NEW DELHI: In a humiliating display of cricketing prowess,
Mongolia
suffered a crushing 205-run defeat against hosts
Japan
in Sano on Wednesday, just seven months after their international debut at the Asian Games.
The Mongolian team was skittled out for a paltry 12 runs, the second lowest score in T20 International history, after Isle of Man's 10 all out against Spain on February 26, 2023, in response to Japan's commanding total of 217 for 7.
The Japanese bowling attack was spearheaded by 17-year-old left-arm seamer
Kazuma Kato-Stafford
, who claimed an impressive 5 for 7 from his 3.2 overs.
Abdul Samad
(2/4) and
Makoto Taniyama
(2/0) also chipped in with two wickets each. Mongolia's batting lineup crumbled under pressure, with
Tur Sumaya
(4 off 11) being the top-scorer and opener Namsrai Bat-yalalt facing the most deliveries (12).
This match was part of a seven-match series, with the third T20I, scheduled for later in the day, yielding no result. In the first T20I, Mongolia suffered a similar fate, being bowled out for 33 in pursuit of Japan's 199 for 5, resulting in a 166-run defeat.
Mongolia's international cricket journey has been a challenging one since their debut at the Hangzhou showpiece, where they exited the group stage after losing both their matches.
In their first-ever international match, they were subjected to a massive total of 314/3 by Nepal, ultimately losing by 273 runs after being dismissed for 41. They also suffered a nine-wicket loss against Maldives in their second match, managing only 60 for 9.
According to the ICC, one Battulga Gombo was the 'man behind cricket' in the country.
"In 2014 he convinced the municipal park authorities to grant rights to develop an area of wasteland into a cricket ground, and in 2015, with his friend Chris Hurd, he launched the Mongolian Cricket Seed Appeal," according to the ICC.
Since then the schools' programme has grown, six provinces outside Ulaanbaatar are now playing the game, and indoor and outdoor tournaments are consistently being held throughout the year, it added.
Brief Scores:
Japan 217 for 7 in 20 overs (Sabaorish Ravichandran 69; Zoljavkhlan Shurentsetseg 3/32, Luvsanzundui Erdenebulgan 2/61) beat Mongolia 12 all out in 8.2 overs (Kazuma Kato-Stafford 5/7, Abdul Samad 2/4, Makoto Taniyama 2/0) by 205 runs.
(With PTI inputs)
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