– KP Jadgeo, Arif Mootoo and Permaul Trading are main sponsors
The Berbice Cricket Board would (BCB) on Thursday be hosting the first round of the BCB/Albion Community Centre Cricket Club Under-19 tournament as it forges ahead with its junior cricket tournament.
Defending BCB Under-19 50-overs champions – Albion
The board last week restarted its 2022 season, after a long break due to the rainy season, with the BCB/Romario Shepherd Under-13 tournament involving ten teams in three zones – West Berbice, New Amsterdam/Canje, and Lower Corentyne.
The BCB/ACCC Under-19 tournament would be sponsored by Permaul Trading and Distribution Ltd, Arif Mootoo of the United States, and Kris Jadgeo Construction Services. A total of twenty-one teams would be playing in the tournament, and teams would be divided into four sub zones: West Berbice, New Amsterdam/Canje, Lower Corentyne and Upper Corentyne.
BCB President Hilbert Foster has said this tournament would be played fifty overs per team, with matches starting at 9.30am. The BCB has mandated that the first ten overs of each innings be bowled by fast bowlers. Each fast bowler would also be required to rest for an hour after bowling five successive overs.
The BCB President also stated that a champion would emerge from each zone and would receive a winning trophy and small monetary prize. The four champions and runners-up teams would then go on to play in a eight team special tournament to get an overall Berbice Champion. Foster stated that the four inter zone champions idea is part of the BCB effort to inspire teams to perform at a high standard during the inter-zone stages.
Over the years, Rose Hall Town Pepsi and Albion have dominated the Under-19 level, and Foster stated that the Inter Zone Championship should inspire other clubs to do better.
Among the teams that would be involved in the tournament are Albion, Rose Hall Town Pepsi, Port Mourant, Tucber Park, Edinburgh, Rose Hall Canje, Achievers, Cotton Tree, Bath, Bush Lot United, No 73 Young Warriors, Skeldon and No 69.
The BCB expects the tournament to be very competitive, as numerous inter-county and national players would be in action, including Jonathan Rampersaud, Mahendra Gopilall, Jermey Sandia, Zeymul Ramsammy, Isai Thorne, Sohail Mohamed, Leon Cecil, Ramzan Koobir, Navin Boodwah, Tommani Ceasar, Rampertab Ramnauth and Shiv Harripersaud. The three Rose Hall Canje females who recently represented the West Indies Ashmini Munisar, Ashley Ramnauth and Realanna Grimmond are also expected to play in the tournament.
The BCB would like to extend thanks to former national junior player Orvin Mangru for the role he played in organising the sponsorship, and also to the three sponsors, who all came on board to support Berbice cricket.
