Chiba Sharks Cricket Club
Chiba Sharks Cricket Club
Ground Name: Fuji 1, Fuji 2
Location: At the Southern end of Fujikawa Kasenjiki – 35°08′ 05.06″N 138°38′ 16.15″E
Nearest Station: JR Fuji Station, Tokaido Line – 2hrs 30 mins from Shinagawa.
Access: By taxi from JR Fuji Station (7 minutes – ¥1,280)
Meeting Point: JR Shinagawa Station (at the top of the stairs leading to Tokaido line)
Map:
Pitch Reports:
Fuji 1 – The spiritual home of cricket in Japan. Originally cut from the bush and a concrete pitch laid out by ingenious locals in the mid 1990’s. The first Fuji ground was the main ground for the Kanto Cricket League for more than a decade.
The former scrubland and bare earth has given way to a thick green carpet of mixed grasses which is a fair surface for fielding and can be quick for the batsman when cut short or a long day of triple runs when long or wet. The bush on the cow corner side still often claims the well stuck six. But lost balls are not usually a problem.
The surface of the current pitch was re-laid in 2013. It is traditionally a quick pitch and can be quite bouncy with good carry through to the keeper. Spinners can get a decent amount of turn off the pitch and there are a couple of very slight ridges at the Shinkansen end which can be brought into play and exaggerate any movement off the pitch. [Anton/Chris]
Fuji 2 – This ground was made with the support of the local community for the 2004 East Asia Pacific Trophy. A very fast ground with short boundaries square of the wicket, Fuji 2 has seen some big individual scores and team totals in its short history. The original pitch is still in use but is showing heavy signs of wear and is starting to thin. Where once it was a batsman’s paradise, it is now not so easy to predict and is two paced with many good length balls keeping low.
The pitch surrounds are very compacted and even light rain can cause long delays in play or abandoned matches. The outfield is still a little sparse and uneven in places, causing fielders to take caution in certain areas. [Chris]
Facilities: There is a shed at the ground for storing equipment among which are a couple of small canopy tents which can be put up to provide a bit of shade. There is a Portaloo toilet but nobody has ever been seen emerging from it. Other than that there is nothing. Supplies can be purchased from the convenience store and newly opened bakery at the station.
Photos:
