Japan and the Cook Islands take first steps towards ICC Cricket World Cup 2011

Just two months after the final places for the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup were decided at the ICC Trophy in Ireland, the road to the 2011 tournament has already begun.

The East Asia-Pacific Cricket Cup in Vanuatu saw six teams - Vanuatu, Samoa, Tonga, Japan, Indonesia and the Cook Islands - embarking on the dream of qualification and after a week of intense, exciting matches it was Japan and the Cook Islands that won through.

Both sides now go forward to the next round of regional qualification - a tri-series against Fiji in mid-2006 - with the winner joining Division 3 of the recently-formed ICC World Cricket League, which provides a clear path to the 2011 event.

The tournament in Vanuatu, the first international cricket event staged there, was a triumph for Japan, which marked its recent promotion from ICC Affiliate to Associate member status by winning the tournament.

The Japanese side lost just one of its five group matches before secured a thrilling six-run victory over the Cook Islands in the final.

Sriram Sampath was a batting star for Japan throughout the tournament, with 73 in the group game against the Cook Islands and 92 against Tonga, but the key to the side's success was the way several players made telling contributions.

In their opening match against Samoa Yosjiyuki Hirose made 31 and took 3-15, against Indonesia Hirokazu Takahashi made 50, Naoki Miyaki took 5-26 and wicketkeeper Tetsuro Chino took four catches, and against the hosts, Vanuatu, Masaomi Kobayashi scored an unbeaten 52 while Yuta Matsubara took 4-22.

Despite defeat in the final, the Cook Islands had the consolation of that place in the tri-series with Fiji and if their new-ball pairing of Chris Brown and Dunu Eliaba are both fit and available for that tournament then they will be a threat.

Brown was the player of the series in Vanuatu and his 5-19 in the group game against Japan were the best bowling figures in the tournament. He and Eliaba also bowled out a weakened Samoa side for just 19.

Tonga finished level on points with the Cook Islands and Japan but lost out on a place in the final on net run-rate despite inflicting the only defeat of the tournament on Japan in the last round of group matches.

Vanuatu won the third and fourth placed play-off against Tonga and could boast two exciting young talents in 17 year-old Andrew Mansale and Andrew Gardiner, who turned 16 just a week before the tournament. Gardiner took 3-26 in that final match against Tonga while Mansale made 87 against Indonesia, 43 from just 26 balls against Samoa and was a constant threat with his off-spin.

Indonesia had the consolation of victory in the fifth and sixth placed play-off against Samoa.

The progress made by all the teams on show was a vindication of the ICC's EAP State/Province Partnership Program with states from Australia and provinces from New Zealand provided coaching resources.

Cricket Victoria's Regional Cricket Manager (South East Country) Jason Mathers acted as Technical Manager for Japan while Russel Grimson, Cricket New South Wales' Metropolitan East Cricket Officer, held the same role for Vanuatu.

Northern Districts Cricket Association's Grant Bradburn, the former New Zealand international off-spinner, coached the Cook Islands and Charlie Burke of the Western Australia Cricket Association coached Indonesia.

Former Auckland and New Zealand international fast bowler Murphy Su'a coached Samoa and Craig Kerr of Canterbury Cricket was the coach for Tonga.

Commenting on the East Asia-Pacific Cricket Cup, ICC Global Development Manager Matthew Kennedy said: "We are delighted with the success of the tournament, which is part of a new structure for international cricket.

"It provides a qualifying pathway to the ICC Cricket World Cup for all 86 of the ICC's Associate and Affiliate members and, thanks to their success in Vanuatu, Japan and the Cook Islands have been able to take their first steps on that pathway."