Berbice Cricket Board enjoys productive 2020 despite Covid-19 pandemic

Jan 06, 2021 Sports

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– 2021 promises to be most successful in board’s history

Kaieteur News – The Berbice Cricket Board under the Presidency of Hilbert Foster continues to be the forerunner of the game in Guyana. The board has described the year 2020 as highly successful despite been able to actually play the game for only the first three months of the year. After taking a break during the month of April, the BCB was able to achieve great success off the cricket field via its charity works, coaching programmes, award ceremony, pro-educational campaign and investments in clubs and youth players. Foster, who was elected President in February, 2018 stated that unlike the other cricket boards in Guyana, the BCB has much to celebrate as it continued to work hard despite the pandemic.
Thirteen Cricket tournaments were either started or completed between January to March, while several others are also awaiting the restart of the cricket season to be completed. Rose Hall Town Namilco Thunderbolt Flour defeated arch rivals Albion to win the Busta Champions of Champions 40 overs, Ivan Madray 20/20 Cups in January and also got past Tucber Park to win the Stag Beer 50 overs tournament. Albion won the Raffik Construction 100 balls Second Division and the Ramnaresh Sarwan Under-17 titles, while Rose Hall Town Bakewell won the Lower Corentyne Let’s Bet 20/20 tournament.

Rose Hall Town Metro Female lifted the 2020 Nand Persaud female title, while No73 won the BCB/UCCA/Trophy Stall Under-19 title. The BCB/UCCA Inter Primary School tournament was won by No71 Primary School. The Premium Asphalt/TR Construction 20/20 for teams in the Lower Corentyne area, which started in January, 2020, is at the finals stage, while the Lewison’s General Store and Mike’s Pharmacy Under-15 tournaments are also at the semi-finals stage respectively. The BCB/UCCA Price is Right tournament is also at the final stage with Dukestown and No72 Cut and Load scheduled to battle for championship honours.
Other tournaments on hold due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic are the Banks DIH Ltd two days (Semi-final Stage), Let’s Bet Sport County Wide (finals), Friends of New Amsterdam 20/20 (Semi-finals), and NBS 40 overs (Quarterfinals).
The BCB also invested heavily in coaching and the hosting of several trial matches to select inter-county teams. Overseas based Guyanese Dr. Tulsi Dyal Singh and Brian Ramphal sponsored a combined nine trial matches for the selection of the Berbice Under-15, Under-17 and Under-19 teams, while a wide range of coaching clinics were held for fast bowlers, batsmen, spinners and wicketkeepers. The BCB panel of coaches also visited over twenty clubs to conduct coaching sessions including No73, Port Mourant, RHTYSC, RH Canje, Achievers, Mt. Sinai and Edinburgh.
The BCB with support from the RHTYSC also invested heavily into the development of players with over two hundred youths benefitting from donation of gears, uniforms, bicycles and educational materials under a wide range of programmes including the Basil Butcher Trust Fund, Dr. Tulsi Dyal/ Puran Singh Fund, RHTYSC Patron Fund, BCB Patron Fund and Brian Ramphal Trust Fund. Over sixty clubs benefitted from the donations of cricket balls with sponsorship from former Minister of Health Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, the Basil Butcher Trust Fund and the RHTYSC. Clubs also benefitted from donations of scorebooks, Law of Cricket books, facemasks, educational materials and stumps.
The BCB and the RHTYSC also invested in the publication of educational posters, youth information booklets, COVID-19 posters and a Say No to Crime information sticker. Sixty-nine youth cricketers received school bags, while six outstanding cricketers who did well at the CSEC, received a financial stipend of $10,000 each. Former West Indies player Ramnaresh Sarwan also donated a $100,000 coaching kit to the BCB to aid in the development of youth players. Jerry Karim of Blairmont received the Brian Ramphal Father of the Year, while Veronica Cecil was named the Brian Ramphal Mother of the Year. The vibrant Upper Corentyne Cricket Association obtained twenty eights sets of coloured uniforms for its members from the popular businessman’s entity, Price is Right Supermarket. Former President Anil Beharry also raised funds to obtain a $320,000 cricket pitch covers that is currently been stored at the Albion Ground.
An additional nine new cricket clubs were formed in 2020 while the BCB also co-organised a children Mash Parade on Mash Day to promote the Say Yes to Education, Sports and No to Drugs, Crime Message. The board also worked with the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, MS in a Covid-19 response programme which saw the distribution of over 6000 food hampers, 2000 lbs of chicken products, face masks, cleaning detergents and sanitizers.
On the cricket field, Berbice Cricket had a lot to celebrate as Shemaine Campbelle became the fourth West Indian to play one hundred 20/20 matches, Gudakesh Motie reached his one hundred first class wickets in his 28th game, Shabika Gajnabi scored the first female double century at the inter-county female level and Veersammy Permaul earned a welcome recall to the West Indies team. Kevin Sinclair and Nial Smith made their first-class debuts for Guyana, while Shemaine Campbelle, Sheneta Grimmond and Kevlon Anderson represented the West Indies at World Cup tournaments in Australia and South Africa.
Other Berbicians to either represent Guyana, Amazon Warriors or the West Indies in 2020 were Devendra Bishoo, Anthony Bramble, Kevin Sinclair, Nial Smith, Shimron Hetmyer, Shabika Gajnabi, Motie, Permaul and Romario Shepherd. Shepherd became the latest Berbician to score a first-class century when he blasted 133 vs New Zealand ‘A’ for West Indies ‘A’.
Other highlights for 2020 included the induction of Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat as the board’s first Honorary Patron, the launching of Mortimer George book “Know Your Heroes”, hosting of the Brian Ramphal Special Awards Ceremony and meetings with several Key Government Minister including Attorney General Anil Nandalal, Minister of Sports Charles Ramson Jnr, Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha and Minister of Labour Joseph Hamilton. The pro-active board also created history when it awarded its first ever educational scholarship to the University of Guyana with sponsorship from the Ministry of Agriculture. The year ended with a donation of $1.5M worth of cricket gears and uniforms from former West Indies Opener Clayton Lambert.
The BCB also played a major role in the funeral arrangement for the legendary Basil Butcher by hosting a Night of Reflection at the Port Mourant Ground and co-Organising his funeral service. 2020 also saw Berbice Cricket mourning the death of umpire Ganga Persaud Shivdyal and players Jerome Andrews and Sherwin Murray.
Foster hailed the cooperation of his executives, the Berbice Umpires Association, the Regional Democratic Council and sponsors of Berbice Cricket. Special mention was made of Brian Ramphal, Dr. Tulsi Dyal Singh, Dr. Puran Singh, Nand Persaud Co. Ltd, Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, Romario Shepherd, Shimron Hetmyer, Price is Right Supermarket, Ansa Mcal, Trophy Stall, Ramnaresh Sarwan, 4R Bearings, Mike’s Pharmacy, Lewison General Store, Office of the Prime Minister, Busta, Raffik Construction, Chandradat Chintamani, Clayton Lambert, Sarishwar Persaud among others. The board would also like to acknowledge the contribution of the media especially Kaieteur News, Stabroek News, Guyana Chronicle, Guyana Times, DTV-8, LRTVS CH10, NCN, NTN and News Room.

 

 

 

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