Nagoya Cricket Challenge – March 30th

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The “Cricket Challenge in Nagoya”, an event to promote Cricket in Aichi Prefecture, will be held on the 30th of March, 2019 at “Tonarino – Komorebi Hiroba”, Meijyo Park, in Nagoya City.

The event will feature the “Cricket Dome” developed last year, providing a safe and fun environment to introduce Cricket to new audiences. The event is supported by Mitsubishi Corporation and Lawson Inc. Each participant will be given* one Lawson Select snack each for playing the Cricket games.

Last year, the JCA announced its Five Year strategy for 2018-2022 “Building a Brighter Future”. The strategy focuses on growing participation through innovative formats that are fun and inclusive, as well as providing better access to the sport in new regions including Tokai where Aichi Prefecture is located.

The event is hoped to increase awareness of the sport in Nagoya City and Aichi Prefecture, where the JCA plans to grow participation and develop playing facilities in the near future.

Please also see the event page and the flyer.

*There will be a limited number of snacks available and conditions will apply.

Schedule Announced for Under 19 Cricket World Cup Qualifier EAP

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The schedule for the for Under 19 Cricket World Cup Qualifier EAP was released today by the International Cricket Council. The tournament, which will be hosted in Sano during the first week of June, will involve five teams playing four matches each.

Japan will start their campaign on Sunday 2nd June against Samoa and then play matches on Monday 3rd and Thursday 6th before finishing against defending champions Papua New Guinea (PNG) on Saturday 8th June.

There are three reserve days during the tournament, with the official end date being Sunday 9th June.

The winning team will qualify directly for the Under 19 Cricket World Cup which will be held in South Africa in January and February 2020.

Good luck to all the teams and we hope many cricket fans in Japan will come and support our next generation of stars!

Schedule:

Date Time Under 19 Cricket World Cup Qualifier – EAP VENUE (SANO, TOCHIGI)
June 2nd, Sunday 10:00 – 17:30 Japan vs Samoa Sano International Cricket Ground 1
10:00 – 17:30 Fiji vs PNG Sano International Cricket Ground 2
June 3rd, Monday 10:00 – 17:30 Samoa vs Fiji Sano International Cricket Ground 1
10:00 – 17:30 Vanuatu vs Japan Sano International Cricket Ground 2
June 5th, Wednesday  10:00 – 17:30 Fiji vs Vanuatu Sano International Cricket Ground 1
10:00 – 17:30 Samoa vs PNG Sano International Cricket Ground 2
June 6th, Thursday 10:00 – 17:30 PNG vs Vanuatu Sano International Cricket Ground 1
10:00 – 17:30  Japan vs Fiji Sano International Cricket Ground 2
June 8th, Saturday 10:00 – 17:30 PNG vs Japan Sano International Cricket Ground 1
10:00 – 17:30 Vanuatu vs Samoa Sano International Cricket Ground 2

*Tuesday 4th, Friday 7th and Sunday 9th June are reserve days in the event of bad weather.

Dates Announced for National Trials

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The JCA is happy to announce that the National Squad Trials will be taking place in March this year.

Once again they will be overseen by Mr Cameron Tradell, who will be managing the trials for the fourth year, along with the National Team Selector Dhugal Bedingfield and Women’s Team Selector Chris Thurgate.

All the trials will take place at the Sano International Cricket Ground and there is an entry fee of JPY 1,000 for anyone wishing to take part.

Each day will run from 10:00 – 16:00 and players are expected to bring their own equipment. Upon registering, further information will be sent out one week before the event.

The deadline to register for all dates is Friday 8th March. 

Before registering we advise that everyone reads the 2019 National Squad Player Eligibility & Selection Policy (ENG). Although players who are ineligible are welcome to attend to gain some additional coaching, if you are familiar with these documents it will help avoid disappointment.

 

Men’s National Squad Trials:

Saturday 16th March*.

Complete this form to register: https://goo.gl/forms/cU9ZlLI3GXBpzRzf1

 

 

Women’s National Squad Trails & Women’s National Academy Trails:

Sunday 17th March*.

Complete this form to register: https://goo.gl/forms/1B5AHU2AdNV2Oal13

 

 

National Academy Trials:

Saturday 23rd March & Sunday 24th March

Complete this form to register: https://goo.gl/forms/C5c5Z5MTwPtKvcLj2

 

 

If you have any questions about these events please email the Head of Cricket Operations Alan Curr on: a-curr@cricket.or.jp.

*In case of bad weather on either the 16th or 17th March, a reserve day is scheduled for Thursday 21st March.

2018 Season Review and “The Shorties”

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As the New Year approaches the Cricket Season seems awfully long ago, but the festive season is meant for nothing if not celebration, so with that in mind we shake off the icicles and don our finest attire (tweed for those wondering) for the annual One Short Awards – The Shorties, and our own take on the season that has passed.

Before we get started we must first give a nod in the direction of all the official award winners in 2018 throughout Japan, and you can see all those names up in lights right here, but first up we will do the service of naming the full JCL Team of the Year, as selected by the JCL Committee:

  1. Alex Patmore (Wombats)
  2. Dhugal Bedingfield (C) (Chiba Sharks)
  3. Masaomi Kobayashi (Max)
  4. Sabaorish Ravichandran (Tigers)
  5. Supun Nawarathna (WK) (Max)
  6. Davian Johnson (Chiba Sharks)
  7. Makoto Taniyama (Max)
  8. Tsuyoshi Takada (Chiba Sharks)
  9. Buddhika Nanayakkara (Wyverns)
  10. Sachin Sererath (Max)
  11. Muneeb Siddique (Chiba Sharks)

Some fine men among that list I’m sure you’d all agree, and no less than four of the Japan Men’s National Squad, which is one more than in 2017 and none of those four made the 11 a year ago, so positive signs indeed.

Congratulations to all who made the list, and the other gong winners on the night, may you continue to aspire to greatness and inspire those around you to greater feats on the field of play.

So without further ado, on to “The Shorties”. Following the warm applause with which the categories were received a year ago, we have stuck to the same formula, with one minor tweak. A mince pie for anyone who can spot it…

Innings of the year: Supun Nawarathna 160

The One Short Crew are suckers for context, a hard-fought 20 to win a match at the death can be as valuable as a century up top…this award should not be all about the highest score of the season. Except this year it is. When a bloke scores 160 from 98 balls, it’s hard to make a case for the 16-ball 1* by Vikram Ragunathan which helped his team to a single wicket victory in Round Two. MAX CC fans will forever whisper in hushed tones of this masterclass from the Sri Lankan keeper/batsman, who scored 124 of his total runs in 4s and 6s.

 

Partnership of the year: Masaomi Kobayashi & Vinay Iyer – 173

A different year, the same winners of this award. Kobayashi (79) and Iyer (72) racked up a partnership of 237 a year ago, and while their stand of 173 was not as big, doing it in a Grand Final made it that much more valuable. In what could have been a finely balanced match between Sharks and MAX, the openers chewed up the bowlers as people around the land tuned in on their wireless to ask with incredulity: “are they still batting?” Yes, they still are.

 

Spell of the Season: Nandha Rangasamy – 4/7

In Round Six when AQCC came up against a MAX side that, as the above awards should illustrate, are a pretty strong batting unit, nobody expected them to roll them over for just 60. Nandha Rangasamy, smiley at the worst of times, was grinning wide enough to swallow a set of stumps as he grabbed four wickets in seven overs for just seven runs. Nine separate bowlers collected five-wicket hauls this year, but One Short enjoyed this spell the best, and he might have joined the list of five-fers had MAX actually brought 11 batsmen to the game.  

 

Match of the Year: Sharks vs Wombats – Round Two

As mentioned above, the Shorties love a close finish and winning by a single wicket with just two balls to spare is about as close as you get. Wombats displayed excellent character to drag themselves over the line. An honourable mention in this category to AQCC vs Wyverns in Round Ten where another last wicket partnership nearly got Wyverns over the line. Close to a win, close to an award, but ultimately second best on both occasions, which sums up Wyverns season a little.

 

Breakthrough Player of the Year: Arata Ueda

Always a tricky award to give out, but a young Japanese talent forging his way in the game always excites the fans, and in his first season in Division One Arata “Kazu” Ueda finished 9th in the run scoring charts, with 45 on debut and a maiden half-century in Round Seven against the eventual champions. HIs performances were enough to force his way into the Japan National Team where he debuted in the recent ICC T20 World Cup Qualifiers.

 

 

Team of the Year: Tigers CC

This is the hardest of the bunch. Last year it was Wyverns who finished Top of the Table but lost the Grand Final, while this year Tigers were imperious for most of the season as Sabaorish Ravichandran was dominating bowling attacks. Their demise in the semi-final this time around will surely act as motivation for 2019.

An honourable mention to Chiba Sharks, whose youth policy continues to reap rewards, and Alpha Quashers Yokohama who made the Semi-Finals for the first time. Ultimately MAX were Champions, but all the Top Four can look back fondly on an excellent season.

So that wraps things up here. A final nod to Sabaorish Ravichandran who finished as leading run scorer with 584 runs at an average of 83, while Makoto Taniyama grabbed 21 wickets at 8.62 to finish as leading wicket taker. It was excellent to see four Japanese national team players in the top ten run-scorers for the season, and five in the top ten wicket-takers. A sure sign that the blend of local and foreign talent is bringing the best out of everyone in the Japan Cricket League.

Time for us to light up the cigar, kick back and enjoy some seasonal melodies. All at One Short bid you a Happy New Year, however you choose to celebrate it, and we’re already excited at the prospect of seeing you again in spring.

Japan Finish Third as Philippines Win Tournament

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Japan were defeated by Korea in their final match of the T20 World Cup Qualifier in the Philippines, handing the tournament to the hosts in the process.

For the Philippines that means progressing to play Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu in the next round to be hosted in PNG in March 2019.

After losing the toss Japan were put into bat and made a disastrous start as Marcus Thurgate was run out without facing a ball thanks to a direct hit.

A partnership of 40 from 46 balls between Makoto Taniyama (20) and Raheel Kano (48) steadied things for Japan but in the second half of the innings wickets fell regularly.

A score of 127/8 at the halfway stage looked below par against a hard hitting Korea side who were determined to finish the tournament on a high.

Japan were given hope as Jun Yamashita and Rui Matsumura (3/12) both bowled maidens to restrict Korea to just four runs for the loss of three wickets in the opening four overs, but the arrival of Muhammed Nadeem, brought into the side for this tournament, changed the game completely.

Batting as he has done all tournament, Nadeem hammered the spinners for seven sixes on his way to a 32-ball 68, passing Taniyama as the leading run-scorer for the tournament along the way.

Korea passed the Japan score for the loss of six wickets in 17 overs, boosting their net run rate enough to leapfrog the Japanese into second place.

Japan will reflect on missed opportunities in a tournament of extremely close matches, but should go away with ambitions of winning the tournament next time around as we have learned anyone can beat anyone in this region. 

We would like to thank everyone for the support we received throughout the tournament and hope to come back stronger next time.

Queserser’s company ethos is “Hello Worlds!”, aiming to provide value through creative designs which integrate various world views. For a design to create value and to evolve as a strategy, it is essential that it continually incorporates various cultural backgrounds. Queserser strives to increase the value of their work and provide a variety of options and points of difference to clients through its “One Country, One Branch” strategy. Queserser currently has offices in Osaka, Tokyo, Fukuoka, Nagoya, Kyoto, Fukushima, Singapore, India, Korea, and Belgium.

Japan Beaten by Philippines in Nervous Finish

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Japan were edged out by the Philippines in the final over of their 5th match of the Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier today, and are now relying on other results to go their way in order to qualify for the next round.

The Philippines have won every match when they have won the toss, so the omens were good for them when captain Jonathan Hill called correctly again and opted to bat.

It was Japan however, who made the best start. 15-year-old Kazumasa Takahashi conceded runs from just five of the 24 balls he delivered and finished with 3/14, including a wicket-maiden.

Henry Tyler was the savior for the home team, striking the ball cleanly for the highest individual score of the match, 30 from 28 balls, before being run out.

Kohei Wakita picked up three wickets at the death, but 15 runs from the final two overs lifted the Philippines to a defendable 118/9.

For Japan a good start was needed, and at 32/2 after five overs they looked comfortable, but nobody was able to stay in and anchor the innings.

Vimal Kumar (3/14) collected the vital wicket of Masaomi Kobayashi in the 11th over and from there Japan slipped to 78/8 and looked dead and buried.

However, this tournament has taught us that no match is over until the last rites are written and a 29-run partnership for the 9th wicket between Rui Matsumura and Wakita took Japan close before Matsumura ran himself out.

That left Japan nine wickets down and needing nine runs from the final over. Scampered runs and overthrows got them to needing four from the last, but Surinder Singh kept his cool as Wakita swung and missed.

The final margin of victory was just three runs and now Japan need to win their game against Korea tomorrow morning and hope that Indonesia can beat the hosts in the afternoon.

The action can be followed from 09:30 local time on Friday 7th December (10:30am JST) on ESPN Cricinfo and the ICC Website, as well as our Facebook and Twitter accounts.

About Queserser & Company (Men’s National Team Sponsor)

Queserser’s company ethos is “Hello Worlds!”, aiming to provide value through creative designs which integrate various world views. For a design to create value and to evolve as a strategy, it is essential that it continually incorporates various cultural backgrounds. Queserser strives to increase the value of their work and provide a variety of options and points of difference to clients through its “One Country, One Branch” strategy. Queserser currently has offices in Osaka, Tokyo, Fukuoka, Nagoya, Kyoto, Fukushima, Singapore, India, Korea, and Belgium.

Japan Remain Top Despite Indonesia Loss

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Japan remain top of the table in the Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier in the Philippines, despite a narrow defeat to Indonesia on Wednesday.

After winning the toss and batting first, as every side has done so far, Japan slipped to 64/8 in the 13th over and looked in real trouble.

GD Arata was the man causing most of the problems as he clean-bowled four of the Japanese batsmen as they each tried to cut balls that were too close to them.

At that stage Japan looked to be heading for a humbling defeat, but fought back bravely to give themselves a chance. A 36-run partnership for the 9th wicket between Muneeb Siddique Mian (16) and Kohei Wakita (18) meant there was something to defend if they bowled well.

With Rui Matsumura rested, who took 4/20 against the same opposition last time out, the Indonesian batsmen took aim at Jun Yamashita’s off-spin, hitting three sixes in the first over and again looked to be running away with the match.

Two wickets for Mian in the second over gave Japan hope, and the chase really stalled when Makoto Taniyama reeled off four overs for just nine runs.

Yamashita returned to dismiss the dangerous Gamantika (26) and Ramdoni and combined with a pair of run outs left Indonesia needing seven from the final over.

A streaky boundary through third man off the first ball effectively ended the Japanese hopes of taking real control of the tournament, and Indonesia completed their first win of the competition when Ahmad Mushtaq squeezed the winning single into the leg-side to complete a four-wicket win.

The match was not without controversy as two key moments went against the Japanese. First a knee-high full toss was called a no-ball against Tsuyoshi Takada, with the resulting free hit going for six, and then an appeal for obstructing the field was turned down in the penultimate over when the facing batsman appeared to kick the ball away as he ran straight down the wicket.

After the match coach Stephen Zayler (Cricket Victoria) was in philosophical mood: “We can’t focus on one or two moments” he said. “Ultimately our 11 batters didn’t get the runs. We perhaps didn’t get the luck today, but actually the equation is the same; win our next two games and we win the tournament.

Japan will play the hosts Philippines tomorrow in a crucial game with both teams now on six points, although Japan sit atop of the tree on net run rate.

Highlights of the match can be seen here.

The match will start at 9:30 local time (10:30 JST) with updates being posted on Facebook and Twitter as well as ball-by-ball on the ICC Website and ESPN Cricinfo.

Queserser’s company ethos is “Hello Worlds!”, aiming to provide value through creative designs which integrate various world views. For a design to create value and to evolve as a strategy, it is essential that it continually incorporates various cultural backgrounds. Queserser strives to increase the value of their work and provide a variety of options and points of difference to clients through its “One Country, One Branch” strategy. Queserser currently has offices in Osaka, Tokyo, Fukuoka, Nagoya, Kyoto, Fukushima, Singapore, India, Korea, and Belgium.

Japan Top After Defeating Korea

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Japan defeated Korea by six wickets in their third match at the Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier being held in the Philippines.

The two teams faced off with Korea wanting revenge for their defeat in the East Asia Cup last September, and were confident after winning the toss and choosing to bat.

The Korean top order all looked threatening as they powered their way into double figures, but Japan continually took wickets to restrict the flow of runs.

Spin twins Makoto Taniyama (3/18) and Tsuyoshi Takada (2/23) bowled intelligently and backed up each other in the field, each taking high catches off the others bowling.

At 95/7 after 14 overs Korea were in danger of not batting their overs, but Muhammad Nadeem came to the rescue once again with a surging 34 from 18 balls to lift his side to 145/9 at the halfway stage.

No side had successfully chased down a target, so Japan needed to buck the trend and Taniyama started in fine style as he raced to 41 from 24 balls before edging behind.

A brief wobble followed as Japan fell to 70/3 in the 10th over, before captain Masaomi Kobayashi blew the chase away. His partnership of 75 in 42 balls with Arata Ueda (22*) won the game for Japan and included three sixes and lost balls in successive deliveries.

Kobayashi brought up his half-century off 29 balls, making the scores level in the process, before edging behind and leaving Tomoki Ota to crash the winning boundary with 16 balls to spare.

After the match Japan Coach Stephen Zayler said: “it’s great how things have gone so far, but there’s no complacency from our boys. All the teams have shown they are capable of wins, so we don’t want to slip up after such a great start.”

The win puts Japan top at the halfway stage, needing to win the competition to progress to the next stage of qualifying. Tuesday 4th will be a rest day before the next match is played on Wednesday 5th in the afternoon against Indonesia.

Queserser’s company ethos is “Hello Worlds!”, aiming to provide value through creative designs which integrate various world views. For a design to create value and to evolve as a strategy, it is essential that it continually incorporates various cultural backgrounds. Queserser strives to increase the value of their work and provide a variety of options and points of difference to clients through its “One Country, One Branch” strategy. Queserser currently has offices in Osaka, Tokyo, Fukuoka, Nagoya, Kyoto, Fukushima, Singapore, India, Korea, and Belgium.

Japan Overcome Philippines in Close Finish

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Japan defeated the tournament hosts in a close encounter at the Friendship Oval on Sunday as the Philippines fell five runs short of their set target of 158.

Japan won the toss and chose to bat for the second match in a row, and were rewarded when Makoto Taniyama (61) and Naotsune Miyaji (49) put on an opening stand of 120 in 15 overs.

Both batsmen departed to consecutive deliveries as the Philippines forced their way back into the contest with Grant Russ taking 2/17 as Japan were unable to find the ropes regularly in the closing overs and eventually finished 157/5.

Although this was the highest score of the tournament so far, the hosts seemed confident after a good batting performance in their opening match, only to struggle early against the darting off-spin of Jun Yamashita (1/12) who opened the bowling for Japan and snared an early wicket.

The Philippines have two dangerous players in Kiani (37) and Biddippa (51*) who gave the hosts a chance of victory, however the level of Japan’s fielding, when at their best, looks a cut above the other teams in this competition and proved to be the difference.

Biddippa kept his team in the hunt all the way to the final over which they entered needing 13 to win, which became six off the last ball to tie, however the accuracy and calmness of Kohei Wakita was enough to see Japan to a win by just five runs.

Japan are now top of the table in the Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier and will hope to maintain their 100% record when they take on Korea on Monday. 

Highlights from todays game can be viewed here.

Queserser’s company ethos is “Hello Worlds!”, aiming to provide value through creative designs which integrate various world views. For a design to create value and to evolve as a strategy, it is essential that it continually incorporates various cultural backgrounds. Queserser strives to increase the value of their work and provide a variety of options and points of difference to clients through its “One Country, One Branch” strategy. Queserser currently has offices in Osaka, Tokyo, Fukuoka, Nagoya, Kyoto, Fukushima, Singapore, India, Korea, and Belgium.

Japan Defeat Indonesia in Opening Match

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Japan made a winning start to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier in the Philippines today, defeating Indonesia by 12 runs in their first match at the Friendship Oval.

After winning the toss and choosing to bat, Japan were two wickets down early as Naotsune Miyaji and Arata Ueda (on debut) both fell to sharp catches inside the first three overs.

Captain Masaomi Kobayashi (38) then joined Makoto Taniyama (33) in a partnership of 69 from 74 balls. The dismissal of Taniyama brought Tomoki Ota to the crease and changed the complexion of the match as he struck three sixes on his way to a 19-ball 39*.

That hitting took Japan to a final total of 136/5 from 20 overs, a score that looked around par on a ground with short square boundaries and extremely long straight ones.

Defending their total Japan made a perfect start as Rui Matsumura struck with his third ball, but the Indonesia batsmen continually struck boundaries and were 50/2 after six overs. Two wickets fell quickly to Yamashita (1/22) and Taniyama (2/18) before a 51-run partnership between Muhaddis (37) and Ramdoni (20) threatened to take the game away from Japan.

In the end it was a sharp piece of fielding from Miyaji that made the difference, running out Muhaddis and sparking a collapse of six wickets for just 22 runs as Rui Matsumura (4/18) and Kohei Wakita (2/23) clean bowled all of the last five batsmen between them.

The winning margin of 12 runs shows the closeness of the contest, and although Japan will be disappointed with the slow start to their batting and a couple of dropped catches in the field, the team fought admirably and can expect to improve game-by-game. Next up is the hosts the Philippines in the afternoon fixture on Sunday.

All scores can be seen on the ICC Website

 

Queserser’s company ethos is “Hello Worlds!”, aiming to provide value through creative designs which integrate various world views. For a design to create value and to evolve as a strategy, it is essential that it continually incorporates various cultural backgrounds. Queserser strives to increase the value of their work and provide a variety of options and points of difference to clients through its “One Country, One Branch” strategy. Queserser currently has offices in Osaka, Tokyo, Fukuoka, Nagoya, Kyoto, Fukushima, Singapore, India, Korea, and Belgium.