GMIS grabs historic title in Jakarta Cricket League

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Mon, 05/22/2006 1:03 PM

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The sacrifices made by the Gandhi Memorial International School (GMIS), who played in the final of the Jakarta Cricket Association League 2005-2006 against defending champion India XI, eventually paid off.

The students, who had never before made it to the final, were able to ignore the pressure of the game and their neglected exams and papers and overpowered India XI by 157 runs.

The players, from the schools 10th, 11th and 12th grades, lost only five wickets to reach the targeted 157 runs, ending the (much) senior team's resistance at the Ceylon Cricket Ground at Cibubur camping ground, East Jakarta, Sunday.

India XI, made up of players from cricket clubs from around Jakarta, scored 156 runs in their 35 overs, elected to bat first after winning the toss.

The team easily defeated Rebels Cricket Club in the semifinals but spoiled the chances of winning in the final, failing to develop their play after the fielding GMIS team made a successful cover of the cricket ground.

India XI even lost batsman Asig, who slipped as he was about to take a run in the fourth wicket, injuring his knee and forcing him to leave the field.

The student team, captained by Semiir Thette and defended by ""man of the match"" Pratyush Chaturvedi, played well when it was their time to bat, to a background of enthusiastic parents and friends cheering and whistling them on.

Also present to give encouragement to the student team was GMIS principal Ashok Pal Singh.

The underdog team -- which made its way to the final by upsetting last year's runner-up Ceylon CC in the semifinals -- repeatedly stunned the title holder with 6-run shots, including two made by batsman Rahul, forcing the India XI players to retrieve the ball outside from the boundary.

The trophy will be awarded in a dinner on June 3 that will feature Pakistani batting legend Zaheer Abbas.

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