Sano, 8 May

Seven months after they made their international debut at the Asian Games, Mongolia capped an ignominious milestone when they were bowled out for 12, the second lowest score in T20 International history in a match against hosts Japan on Wednesday.

In response to Japan’s imposing 217 for 7 after the hosts elected to bat, Mongolia were folded in 8.2 overs, etching their name in the annals of infamy with the second lowest score in T20I history after Isle of Man’s 10 all out against Spain in on February 26, 2023.

For Japan, 17-year-old left-arm seamer Kazuma Kato-Stafford returned with 5 for 7 from his 3.2 overs, while Abdul Samad (2/4) and Makoto Taniyama (2/0) bagged two each in the match held at the Sano International Cricket Ground. Tur Sumaya (4 off 11) was the top-scorer for Mongolia, while opener Namsrai Bat-yalalt faced a maximum 12 deliveries.

This was the second T20I of a seven-match series, while the third one, slated later in the day, did not yield any result. In the first T20I, Mongolia were bowled out for 33 in reply to Japan’s 199 for 5, enduring a 166-run defeat.

This was Mongolia’s fifth T20I appearance, having made international debut at the Hangzhou showpiece where they made a group stage exit after losing both their matches. Nepal had amassed 314/3 against Mongolia on their international debut, a match they had lost by 273 runs after getting out for 41.

Mongolia had also lost to Maldives by nine wickets in the second match after posting 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.