WINDHOEK, Namibia: A one-man tour de force from captain Nihar Parmar secured Japan’s first-ever victory in the U-19 World Cup, guiding his side to a commanding nine-wicket win over Tanzania on Saturday.
Choosing to bat first after winning the toss, Tanzania found stability through a 79-run partnership between opener Acrey Hugo (55) and Ayaan Shariff (40).
However, the innings unravelled catastrophically once Hugo fell with the score at 81.
From a relatively secure 118 for 3, Tanzania lost their final seven wickets for a mere 13 runs in a stunning display of batting frailty.
The collapse was engineered by Parmar’s incisive off-spin, which yielded 4 for 30, and perfectly complemented by seamer Nikhil Pol’s 3 for 23.
Together, they sliced through the Tanzanian middle and lower order, bundling the side out for 131 in the 39th over.
Parmar and Waugh anchor chase
Set a modest target of 132, Japan’s chase was a model of composed, clinical batting.
Parmar, shifting seamlessly from destroyer to anchor, combined with opener Taylor Waugh in a match-winning 122-run opening partnership that spanned 27 overs and snuffed out any remote Tanzanian hope.
Waugh fell agonisingly short of a half-century, run out for 47, but the result was already beyond doubt.
Number three Hugo Tani-Kelly emphatically sealed the historic moment, striking a four and a six in quick succession to complete the victory with a staggering 130 balls to spare.
Parmar remained unbeaten on 53, capping a perfect individual performance.
Tale of two landmarks
The match represented a significant milestone for both nations. For Tanzania, their inaugural World Cup appearance at any level ends without a win, a harsh introduction to the global stage.
For Japan, the victory exorcises the ghosts of their tournament debut in 2020, where they lost the same 16th-place playoff to Nigeria.
Today, led by their inspirational captain, they finally claimed their long-awaited maiden World Cup win, concluding their campaign on a historic high.
