Fiji overwhelmed Tonga in the final to win the inaugural ICC EAP Challenge tournament held in Fuji, Japan. Fiji will now play in the 10-nation World Cup Qualifier Series Event in Malaysia, 2005.
Meanwhile, Japan registered its first ever victory in a full-fledged international tournament (11-a-side, 50 overs) by defeating Indonesia by 165 runs. Batting first after winning the toss, Japan scored 315/9 thanks to a record partnership of more than 100 runs between Mark Ferris and Mumtaz Alam. Both batsmen were dismissed in their 90s, Mark falling to a spectacular one handed catch in the square leg for 94 and Mumtaz, stumped, going for a wild hit, for 93. Japan then bowled out Indonesia for 151 runs to register their first international victory and also to earn a third place in the tournament. Munir Ahmed was the wrecker-in-chief, claiming 5 wickets.
The other highlight of the tournament was the batting of the Japanese players, especially, vice-captain Jummei Hanada and Junior Takahashi. Both of them had a good run with the bat and scored 44*, 54, 5, 36 and 9, 63, 17, 35 respectively.
Incidentally, both Japan and Indonesia were making their debut in a full-fledged international tournament. Although Japan have played other shorter international tournaments such as 8-a-side, 30 or 40 overs per side, this was also the first time Japan have scored more than 100 runs in any form of the international matches.
Other results
May 25: Fiji 249 (49.2 ov.), Tonga 128 (44 ov). Indonesia 219/7, Japan 165(43.3 ov).
May 26: Fiji 362/7, Indonesia 122 (37.5 ov). Tonga 213-9, Japan 180 (47 0vers)
May 27: Japan 135(47.3 ov.), Fiji 136/5 (30.3 ov.). Indonesia 226 (49.1 ov.), Tonga 227/3 (27.5 ov.).
Full scorecard is available at the official ICC site.
Some more information is available on Cricinfo's EAP Challenge Page.
Article on Tokyo's Metropolis magazine.
Saturday May 22: Teams arrive.
Sunday May 23: Settling in day, Cultural event, Light Practice, Organisation meeting
Monday May 24: Final Practice day, 1 hour nets sessions, 9-12, 1-4, School visits, Welcome ceremony.
| Date | Fuji No. 1 ground | Fuji No. 2 ground |
| Tue, May 25 | Fiji v. Tonga | Japan v. Indonesia |
| Wed, May 26 | Fiji v. Indonesia | Japan v. Tonga |
| Thu, May 27 | Japan v. Fiji | Indonesia v. Tonga |
| Sat, May 29 | Final. 1 v 2 | Play-off. 3 v. 4 |
Saturday May 29: Closing Ceremony at the ground, prize presentations, photo sessions, cultural
performances, BBQ at Land of Oz.
May 30: Ground clean-up, teams depart, cleaning party.
The Japan national squad for the ICC EAP Challenge tournament has been announced. The final squad consists of 5 batsman, 6 bowlers, 2 all-rounders, and a wicketkeeper which is a combination designed to meet any challenge likely to be met during the tournament. The team will be led by Tetsuo Fuji with new vice-captain Jummei Hanada selected with a view to the future. Both Tetsuo and Jummei are competent players and have previous experience in international cricket tournaments.
Four foreign-born players will adorn Japan colours for the first time in Japanese cricket history in this country and their performances against Fiji, Tonga and Indonesia will be watched with interest. The coaches have implemented a system in which a maximum of 3 foreign players are eligible to play in any game throughout the tournament. The 14 member squad is:
Fuji Tetsuo (Captain/Millennium C.C.)
Hanada Jummei (Vice captain/Wyverns C.C.)
Chino Tatsuro (Wyverns C.C.)
Ferris Mark (Yokohama C. & A.C.)
Matsubara Yuta (Millennium C.C.)
Miyaji Naoki (Millennium C.C.)
Mohammed Rizwan (Millennium C.C.)
Mumtaz Alam (Tokyo Giants C.C.)
Munir Ahmed (Millennium C.C.)
Nakamura Shuichiro (Wyverns C.C.)
Orita Kazuhisa (Fuji Far East C.C.)
Saida Naoaki (Millennium C.C.)
Takahashi Hirokazu (Fuji Far East C.C.)
Wadano Ken (Tokyo Bay Districts C.C.)
The ICC sponsors more than 50% of the expenses of the tournament, which is budgeted between US$ 80,000 to US$90,000, excluding the teams' international air travel. In order to raise the remaining sum, the tournament Committee has planned various activities and events including a fund raising dinner cum auction on Saturday, April 24 at the Kodomo no Shiro at Shibuya. Apart from this, the Committee is looking up to corporations for sponsorship in full or part. If any of our readers are interested in or can give leads to this, please get in touch with Biju Paul at b-paul@jca-cricket.ne.jp.
Fundraising dinner on Saturday, April 24 at the "Kodomo no Shiro", Shibuya from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the 8F Seminar room.
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Entry Price: |
Agenda: |
The organisers are hoping to attract about 200 cricketers and supporters for the Fundraising dinner. The items on auction on that day, among many other things, include, a mini bat signed by the Indian team during their tour to New Zealand (December 2002/Jan 2003) donated by the McTamney family, 1 each full signed bat of Australian and New Zealand team, 20 Dean Jones Signed bat and 1 Allan Border signed bat. If any of our readers are interested in donating any item to this event, please get in touch with Robb McKenna at robbmckenna@hotmail.com.
How to get to Kodomo no Shiro
The Castle can be reached by using the following train lines: JR Yamanote, Saikyo, Toyoko,
Inokashira and Denentoshi or Ginza, Hanzomon and Chiyoda Subway Lines. From Shibuya Station, walk up
Miyamasu-zaka past the Shibuya Post Office towards Aoyama Dori (R246) and Aoyama University. The
Castle will be on your LEFT. From Omote Sando Station, take the B2 Exit, walk past Kinokuniya, towards
Shibuya along Aoyama Dori (R246). The Castle will be on your RIGHT, near the overhead crossing. Buses
from Shibuya Station for Shinbashi Station Kitaguchi stop across from Aoyama Gakuin University.
A map is available here.
The weekend of February 7-8 saw
68 volunteers from KCL clubs, university clubs and women's clubs throng to the Fuji ground
volunteering their service for the maintenance of the existing ground and work on the new one. The
volunteers helped cut the grass, rake the new ground, lay a new mat on the old pitch apart from
other activities.
The organisers are hoping to
resoil and reseed the new ground in March. The concreting of the new pitch will also be done in
March.
Meanwhile, the volunteer activities coincided with the visit of new ICC EAP Development Manager, Russell James, to Japan to take stock of the the preparations. During his visit James met with the local government officials of Fuji city, Fuji hotel association representatives besides holding meetings with the JCA authorities and the tournament committee members.
Matthew Kennedy, ICC's EAP Regional Development Manager, visited Japan in December and held meetings with various authorities of the government and JCA office bearers and tournament organisers. The organising committee updated him with the preparations while Kennedy briefed them as well as JCA about their responsibilities and ICC directives with regards to conducting of an international tournament.
JCA is is working in overdrive to develop a new homepage for itself and the tournament before the start of the tournament. Takao Ito, chairman of the JCA, has been conducting a series of meetings for the past few weeks with various people associated with the tournament organisation and home page development.
The Tokyo Giants, champions of the KCL Trophy 2003 and the Millennium, the runner-up, have offered to forgo their respective trophies and the presentation dinner ceremony so that the money that would have been spent for this can be donated to the conducting of the EAP Challenge. This decision, however, is to be ratified by the KCL AGM, which is scheduled to be held later this month.
Japan will hold its first international tournament in May next year when Pacific it holds the four nation "ICC East Asia Pacific Cricket Challenge - 2004" tournament in May 2004. The participating nations are Fiji, Indonesia and Tonga, besides the hosts themselves. The tournament will be held in Fuji City, Shizuoka Prefecture between 23rd and 30th May 2004. The winning team of this ICC EAP World Cup Series Qualifier tournament will have the opportunity to move into World Group 4 under the ICC's layered structure, which allows all national bodies the potential to participate in the next ICC Cricket World Cup in 2007 to be held in the Caribbean Islands.
