BCB launches J’s Supermarket 40-Over tournament for teams in NA/Canje

The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) last Wednesday launched another cricket tournament as it continues to prepare for another restart of the 2021 Berbice cricket season.
The proactive board had placed a hold on its 2021 cricket season after the recent spike in COVID-19 cases in Guyana. The BCB had started the season in early February, and was able to successfully complete 19 finals within two months, before closing down again.

BCB President Hilbert Foster visited the popular J’s Supermarket, located at Strand, New Amsterdam, to formally launch the tournament, and disclosed that the tournament would start as soon as the board was satisfied that the COVID situation has improved.
The tournament would be contested by 14 teams in the New Amsterdam/Canje and East Bank sub-area. The teams would include Rose Hall Canje, Goed Bananen Land, Young Warriors, Tucber Park, Mt Sinai, Pathfinder, Kendall’s Union Sports Club, Kendall’s Union Sports Stars, Edinburgh, East Bank Blazers and Guymine.
The tournament is one of three that the teams in the areas would be involved in, along with dozens more organised across the entire county. This tournament would be played in a knockout format, while all teams are expected to closely follow the COVID-19 guidelines laid down by the BCB. These would include no spectators being in the venue, social distancing, regular cleaning of hands, and the wearing of face masks while in the pavilion.
All teams are also reminded that the BCB, in 2021, would be enforcing its rule on white clothing during matches, while any team granting a walkover would be banned for the rest of the season. Players debarred from second division tournaments would not be allowed to play.
Among the players on the debarred list are Shimron Hetmyer, Nial Smith and Romario Shepherd.
BCB Public Relations Officer Simon Naidu expressed thanks to the management and staff of the supermarket for this sponsorship. Naidu disclosed that the BCB had, in 2021, committed itself to organising at least three tournaments in each of the 5 sub-associations in the county, and was on target to do so. He noted that the work of the BCB under its current leadership has enable it to attract sponsorship very easily.
Jason Sripal, owner of J’s Supermarket, expressed happiness to be associated with the BCB, and expressed satisfaction with the ongoing progress of the game in the county. J’s Supermarket, Sripal noted, strongly believes in giving back and fulfilling its corporate duties. Sripal, a former national junior player, expressed confidence that the tournament would be a success.