MAY 3rd 2009

Following the huge success of Indian Premier League, the cricket fans of St. Johns launched a ‘rebel’ league (if Lalit Modi wishes to call it so) . the JOHNITE PREMIER LEAGUE (JPL)

Well, the 1^st ever match (better term – the inaugural match) was played today in St. johns Cricket Ground between the Kochin Kundans ( Mals have a reason to do this – ‘they don’t have a team in IPL’)

v/s the Bhagyanagar Bewaars (the Hyderabad based team)

In a closely contested duel Kochin Kundans just edged out Beewars by 5 runs and clinched the very first game of johnite Premier League.

Earlier winnig the toss, Bewaars Captian and Owner Jiya John (alias Jeeson John , 2007 Batch) decided to go out and field in the sun. Proving the captain right the bowlers managed to dismiss the key players of Kundans including the skipper Roshan valentine (2007) and opener Arun Jude (2005).

Even Kundans team owner Jino Joy (2007) had to come to crease and bat as he was running out of options. As Allwyn (07), Jino, Alex (Mess worker), Nitin (07) all walked back without making much contributions to the score board, the match clearly looked one sided

But the story changed when Maridas (07) and Davis stayed for the Last wicket and made a crucial partnership of 35 runs from 5overs. Kochin Kundans was bowled out at 58 with 1 ball remaining

Bewaars – defenitly stronger team on the paper came to the pitch with the hopes of an easy win. And their openers made it look so I should say. But a very disciplined effort from KK Skipper Roshan, Manoj (2008), Maridas and Nitin with the ball slowly snatched the game away from Beewars.

Though Rain intrupted the match at the 7^th over when Beewars just needed 17 runs of 18 balls with 2 wickets remaing, the umpires and the captians decided to come back to the ground and finish the game.

Maridas of KK bowled the 8^th over took a wicket and gave away 5 runs.

In the last over Beewars had to hit 7 of 6 balls. Skipper Roshan went for Alex (Mess worker).

Alex kept the captains faith. He finished Beewars by the 3^rd Delivery.

And yeas……. The Kochin Kundans won the inaugural match of JPL 2009.

The celebrations after the match I would tell was even more than any ICS match. Both teams and the spectators defenitly enjoyed the 1hr game.

May be cricket rules were not followed, may be the players didn’t even know how to hold the bat (eg:- the author of this article), but still….. it was fun, like any other Johnite Event. Would you believe people like Arun Jude (KK), Murtuza (BB) came despite the fact that they are having Surgery Internal Exams tommarow !!!! Yeah….. rightly described as “Johnite Spirit” (or may be something else)!!!!

Waiting for more players and teams to get involved.

Signing off…. Hoping that someone else will blog soon more about JPL 2009