Japan Beat HK Cricket Club by 40 Runs

Warm and fine conditions greeted the players at Hong Kong Cricket Club where the home team hosted Japan in a 35-over per side warm-up game for the East Asia Series: Men’s Twenty20 Championship.

Japan batted first and their innings got off to a flying start with Muhammad Khan taking the long handle to the HKCC opening bowling attack featuring Mariko Hill. Hill’s four over spell cost 44 runs but she did manage to pick up the wicket of Naotsune Miyaji who top-edged a pull shot and was caught by Ravi Achan for 4. Belan Aiyadorai was belted for 32 off his two overs and Tom Ingram went for 40 from 5 as Japan rattled along at over ten runs per over. Ingram eventually got the dangerous Khan, gloving a pull-shot behind to keeper Tom Menogue for a belligerent 59. Japan’s skipper Masaoni Kobayashi was next to fall when leg-spinner Jhathevedh Subramanyan grabbed a brilliant one-handed return catch. Kanadage Navarathna (34) and Tomoki Ota (38) batted well in the middle overs before Ravi Achan picked up two wickets in quick succession for HKCC. Tsuyoshi Takada boosted Japan’s total with 26 but he was trapped LBW off the bowling of Harry Ledger. Japan was eventually dismissed for 215 from 35 overs.
For HKCC, Ravi Achan and Brenton McDonald claimed 2/15 and 2/27 respectively.

HKCC’s reply got off to a solid start with skipper Isaac Poole and Jhathavedh Subramanyan initiating the run chase. But just as their partnership looked set to flourish, Poole was dismissed by Nozomi Tomizawa for 12. Tom Menogue was caught by Navarathna for 13 and then Raheel Kano claimed three quick wickets to knock the stuffing out of the HKCC middle order. Meanwhile Jhathavedh was batting with maturity beyond his 16 years and he single-handedly kept the HKCC run-chase going as wickets tumbled at the other end. Mariko Hill chipped in with a confident 13 and Harry Ledger struck 16 but none of the HKCC batters were able to stay with Jhathavedh for any length of time. The HKCC innings was wrapped up after 32 overs for 175 with Jhathavedh carrying his bat for a fine unbeaten 83.
For Japan, Raheel Kano picked up 3/17 from four over spell while Naotsune Miyaji claimed 2/16, also from four overs.

At HKCC: Japan 215 from 35 overs beat HKCC 175 from 32 overs by 40 runs.