JAKE STURMER, REPORTER: Meet Sanomaru, the loveable mascot of Sano city.

With a ramen bowl for a helmet, he is leading the charge to help make cricket popular around here.

But if you think trying to hit a cricket ball dressed as a mascot is hard, convincing this baseball-loving country to get behind cricket is another challenge altogether.

Inside what is normally an athletics field, these cricketers are putting on an exhibition match to teach the rules to a curious and slightly confused crowd.

CROWD MEMBER: [translation] I get the impression it's not as complicated as baseball, so it's interesting. Seems like you can hit anywhere — 360 degrees around you, so it might be fun.

JAKE STURMER: This is probably one of the least likely places in the world that you'd find a game of cricket, but locals today are embracing the sport.

LOCAL: [translation] It's my first time playing cricket. It's hard. I've only heard the name, really. I hope cricket will be popular in Japan.

JAKE STURMER: After the exhibition game, locals get a chance to have a go themselves.

But it's clear that this is a land where baseball is much more popular.

Cricket officials are counting on a secret weapon.

This is Shogo Kimura, a former professional baseballer with the Hiroshima Carp.

But after 30 years of baseball, Kimura was dropped, left without a team or contract.

SHOGO KIMURA, FORMER PROFESSIONAL BASEBALLER: [translation] The longer you play as a professional baseball player, it's like standing on corpses, as you are being selected.

The guys who were not chosen left one by one, then new guys joined the team, and I survived the cut for a long time.

Now that has become me, and there's nothing I can do, as it's decided by other people.

JAKE STURMER: But there's no time to mourn. The 38-year-old has set his sights on cricket, whether that's Australia's Big Bash comp or the Indian Premier League.

But first, he's got to make Japan's national team.

And today, Kimura's done enough to impress the selectors and secure a spot in the squad.

CAMERON TRADELL, FORMER CRICKET AUSTRALIA TRAINER: He's going really well. So, for a guy that hasn't played much cricket, you can start to see that he's really starting to pick up the nuances of cricket.

We have to sort of get used to those pressures...

JAKE STURMER: Cameron Tradell used to be a trainer with Cricket Australia.

He's flown over to help select Japan's national team, something he's been doing for years.

CAMERON TRADELL: When I first came here, probably six, seven years ago, I would say exactly that — is that they were sort of really learning.

But the truth is, where they've come from and where they are today is amazing, because they've actually made leaps and bound.

And there's some real talent here.

JAKE STURMER: After making the national squad, we catch up with Kimura at a local club game. He's keen to show off what he's learnt from his training.

SHOGO KIMURA: [translation] I'm looking forward to it. I'm excited.

JAKE STURMER: With the first ball comfortably blocked, Kimura sets up and then... Clean-bowled.

A bitterly disappointing end to the day, and what's been months of training.

SHOGO KIMURA: [translation] I didn't do well at all. This is where I am at right now. There are things I can and can't do.

But it feels like it ended before I could even do something.

JAKE STURMER: But this is just the start of Kimura's journey.

A few weeks ago he flew to Darwin to practice with some of Australia's top national and international cricketers.

SAM TRULOFF, QUEENSLAND BULLS CRICKETER: Good. You need to hit a six before you go home, back to Japan. You need to hit a six in Australia.

SHOGO KIMURA: (LAUGHS) OK.

JAKE STURMER: Young Queensland Bulls first-class cricketer Sam Truloff has been sharing some of his tips on how to succeed.

SAM TRULOFF: He's very disciplined, very motivated. And the amount of stuff he's picked up on in a short period of time he's been here has been pretty extraordinary, actually.

So, yeah, he's going really well.

JAKE STURMER: And despite the language barrier, Kimura has been able to learn and vastly improve his skills.

SAM TRULOFF: Less movement.

SHOGO KIMURA: More, more practice.

JAKE STURMER: Despite trying to change 30 years of baseball in just a few weeks, he's impressed the coach.

MARK SORELL, SENIOR MANAGER, NT CRICKET: He's got some talent. There is no doubt about that.

It's an often-used word, but he has got an ability to strike the ball very, very cleanly.

And that's what we've focused on, which has been great.

JAKE STURMER: Kimura's hoping his relentless drive, from both his front foot and his mind, is enough to get him to the top.

SHOGO KIMURA: [translation] I have a role to spread cricket, so I'd like Japanese people to know cricket through me.

MARK SORELL: It's a high goal; it's a really big goal — but, you know, the way he's gone about it, no-one will want to stand in his way.

You'd just encourage him.