For Match No. 4 in the ongoing 2023 edition of the Women’s Twenty20 (T20) East Asia Cup, Japan and China are scheduled to compete at Pingfeng Campus Cricket Field, Hangzhou, China, on the 26th of May, 2023, at 1:00 PM Indian Standard Time (IST).
Both Japan and China faced defeats in their season openers against Hong Kong. China had a near opportunity to snatch a victory, falling short by just a couple of wickets with 9 balls remaining. Meanwhile, Japan suffered a crushing defeat.
Squads:
Japan – Mai Yanagida (C), Ahilya Chandel, Ayumi Fujikawa, Kiyo Fujikawa, Hinase Goto, Haruna Iwasaki, Elena Kusuda-Nairn, Yukino Nakayama, Akari Nishimura, Erika Oda, Kurumi Ota, Seika Sumi, Nonoha Yasumoto, Minami Yoshioka
China – Huang Zhuo (C), Yuanyuan Cai, Xiuli Jin, Jiaping Li, Han Lili, Zheng Lili, Mengting Liu, Zi Mei, Xu Qian, Zhang Xiangxue, Chen Xinyu, Jing Yang (WK), Rongyu Zhao, Mingyue Zhu
Players to watch out:
Erika Oda
The 35-year-old opening batter, in Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), in 14 innings has struck 219 runs, including the highest of 41. Erika top-scored for the side in the opener with a 32-ball 25.
Elena Kusuda-Nairn
The 28-year-old pacer debuted for the senior national side in the opener. Elena sent down her 4 overs for just 14 runs and also bagged a couple of wickets, adding to the immediate impact she’s made on the international scene.
Zheng Lili
The 33-year-old all-rounder hasn’t had the best of starts to her international career. Nevertheless, in the series opener, Zheng recorded figures of 0/10 (2), while was cheaply dismissed for just 3.
Mengting Liu
The 22-year-old spinner, who also officiates games, on debut, wasn’t required with the ball, while with the ball, went on to produce figures of 2/22 of 4 and emerged as a key architect in China’s spirited fight for a win in opener.
Pitch:
The renovated center wicket at Pingfeng Campus Cricket Field in Hangzhou, remains on the slower side, benefiting the bowlers, particularly the spinners. The struggle for batters is evident, as indicated by the average score being in the 70s.
Weather:
Scattered thunderstorms on the radar pose no threat to the game as showers are forecasted to stay away during match hours. The temperature is expected to hover around 31°C, with light winds and humidity at 63%.
Fantasy playing XI:
Akari Nishimura, Erika Oda, Zheng Lili, Rongyu Zhao, Huang Zhuo, Ahilya Chandel, Mai Yanagida, Mengting Liu, Zhang Xiangxue, Kurumi Ota, Elena Kusuda-Nairn
Match details:
Date – May 26, 2023
Time – 1:00 PM IST
Venue – Pingfeng Campus Cricket Field, Hangzhou, China
Broadcast – Access live scores for all the games of the series on the FanCode app and website.
