Japan Women continued their impressive run in the ACC Women’s Premier Cup 2026 with a commanding 48-run victory over Bahrain Women at Bayuemas Oval, Kuala Lumpur. After opting to bat first, Japan Women overcame a couple of early setbacks before constructing a competitive total through a pair of crucial partnerships in the middle overs. Bahrain Women’s bowlers showed discipline at various stages, but Japan’s batting depth and a clinical bowling effort eventually proved too strong in this Women’s T20 encounter.
The innings began on a shaky note for Japan Women as they lost Erika Oda early for just 2 runs. With the score at 11/1 in the fourth over, Bahrain found an early breakthrough through Tharanga Gajanayake, who struck with her off-spin to put pressure on the Japanese batting unit. Haruna Iwasaki looked positive during her brief stay, scoring 12 runs from just 9 deliveries with two boundaries. Alongside Ayaka Kato-Stafford, she added 16 runs for the second wicket before becoming the second batter dismissed at 17/2.
From there, Ayaka Kato-Stafford anchored the innings brilliantly. The right-hander played a patient yet effective knock of 63 runs from 61 balls, striking four boundaries and ensuring Japan never lost complete control of the innings. She shared an important 22-run partnership with Seika Sumi, who managed only 1 run before becoming Tharanga Gajanayake’s second wicket. At 18/3, Bahrain sensed an opportunity to restrict Japan to a below-par total. However, the match-defining stand came through Ayaka Kato-Stafford and Hinase Goto. The duo stitched together a valuable century-run fourth-wicket partnership, which completely shifted the momentum. Goto complemented Ayaka’s measured approach with a composed 45 from 43 deliveries.
Although she did not find the boundary frequently, her ability to rotate strike and occupy the crease ensured Bahrain’s bowlers struggled to build pressure. The partnership carried Japan from 3/18 to 129/4 and laid the foundation for a strong finish. Goto eventually retired/run out after her excellent contribution, while Ayaka fell in the final over after reaching a well-deserved half-century. Bianca Shino-Dyson remained unbeaten on 0, while Shimako Kato finished not out on 1 as Japan Women concluded their 20 overs on 142/5. Extras also played a notable role, contributing 18 runs to the total.
For Bahrain Women, Tharanga Gajanayake was the standout performer with the ball, claiming 2 wickets for 27 runs in her four overs. Deepika Rasangika picked up an important wicket, finishing with figures of 1/30. Sara Vivek also struck once, conceding only 24 runs from her full quota. Reshel D’Souza was economical with 0/11 from two overs, while Abeera Waris (0/29), Disna Jayasooriya (0/30), Deepika Rasangika (1/30), and Saee Parkhi (0/8) worked hard but could not prevent Japan from accelerating through the middle phase.
Chasing 143 for victory, Bahrain Women struggled to gain momentum against a disciplined Japanese bowling attack. The innings started cautiously but quickly ran into trouble when captain Tharanga Gajanayake was dismissed for 2. The opening partnership produced only 6 runs before Shimako Kato provided the breakthrough. Reema Naseer managed just 3 runs and became Ayumi Fujikawa’s victim, leaving Bahrain at 9/2. Things became even more difficult when captain Deepika Rasangika, after scoring 10 runs including two boundaries, fell at 29/3. Her dismissal came courtesy of Kurumi Ota, and Bahrain were firmly on the back foot.
Despite the early collapse, Abeera Waris and Sweeta Corda showed resilience. The pair put together an unbeaten 65-run partnership for the fourth wicket, the highest stand of Bahrain’s innings. Waris remained not out on 27 from 38 balls, while Sweeta Corda top-scored with a fighting 34 not out from 47 deliveries, including one six. Their partnership prevented further damage but the required run rate continued to climb beyond reach as Japan’s bowlers maintained tight control throughout the chase.
Japan Women’s bowling performance was built on collective discipline rather than individual dominance. Shimako Kato finished with figures of 1/20 from four overs, while Ayumi Fujikawa returned 1/19. Kurumi Ota was equally effective with 1/18, making it three wicket-takers sharing the spoils. Ayaka Kato-Stafford capped a memorable all-round display by conceding only 20 runs from four overs, while Elena Kusuda-Nairn kept things under control despite going wicketless, returning figures of 0/27.
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