoff.

UAE Captain Aryan Lakra did most of the damage with the ball, as he finished with 4/15 to bowl Japan all out for 129 in 42 overs.

The performance represented an improvement with the bat from the match two days ago against Scotland, and the team will do their best to keep improving in the coming weeks.

The warm up matches are now finished and the team will now play New Zealand, who lost to UAE two days ago, in the World Cup proper. That match will be played in Potchefstroom on Saturday 18^th January.