Tokyo Bay and Far East kick off the Japanese season
Tony Munro - 21 April 1999

"Cricket Around The World's" mystery correspondent, "Kouragi Skee", previews the Gunma Cup, Japan's main domestic competition. After a false start, Japan's premier domestic competition, the Gunma Cup commences its 1999 season on Saturday with the clash between Tokyo Bay and Far East. MAX defeated Aoyama Gakui on forfeit last weekend.

Tokyo Bay has won the cup four out of the five times, the team it has beaten on three of those occasions is Far East. This year, for the first time, they meet in the first round. Far East is very keen to regain it's pre-eminent position after a disappointing showing last season and has had a two-day warm up and practice at the ground over the Western Easter weekend (Easter is not celebrated in Japan). Last year's runners up, Wanderers, has had to disband this year because of movements in a number of their players. After graduating from University many young men find themselves relocated as part of their new employment, worse still many of them get no time off in their first year, a cultural problem we have to work on. University cricketer's most popular job choice is banking, insurance and public service, the only way they can guarantee weekends off to play cricket.

Some of the strongest individual players are found in the Wyverns lineup but somehow they don't all click on the same day. Baba can tear an attack apart and when the wicket is fast and bouncy Hanada will strike terror into the hearts of the opposition batsmen. Kotani is by far the most attractive batsman in Japan and if he finds a return to form then he will probably put a few dents in the fence behind the bowlers arm. Tarutani is one of the best of a very good bunch of keepers. I am hoping Wyverns will give a good showing this year. Adolescents have had a couple of trying seasons. In their first run two years ago they tied for second place in the points but missed getting into the final because of overall strike rates. Last year they lacked consistency and finished up with the spoon. This year a new captain, Takao Itoh, some new members and renewed enthusiasm could see them up there in the top three. Aoyama Gakuin have picked up a couple of players from Wyverns that will add to their strengths. On paper they have a very good team, led in the batting and fielding by Japan's captain Tetsuo Fuji, backed up with the most consistent bowler, Shu Kanzaki, the reliability of Yusuke Yamamoto and the all round talents of Naoaki Saida. If they can turn up with 11 players then they should put up a good show.

Finally MAX. They play the game for the fun of it but can put up some pretty good performances. Led by cricketer of the year 98 Tomoaki Yamaguchi who to me looks like he will score a hundred and take five wickets in every game, with Jonty Shibata in the field worth 50 before he picks up the bat, the return of the national keeper, Toshio Yamada, who complements his very good keeping with some useful batting talents. As a team they are guaranteed to keep up a constant banter on the field and are the closest in temperament to a team of foreigners.

An all-Japanese team is competing in the Kanto Cup, Japan's expatriate competition, as part of Japan's preparation for next year's ACC Trophy in Sharjah. Its debut was not promising, losing by 10 wickets to Friends XI, a team of Pakistanis. However, some of its better players were in Shanghai with the Japanese Sixes team.