Berbice Cricket Board completes highly successful 2023

Jan 10, 2024 Sports

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– Cricket development programme main highlights

Kaieteur Sports – The Hilbert Foster led Berbice Cricket Board in 2023 enjoyed a highly successful calendar year and the board is currently preparing for a hectic 2024 under the new leadership of Dr. Cecil Beharry, who was elected on the 17^th of December. The highlight of the year was a selection of 13 Berbicians on different West Indies teams, senior, academy and A teams. The players were Shimron Hetmyer, Romario Shepherd, Kevin Sinclair, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph, Isai Thorn, Kevlon Anderson, Junior Sinclair, Shemaine Campbell, Sheneta Grimmond, Sahabeka Gajnabi, Ashmini Munsieur and Anna Grimmond.

Joseph and Sinclair earned maiden call ups to the test team, while Munsieur became the first West Indies female Under19 captain before making her senior international debut.

Seven Barbicans also played for the Amazon Warriors during the 2023 tournament they were Hetmyer, Shepherd, Junior Sinclair, Anderson, Kevin Sinclair and Joseph. Four females also played for the female version – Campbell, Grimmond, Gajnabi and Munsieur. Several Berbicians also played at the senior CWI level for Guyana at the four day and one day levels as the county continues to dominate national selection.

At the junior level, four Berbicians were in the national Under13 team, six in the Under17 and six in the Under19.  Devon Clements gained selection on the West Indies Over40 team to tour Pakistan, while three Berbice females gained selection on the West Indies A team tour to Pakistan and the senior female team to Australia. Three players, Motie, Joseph and Kevin Sinclair are currently in Australia with the West Indies team, while Isai Thorne is with the West Indies Under19 World Cup team.

Junior Sinclair was adjudged as the best emerging player of the 2023 Caribbean Premier League, while Kevlon Anderson scored his first two first class centuries and Isai Thorne had a remarkable start to his first class career representing the West Indies Cricket Academy.

The BCB during the course of 2023 launched a total of 34 cricket tournaments at all levels including a historic Under11 inter club. The levels were Under11, under13, under15, under17, under19, under23, second division, first division, inter zone, females, primary schools, secondary schools and inter zone at the junior level.

Over 70 percent of the tournaments have been successfully completed including the RL Construction U15, Ali’s Bakery U17, Brian Ramphal U17 inter zone, Dr. Tilsi Dyal Singh U19 inter zone, Sir James France Berbice River Tournament, Dave Imports Berbice River, Latchmansingh West Berbice inter primary, MASS Inter Secondary Schools, Roy Baijnauth memorial inter primary, UCCA Price is Right, Romario Shepherd U13 and Jumbo Jet T/20.

The BCB was also able to attract the services of eighteen cricket coaches/trainers within Region 5 and 6 with the assistance of the Government of Guyana and the Region 6 RDC. The board office has also benefitted from two officers under the Government of Guyana ten days work programme. International cricket journalist Gregory Fean visited Berbice in February last to do a feature article on Berbice cricket for the Inter Caribbean Airline quarterly magazine “The Cacique”, while the BCB with the assistance of famed Cricket writer Tony McWatts launched a bi monthly online magazine “Quick Pitch”. This online magazine would promote Berbice Cricket globally.

The BCB also hosted Alvin Kallicharran, the former West Indies captain on an official visit which included the launching of his Cricket book and a one day coaching clinic with batsmen at the historic Port Mourant ground.  The board with the sponsorship from the Guyana Breweries Inc also unveiled the Berbice test player’s billboard in front of the Port Mourant ground, while it joined hands with the University of Guyana to open the historic Berbice Cricketers Wall of Fame.

A total of 31 players who represented West Indies from 1948 to 2023 were honored with official portraits at the University. The BCB and the university also agreed on two educational scholarships for two Berbice cricketers and the two entities also worked on the printing of an undated cricket coaching manual for hundreds of youth cricketers in the county.

The BCB also hosted a successful junior Captains seminar spearheaded by level three coaches Esuan Crandon, Winston Smith and Julian Moore. Coaches across the county were also involved in a refresher course supervised by the most successful Cricket coach in the West Indies Esuan Crandon at the Albion Cricket ground.  Cricket clinics for youth cricketers in the four sub-associations were held, while the BCB annual Dr. Tulsa Dyal Singh Cricket Academy was held at the Port Mourant ground for seventy youths.

All the secondary and primary schools in the county received assistance from the BCB as part of its cricket development plans. Secondary Schools received complete set of white uniforms along with Cricket balls and Cricket gears while over sixty primary schools received tapeball gear.

As part of its cricket development programme, the BCB also constructed five batting cages which are based at Bush Lot United, Rose Hall Canje, Rose Hall Town, Port Mourant and NO 72 Cut and Load, while the five mentioned clubs along with Cotton Tree benefited from a bowling machine each to assist in the department of their junior players.

The county also benefited from a Donation of 24 other bowling machines from Matt Breuer a friend of Berbice cricket from Australia. Several clubs and schools benefited including Tucber Park, Bath Achievers, Skeldon, Berbice River and Gangaram. Clubs like Whim, Police and D’Edward, also received batting practice Nets from the BCB.  It must be recalled that the board in the pass two years had obtained cricket pitch covers for Cotton Tree, Edinburgh, Albion, Rose Hall Town and #72 Cut and Load.

The BCB has also assisted dozens of clubs with practice nets, catching cribs and cricket gear.

The county’s 11 first division teams each received five boxes of white cricket balls along with the Berbice River Cricket Association under the patrons’ fund, while over 80 cricket clubs also received $1 million worth of red balls under the Shimron/Nirvani Hetmyer trust fund. The Faizal Jaffarally trust fund provided cricket balls and wicketkeeping gloves for West Berbice clubs.

Additionally 24 youth cricketers in Berbice receive $1 million worth of cricket gear from the Zamal Hussain trust fund. The cricketers received a cricket bat, a pair of batting gloves and pair of batting pads.

The BCB would shortly share out about $3 million worth of coaching equipment and gear to about 22 clubs with youth teams under the Dr. Dukhi trust fund, while the Pro Chancellor of University of Guyana Professor Dr. Edward Greene has also committed to hosting another trust fund to benefit youth players. Region 6 chairman David Armogan has also agreed to another trust fund.

Albion, RHTYSC, Tucber Park and Rose Hall Canje all hosted successful club academies, while the BCB in its wisdom also introduced a President XI, consisting of youth players, to its first division structure.

Several outstanding Guyanese were also rewarded with the BCB highest award, Tribute to Heroes. They include Dr. Edward Greene, Dr. Paloma Mohammed, Dr. Gomes and Jainarine Deochand of the University of Guyana. One hundred youths would also shortly receive $8M worth of cricket gear from the Government of Guyana, while the BCB is also expect to get another grass cutter.

The BCB would like to express thanks to the Government of Guyana, especially President Infaan Ali, Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, Ministers Collin Croal, Dr. Ashni Singh and Vickram Bharrat. The board would also like to express gratitude to Faizal Jaffarally MP, Rion Peters, Zamal Hussain, Navindra Persaud, Dr. Tulsi Dyal Singh, Dr. Puran Singh, Manzoor Nadir, Shimron Hetmyer, Anil Lalsa, Dr. Terrence Blackman, Sheik Mohammed, Brian Ramphal, Renaldo Lewis, Peter Lewis, Ishwar Singh, Armco Construction, Chandradat Chintamani,, University of Guyana, Latchman Construction, Republic Bank, DhanpaulSukhra, Ricky Moore, Dr. Frank Denbow, Ali’s Bakary, Diors Bits and Pieces, Nolan France, George Baijnauth, MASS Security, Alvin Kallicharran, Tony McWatt, Inter Caribbean Airline, Imran Shaffeeullah, Esuan Crandon, Matt Breuer, Price is Right, NPG packaging, Vishu Super Star, Arjune Nandu, Harrinarine Chattergoon, Kris Jagdeo, Dave Narine among others.

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• Anil Lalsa, Brian Ramphal, Dr. Puran Singh, Dr. Terrence Blackman, Manzoor Nadir, Sheik Mohammed

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