The Japanese Men’s National Cricket team remain unbeaten following a scrappy first innings to hand Vanuatu their second defeat by 21 runs in the ICC East Asia Pacific Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifying finals at Amini Park in Port Moresby. Vanuatu won the toss and elected to bowl first, grabbing their first 2 wickets in the first over of the match as Joshua Rasu claimed both Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake and Alexander Shirai-Patmore. Supun Navarntha became the third wicket in the 3rd over as he was run out by superb fielding by Rasu and Ronald Tari. Captain Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming played a major part in saving the innings for the Japanese as he belted 65 runs off 54 balls. With Kadowaki-Fleming and Ibrahim Takahashi on the pitch, they managed to regather; however, Vanuatu through Nalin Nipiko disrupted the partnership, claiming the wicket of Takahashi. Nipiko claimed 2 more wickets in Saborish Ravichandran and Reo Sakurano-Thomas consecutively in the 17th over. Captain Patrick Matautaava also grabbed himself a couple of wickets ending the innings and a target of 132 runs to beat. A determined Vanuatu looked to chase down the target, but Japan fielded like fiends, limiting runs and suffocating the Vanuatu Batsmen. Apolinaire Steven was the first to depart the pitch with 5 runs after being bowled by Piyush Kumbhare. Nipiko followed in the 7th over and at the end of the 10th over, Vanuatu looked to in all sorts with 4/45. Veteran Andrew Mansale, Ronald Tari and tail ender Joshua Rasu, managed to go within reach of the target but fell short in the end. Vanuatu putting together an innings of 8/110, going down to Japan by 21 runs.