The Japan Men's National Team secured a 44-run victory over China on the third day of the Men's East Asia Cup, booking their place in the final against Hong Kong.
Japan won the toss and elected to bat first. Despite a strong contribution from Wataru Miyauchi (31), Japan struggled to build momentum as China's Tian Sen Qun claimed four wickets with some impressive outswing bowling. At 62/6 after 9.3 overs, Japan were under considerable pressure. However, a determined lower-order effort from Reo Sakurano-Thomas (18), Mian Siddique (28), Makoto Taniyama (12) and Marcus Thurgate (17) helped Japan recover to a competitive total of 143 all out in 19.3 overs.
In response, China looked to build their chase through Deng Jinqi (38), Huang Junjie (19) and Shenjian Zheng (23). However, disciplined bowling from Japan kept the scoring rate under control. Sakurano-Thomas was particularly impressive, conceding just five runs and taking one wicket in three overs, while Siddique claimed two wickets for 17 runs from his three overs. China eventually finished on 99/8 from their 20 overs, handing Japan a convincing 44-run victory.
Japan will now face Hong Kong in the Men's East Asia Cup final on Saturday, February 17, at 10:00 JST.
The match will be streamed live on Cricket Hong Kong's YouTube channel.
Cricket Hong Kong Official Social Media
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HongKongCricket
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hkcricket/
- X: https://twitter.com/CricketHK
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HongKongCricket
JCA Official Social Media
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cricketjapan
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/japan_cricket
- X: https://twitter.com/CricketJapan
Men’s National Team Partner
- 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/