BCB Cricket Development Programme: Port Mourant, Cotton Tree CC receive $1M worth of equipment

“The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) under my leadership is fully committed to making sure that every cricketing talent in the county is given equal opportunity to excel on the cricket field. We would work hard to provide all the necessary equipment for youth development, so that the next generation would follow in the footsteps of John Trim, Rohan Kanhai and Basil Butcher.”
Those were the words of President of the BCB, Hilbert Foster, as he officially handed over $1M worth of bowling machines and batting cages to the Cotton Tree and the historic Port Mourant cricket clubs.

Foster, who is personally spearheading the Berbice Youth Development Programme, admonished members of the two clubs to take proper care of the equipment, and to primarily focus on the development of youth players from the under-11 to the under-19 levels. Youths, he stated are the ones that would carry on the legacy of Berbice cricket.
The PMCC received a batting cage, practice net, and bowling machine from the BCB, while Cotton Tree CC received a bowling machine and practice net. The Cotton Tree club has only recently become involved in youth cricket, after primarily concentrating on second division cricket. Currently, the club is involved in youth cricket at the U11, U13, U15, U17 and U19 levels. The club has produced players like Arif Khan, Shoaib Gafoor and Arif Bachus.
Despite not winning any Berbice junior level tournament, Cotton Tree has reached several semifinals over the last two years, and on Sunday last, won its first major BCB second division title when it defeated Achievers B to emerge champion of the Dave West Indian Imports 40-Over tournament.
The Port Mourant CC has a special place in the history of Berbice cricket, being the club that produced the most Test players. The historic club has produced seven Test players in John Trim, Rohan Kanhai, Ivan Madray, Basil Butcher, Roy Fredericks, Alvin Kallicharran and Mahendra Nagamootoo. Currently, that club has youth players like Rampertab Ramnauth, Rampersaud Ramnauth, Salim Khan, Navin Budhwa and Ravin Budhwa.
These two clubs also have the services of coaches attached to the BCB Cricket Development Project. The coaches are responsible for holding practice and coaching sessions. Over the year, cricket clubs have benefitted from donations of cricket gear, uniforms, water pitchers, pitch covers, catching cribs, educational materials, coaching equipment, school bags, cycles and educational grants, among other things.
The BCB, in 2023, donated six bowling machines to the following clubs: the RHTY&SC, Upper Corentyne, Rose Hall Canje, Port Mourant, Cotton Tree, and Bush Lot United. Five batting cages were also donated to the abovementioned clubs, apart from Cotton Tree.
The objectives of the BCB Development Programme are to produce another 12 players for the West Indies over the next six years. The BCB, under the presidency of Foster, has produced 12 players at all levels for the regional side since 2018. Among those players are Gudakesh Motie, Kevlon Anderson, Kevin Sinclair, Ramario Shepherd, Sheneeta Grimmond, Shabika Gajnabi, Isai Thorne, Ashmini Munisar, Ashley Ramnauth and Rampertab Ramnuth.
The batting cage was sponsored by contractor Peter Lewis, and the machine by Minister Vickram Bharrat, who is also the Patron of the active BCB.