Kathmandu, Oct. 10 -- run target against Nepal in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Asia & EAP Qualifier at Al Amerat, Oman, on Friday.

Captain Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming led from the front with a fluent 60 off 46 balls, hitting five fours and three sixes. He shared a crucial 71-run partnership with Eesam Rahman, who scored 31 off 25 balls, to steady Japan after an early wicket loss.

The rest of the batting line-up, however, struggled to maintain momentum against Nepal's disciplined attack.

Japan's innings lost momentum after reaching 97 for 2 in the 13th over. From there, Nepal triggered a middle-order collapse, taking six wickets for just 34 runs.

Benjamin Ito-Davis added a quick 17 off 12 balls before falling late in the innings, while the ...