Japan 136-1 (Parmar 53*, Waugh 47) beat Tanzania 131 (Hugo 55, Parmar 4-30, Pol 3-23) by nine wickets
Japan have signed off their Under-19 World Cup with a landmark result, easing past Tanzania to claim 15th place and, more importantly, their first win at a global tournament.
Put in, Tanzania were 118-2 and seemingly well placed. Acrey Hugo’s run-a-ball 55 and Ayaan Sharrif’s patient 40 built the score, yet once Sharrif fell to Nihar Parmar the innings unravelled. Tanzania’s last seven wickets disappeared for 13 runs, Parmar finishing with 4-30 and left-armer Nikhil Pol adding 3-23.
Parmar then switched quickly from ball to bat. Opening with Taylor Waugh, he guided Japan through an untroubled 27-over stand worth 122. Waugh’s run-out for 47 delayed the inevitable by only five deliveries; Hugo Tani-Kelly arrived, drove his first ball for four and lifted the next for six to seal a nine-wicket win.
Speaking to tournament media, Parmar said, “It feels surreal – we’ve talked about making history and today we finally did.” Head coach Dhugal Bedford praised the side’s composure: “They kept things simple, trusted their skills and were rewarded.”
Tanzania, on debut at any ICC World Cup, depart without a victory. Captain Hudaa Omari accepted the disappointment but found positives: “Competing here has shown our players what the next level looks like. We’ll build on that.”
Japan’s progress has been gradual – they lost the same 15th-place play-off to Nigeria in 2020 – yet the side leaves South Africa with tangible evidence of improvement. Parmar, still only 18, summed up the mood: “One win won’t change everything, but it shows Japanese cricket is moving in the right direction.”
No-one in the dressing-room is calling this a turning point just yet, though several players admitted the team photo will look a little brighter tonight.
