KOZHIKODE: Jolly Rovers is not just a cricket club for followers of the game in football-crazy Malappuram. The history of this Angadippuram-based club is also the history of cricket in the district. No other club in the state would have contributed that many players and match officials as Jolly Rovers did.
When the Club won the 2014-’15 A-Division championship conducted by the Malappuram District Cricket Association (MDCA), it was the 36th time the Club was doing so since it started playing in the league.
The club also holds the record for being the undisputed champion of the District Cricket League for 34 years in a row, since it debuted in the championship, till the 2012-13 season when it lost to the President's Cricket Club.
Though the Club lost its winning streak for one year, it regained the crown last season and is now the reigning champion in the A-Division championship.
“Jolly Rovers was formed in 1978 when the cricketers here decided to have an organized structure for their cricketing activities. Three talented personalities S Haridas (the present KCA Vice President), Ananth Ram and Sri Ram were initiated into the Club. S.K Unni and C Pradeep Kumar were the first president and secretary of the Club respectively,” said M.S Viswanathan, Club’s member, who is also a BCCI Umpire.
In its nearly four-decade history, the Club has contributed players to almost all age-category teams of Kerala. Mohammed Afsal, Hareesh M, Noushad P.T, Sunil Thomas, Iqlas Naha to name a few. The Club also holds an enviable record for contributing a number of umpires and scorers to the national and state panel. M.S Viswanath, C Pradeep Kumar, Navaneeth M.S, Arjun M.S and Arun P from the Club are national panel umpires.
The club also holds the record of owning an exclusive cricket ground with first-class status in the state. In 2008, the Perinthalmanna Cricket Stadium was inaugurated and has been leased out to the Kerala Cricket Association. The prestigious 32-year-old Dr M.S Nair tournament is conducted by Jolly Rovers.
