The Women’s Japan National Team edged home in a tight encounter with a well-drilled Myanmar team to take a significant step towards the ACC Premier Cup Quarter Finals in Kuala Lumpur.
After winning the toss and choosing to bowl, Myanmar made a fast start in dismissing the Japanese top three with just 25 runs on the board in the eighth over.
Once again it was Ayaka Kato-Stafford who dug in and made the decisive contribution with the bat, however the energy to the innings given by the returning Shimako Kato whose 24-ball 30 (a career best) included five boundaries and shifted momentum back towards Japan.
Kato-Stafford remained and her unbeaten 42 from 44 balls was enough to lift her side to a defendable 106 for four.
The same two players then combined with the ball after Myanmar made a fast start to the chase, racing to 22 for none in the first three overs.
Kato made the initial breakthrough in the fourth over before Kato-Stafford delivered a double-wicket maiden in the next over to flip the score to 23 for three with the dangerous Khin Myat removed for 17.
Japan showed great discipline with the ball in the next few overs and the run rate required began to climb.
Myanmar captain Theint Soe shouldered the responsibility and kept her teams hopes alive with a defiant 22 from 23 balls before becoming Kato-Stafford’s fourth victim when Hinase Goto whipped off the bails to earn Japan a sixth wicket.
A seventh-wicket partnership of 32 from 34 balls between Zar Win (24*) and Lin Lin Tun (11) gave the score line some respectability as they fought their way to 94 for seven by the end, a runout on the final delivery sealing the win for Japan and swapping the two teams in the ICC rankings.
The result means that Japan will qualify for the Quarter Finals with a game to spare if they are able to defeat Bahrain tomorrow at 3pm Japan time, setting up a showdown with tournament favourites Thailand for the top of the group on Tuesday.
