Round up from Japan (19 Nov 1999)

19 November 1999

Round up from Japan

Far East Cricket Club started the season as the only Japanese team kitted out like a team, matching shirts and a team focus, and ended the year taking out the double in the first year there was one. For six years Far have been involved with the other 9 or ten Japanese teams in the Tokyo area in playing for the Gunma Cup. Japan's Sheffield Shield, this is a two day competition originally designed to help them build their skills. The Japanese players have, as a result, learnt how to build an innings, how to probe a batsman's weakness, how to place fields for the longer game. But International competition at this level is over 50 overs and our players have suffered as a result of too much traditional cricket. Enter the Rover Cup, a 40 over round robin. Tactical understanding was clearly missing at the beginning of the season when 100 runs would be a winning total. That improved to 150 by the end of the season and the evidence is there to suggest that 200 will be the starting target next year.

Junior Takahashi returned from two seasons in Sydney grade competition to introduce a new kind of mental toughness to his team, Far East. Though he did not live up to expectations with the bat, he taught his team-mates enough to allow them to turn the heat up when it counted. His one good innings came in the final series of the Rover Cup when Far amassed an unapproachable target in the 180 range.

In both Gunma and Rover cup games Far East had the depth of talent to excel. Led in the batting department by captain Yoichi Sato and supported by Tokoro, Yamamoto and Saito, they dominated in their bowling thanks to the pinpoint accuracy of Amino, the zip of Yamamoto and the guile of veteran Orita. Yoichi had the luxury of being able to practice his offies and turned in some very good performances with the ball, improving on each outing and finally understanding how to bowl to his field.

Other finalists MAX (Gunma Cup) and Adolescents (Rover Cup), though unable to match up to Far's depth, played some very good cricket throughout the year. Yamaguchi (MAX) led from the front, opening both the batting and bowling he was always 'in' the game. His nonchalant style with the bat is very attractive to watch and belies a natural talent that when accompanied by intense concentration, can decimate an opponent. 'Jonty' Shibata is worth 50 runs in the field and has turned his team into the best fielding side in the comp. That has a rollover effect on other teams and the fielding by the end of the season was electrifying. Adolescents improved their field placing strategy throughout the year but poor use of bowlers, some dropped/missed chances and constant juggling of the batting order coupled with an appearance of crumbling under pressure, took its toll. Nakazawa bowls with a lot of pace and fire but is seldom given the new ball, I am certain Takita will score a century but he is usually placed too low in the order and runs out of partners. Yamaguchi and Igarashi need to knuckle down and play for this team - mentally and emotionally they are still tied to their University club.

The season was marked by no centuries - an indication that the bowling/fielding has improved over last year when 6 were scored. Miyaji of Keio University will go up a level next year and it will be interesting to see how he copes. Terao of Chuo should also be making the move and he will be a force in somebody's bowling line up. Rumour has it that Kawashima, perhaps the best keeper in the comp at the moment, and a very good batsman to boot will be making a move to Far East and that could make them all but unbeatable next year.

Two cricket clubs celebrated their 10th anniversaries this year. Senshu University who have spawned such individual greats as Minami and Sudo, and the Tokyo Bay C.C and Chuo University who have Kishimoto, Miyazaki and the Far East C.C. to their credit. There are now three all Japanese clubs with over 10 years of cricket behind them, clear evidence that cricket is on the map here. The next ten years will be very exciting for cricket in Japan and we believe that the 21st century is the Asian cricket century.