Hong Kong vs Japan, AGMT20I, Today Match Prediction 01 October 2023

HKG vs JPN Match Prediction & Analysis

Hong Kong will be up against a promising Japan as the two fight it out for the top spot in Group B. Hong Kong completely outplayed Cambodia in their recent game as they bowled them out for just 70 runs.

It seems like the trend has shifted to bowling first with more teams opting for it. And in the case of teams like Cambodia or Mongolia, this can even work since they haven’t got any reliable and consistent in-form batters.

However, Japan and Hong Kong are two well-matched teams with solid batting lineups. Hong Kong’s Babar Hayat played an explosive inning at number 3 as they successfully chased down the target in the powerplay itself.

Japan’s Ryan Drake was exceptional with the ball helping the side gain an upper hand in the 1st innings. Reo Sakurao Thomas and Declan Suzuki are other key players with the ball who are also handy with the ball lower down the order.

RECENT PERFORMANCE

HKG

W L L L L

CBD

70/10 in 18.2 3.82

AGMT20I

Hong Kong beat Cambodia by 9 wickets

29 Sep 2023

HKG

75/1 in 5.5 12.86

PNG

90/10 in 18.4 4.82

MALTNC

Papua New Guinea beat Hong Kong by 1 wickets 24 Sep 2023

HKG

89/9 in 20.0 4.45

MAL

149/6 in 20.0 7.45

MALTNC

Malaysia beat Hong Kong by 23 runs 22 Sep 2023

HKG

126/7 in 20.0 6.3

HKG

141/9 in 20.0 7.05

MALTNC

Papua New Guinea beat Hong Kong by 22 runs

21 Sep 2023

PNG

163/5 in 20.0 8.15

HKG

79/10 in 19.0 4.16

MALTNC

Malaysia beat Hong Kong by 102 runs

19 Sep 2023

MAL

181/8 in 20.0 9.05

JPN

W

JPN

126/7 in 18.1 6.94

AGMT20I

Japan won by 3 wickets

27 Sep 2023

CBD

125/7 in 20.0 6.25

HEAD TO HEAD

TEAMS PREVIEW

Hong Kong Preview

Hong Kong will be confident coming into this match after a brilliant start to their Asian Games Men’s T20I campaign. They are a more experienced side in comparison with Japan and have played against some of the top teams in Asia such as India and Pakistan.

Hong Kong have also competed against these teams in ODIs in the Asia Cup of 2018 with some of their key players shining with the bat. Hong Kong definitely has more confidence and belief in their ability and we can rely on them for consistency.

Skipper Nizakat Khan at the top and Babar Hayat at number 3 will be the key players in the Hong Kong batting lineup. These two should look to carry their form and get their side off to another brilliant start.

They will face a tough challenge from Japan. Even if Japan haven’t got plenty of experience, their bowlers have been quite promising and will pose tough questions to the Hong Kong batters.

As such, the captain would be expecting good performances from his all-rounders as well in the lower-middle order. Anas Khan and Ehsaan Khan are crucial at 5 and 6 and can deliver some quick runs at the death.

These two will also lead the bowling attack, being the most consistent wicket-taking bowlers for the team. Nasrulla Rana who delivered a match-winning performance prior to the start of this tournament has kicked off on a great note with a four-fer against Cambodia.

Rana and Ayush Shukla are also among the consistent performers for Hong Kong with the ball.

Hong Kong Predicted Playing XI:

Babar Hayat, Nizakat Khan (c), Akbar Khan, Anas Khan, Ehsan Khan, Muhammad Khan (wk), Shiv Mathur, Mohammad Ghazanfar, Niaz Ali, Nasrulla Rana, Ayush Shukla

Hong Kong Actual Playing XI:

Nizakat Khan, Anas Khan, Babar Hayat, Shiv Mathur, Nasrulla Rana, Muhammad Khan, Ehsan Khan, Mohammad Ghazanfar, Ayush Shukla, Niaz Ali, Akbar Khan

Japan Preview

It was an impressive performance with the ball from Japan in their last match but they will be disappointed with the effort from their middle-order.

After a strong start from the openers who added 61 runs for the first wicket, Japan started losing regular wickets and were 4 down for 78 runs in the 11th Over.  Ibrahim Takahashi and Wataru Miyauchi at numbers 4 and 5 were out cheaply and quickly.

Kendel Fleming looked in great touch at number 3 and will be a key batter for Japan. However, their strength lies in the top-order with their most reliable batters, Lachlan Lake and Alexander Patmore.

Much like their opposition, Japan too have depth in the lineup with some quality all-rounders in Declan Suzuki and Reo Sakurano Thomas. 

And while Japan haven’t been consistent with the bat and have struggled against quality bowling lineups, their bowlers have been quite promising. Ryan Drake and Ibrahim Takahashi will be the ones to watch out for in this bowling attack.

The variety in the bowling attack makes Japan quite promising and their bowlers can deliver regular breakthroughs against Hong Kong. Fleming would likely opt to bowl first to give his bowlers the chance to dominate the opposition.

Japan Predicted Playing XI:

Lachlan Lake, Alexander Patmore (wk), Kendel Fleming (c), Ibrahim Takahashi, Wataru Miyauchi, Reo Sakurano Thomas, Declan Suzuki, Tsuyoshi Takada, Makoto Taniyama, Kohei Kubota, Ryan Drake

Japan Actual Playing XI:

Shogo Kimura, Lachlan Lake, Kendel Kadowaki Fleming, Ibrahim Takahashi, Wataru Miyauchi, Reo Sakurano, Declan Mccomb, Makoto Taniyama, Kohei Kubota, Ryan Drake, Alex Patmore

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

The pitch is a balanced one that has helped both bowlers and batters. There is enough help on offer for everyone on this surface. Quality batters with timing and technique can score quickly and make a big impact. The pitch will test the batters and only the ones with great skill and ability will survive. The weather will be mostly cloudy with a high of 26 degrees Celsius at the time of the match.

HKG vs JPN Pitch Report

Hong Kong will take on Japan at the Pinfeng Campus Cricket Field in Hangzhou, China. It is not a big venue and the ground is quite small allowing batters to clear the ropes with ease if they can time the ball to perfection. Spinners will play a key role on this ground as both skippers will be looking to restrict the flow of runs.

Toss: To Bowl

For Japan, bowling first would help them get ahead of Hong Kong in this contest. If they bat first and score a below-par total, their bowlers may not be able to deliver as good a performance. Hong Kong, on the other hand, coming off a brilliant win, will also look to carry their form and bowl first.