Bangalore Metro Shield is back

The media - print, television and online - might be busy reporting about the big games and the big names. Nonetheless there exists cricket outside the world of international and first-class. It's played with a fervor that comes out of love for the game. Yes, it's about those matches that are organized by the respective state cricket boards at a level below first class cricket. Call it divisional cricket. The games might not have many spectators. The names might not have many fans. Still the players play it with all zeal and preparation. There  are nail-biting matches, comprehensive victories and washouts, breath-taking innings and classic bowling spells, sensational catches and agonizing injuries. There is a world of cricket beyond the big league. And I'm glad to be a tiny part of it. For more than two years, I've been playing in and reporting about matches - official and unofficial - played by my team.

It's that time of the year again when cricket players across Bangalore play out the most massively participated of cricket leagues in the state of Karnataka. With 48 cricket clubs fighting it out over several months, it's a testament to the passion for the gentleman's game in this city of rich cricketing culture. I'm talking about the Karnataka State Cricket Association, Group-I (Bangalore Zone), IV-Division, League-cum-Knockout Tournament for the Metro Shield which gets underway today.

There are five levels or 'Divisions' of cricket clubs under KSCA, Group-I. The first three Divisions have twelve teams each. The lion's share of the teams - 48 in all - are in IV-Division. Number of teams in V-Division is around 16 (not sure). Based on performance in a completed league tournament, teams are either promoted (or demoted) to the higher (or lower) divisions in the subsequent edition.

The  champions in the league tournaments held last year (2009) in each of the five divisions are as follows:

I-Division [Sir Mirza Ismail Shield] -- Friends Union Cricket Club (1)

II-Division [Sri M A T Acharya Shield] -- Modern Cricket Club

III-Division [Sri Nassur Memorial Shield] -- City Cricketers (1)

IV-Division [Metro Shield] -- Select Cricketers

V-Division [Sri J B Mallaradhya Shield] -- Wilson Garden Cricket Club   

Typically, players in I-Division teams are either current or hopeful Ranji players and hence many of them are professional cricketers. Players in the lower divisions belong to myriad walks of life -  students, engineers, consultants, lawyers, traders, bank-employees, cable-operators,  you name it. 

Our team, IISc Gymkhana, belongs to IV-Division and is ranked 24, exactly midway in the list of IV-Division teams. For this year, the teams in our pool (B) are:

1. Rajajinagar Colts CA : Rank-2 (Relegated from III-Division)
2. Vivekanagar Cricketers : Rank-8
3. IISc Gymkhana : Rank-24
4. Gary Cricketers : Rank-39
5. Spartons Sports Club : Rank-43
6. Malleswaram Sports Club : Rank-46 (Promoted from V-Division)

As of now, the schedule for only the first two weekends are out.

Schedule for our first match: 

IISc Gymkhana vs Vivekanagar Cricketers

Time - 9:00 AM

Date - 1st August, 2010 (Sunday)

Venue - IISc Gymkhana

The newspapers carry a cursory mention of such matches. I shall bring them alive to you in all their glory. I'd be glad to receive briefs of matches, other than those played by IISc, from cricket enthusiasts across Bangalore.

Drumroll. Let the show begin!