Berbice Cricket Board is enjoying a productive 2020 despite Covid-19 pandemic – Kaieteur News

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

Some club members pose after receiving their gift of cricket balls.

Namilco Town’s Rosebolt Thunderbolt team stands after winning the Ivan Madray Memorial 20/20.

Albion Cricket Club – Winner Ramnaresh Sarwan Under-17.

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

Romario Shepherd is being honored for scoring his first-class debut.

Metro Rose Town’s Female picked up the 2020 Nand Persaud female title, while No73 won the BCB / UCCA / Stophy Trophy under-19 title. The BCB / UCCA Inter-Primary School tournament was won by Primary School No. 71. The Asphalt / TR Construction Premium 20/20 for teams in the Lower Corentyne area, which began in January, 2020, is in the finals stage, while Lewison’s General Store and Mike’s Pharmacy Under-15 tournaments are also in the semi-final stage respectively. The BCB / UCCA Price is Right tournament is also at the final stage with Dukestown and No72 Cut and Load due to battle for championship honors.
Other tournaments postponed due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic are the two-day Banks DIH Ltd (Semi-Final), Let’s Bet Sport County Wide (finals), Friends of New Amsterdam 20/20 (Semi-final), and NBS 40 overs (Final Quarters).
The BCB also invested heavily in coaching and conducting several test matches to select inter-county teams. Guyanese, Dr Tulsi Dyal Singh, and Brian Ramphal, overseas, sponsored nine combined test matches for the Berbice Under-15, Under-17 and Under-19 teams selection, while a wide range of training clinics were held for fast bowlers, batters. , spinners and wicketkeepers. The BCB coaches panel also visited over twenty clubs to run training sessions including No.73, Port Mourant, RHTYSC, RH Canje, Achievers, Mt. Sinai and Edinburgh.
The BCB with the support of the RHTYSC also invested heavily in player development with over two hundred young people benefiting from donating gears, uniforms, bikes and educational materials under a wide range of programs including the Basil Butcher Trust Fund, Dr. Tulsi Dyal / Puran Singh Fund, RHTYSC Sponsors Fund, BCB Sponsors Fund and Brian Ramphal Trust Fund. Over sixty clubs benefited from cricket ball donations with sponsorship from the former Health Minister Leslie Ramsammy, Basil Butcher Trust Fund and RHTYSC. Clubs also benefited from donations of scorebooks, Cricket Law books, face masks, educational materials and sticks.
The BCB and RHTYSC also invested in publishing 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 cash pay of $ 10,000 each. Former West Indies player Ramnaresh Sarwan also provided the BCB with a $ 100,000 training package to assist in the development of youth players. Jerry Karim of Blairmont received Brian Ramphal’s Father of the Year, while Veronica Cecil was named Brian Ramphal’s Mother of the Year. The vibrant Upper Corentyne Cricket Association secured twenty sets of colored uniforms for its members from the popular businessman’s entity, Price is Right Supermarket. Former President Anil Beharry also raised money to get $ 320,000 cricket pitch covers that is currently stored on the Albion Ground.
Nine new cricket clubs were formed in 2020 while the BCB also co-ordinated a Stwnsh Parade for children on St Midsummer to promote the Education, Sport and No Drugs, Message of Crime. The board also worked with Rose Hall, MS Youth and Town Sports Club in a Covid-19 response program that saw the distribution of over 6000 food hampers, 2000 lbs of chicken products, face masks, cleansing detergents and detergents.
On the cricket field, Berbice Cricket had much to celebrate as Shemaine Campbelle became the fourth West Indian to play one hundred 20/20 games, Gudakesh Motie reached his hundred first class wickets in his 28th match, Shabika Gajnabi scored the first century female double at inter-county female level and Veersammy Permaul won a welcome reminder to the West Indies team. Kevin Sinclair and Nial Smith made their first world-class matches for Guyana, while Shemaine Campbelle, Sheneta Grimmond and Kevlon Anderson represented the West Indies in World Cup tournaments in Australia and South Africa.
Other Berbs 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 world-class century when he tasted 133 against New Zealand ‘A’ for ‘West’ A India.
Other highlights for 2020 included establishing Minister for Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat as the board’s first Honorary Patron, launching Mortimer George’s book “Know Your Heroes”, hosting the Brian Ramphal Special Awards Ceremony and meetings with several key Government Ministers including Attorney General Anil Nandalal, Sports Minister Charles Ramson Jnr, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha and Labor Minister Joseph Hamilton. The proactive 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 Butcher Basil by holding a Reflection Night at the Port Mourant Ground and co-ordinating his funeral service. In 2020 Berbice Cricket also mourned the death of referee Ganga Persaud Shivdyal and players Jerome Andrews and Sherwin Murray.
Foster noted the cooperation of its executives, the Berbice Umpires Association, the Regional Democratic Council and the sponsors of Berbice Cricket. Particular reference was made to 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, Stophy Trophy, Ramnaresh Sarwan, 4R Bearings, Mike’s Pharmacy, Lewison’s General Store, Prime Minister’s Office, 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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