Berbice Cricket Board enjoyed productive 2020 despite COVID-19 pandemic

– 2021 promises to be most successful in BCB history

The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB), under the presidency of Hilbert Foster, continues to be the most dynamic proponent of the game in Guyana. The board has described the year 2020 as highly successful, despite actually being able to play the game for only the first three months of the year.
After taking a break in April, the BCB was able to achieve great success off the cricket field via its charity works, coaching programmes, awards ceremony, pro-education campaign, and investments in clubs and youth players.

Foster, who was elected President in February 2018, has said that unlike the other cricket boards in Guyana, the BCB has much to celebrate, as it continued to work hard despite the pandemic. Thirteen cricket tournaments were either started or completed between January and March, while several others are awaiting restart of the cricket season in order to be completed.

Rose Hall Town Namilco Thunderbolt Flour defeated arch-rivals Albion to win the Busta Champions of Champions 40-over tournament, the Ivan Madray 20/20 Cup in January, and got past Tucber Park to win the Stag Beer 50-over tournament.
Albion won the Raffik Construction 100 balls second division tournament and the Ramnaresh Sarwan Under-17 titles, while Rose Hall Town Bakewell won the Lower Corentyne Let’s Bet 20/20 tournament. Rose Hall Town Metro Female lifted the 2020 Nand Persaud female title, while #73 won the BCB/UCCA/Trophy Stall Under-19 title.
The BCB/UCCA Inter-primary school tournament was won by #71 Primary School. The Premium Asphalt/TR Construction 20/20 tournament for teams in the Lower Corentyne area, which began in January 2020, is at the finals’ stage, while the Lewison’s General Store and Mike’s Pharmacy Under-15 tournaments are also at the semi-finals’ stage. The BCB/UCCA Price is Right tournament is also at the final stage, with Dukestown and #72 Cut and Load scheduled to battle for championship honours.

Tournaments that are on hold due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic are: The Banks DIH Ltd two-day (semi-final stage), Let’s Bet Sport Countywide (finals), Friends of New Amsterdam 20/20 (semi-finals), and NBS 40-over (quarterfinals).
The BCB also invested heavily in coaching and the hosting of several trial matches to select inter-county teams. Overseas-based Guyanese Dr. Tulsi Dyal Singh and Brian Ramphal sponsored a combined nine trial matches for the selection of the Berbice Under 15, Under 17 and Under 19 teams, while several coaching clinics were held for fast bowlers, batsmen, spinners and wicket-keepers.

The BCB panel of coaches also visited more than 20 clubs to conduct coaching sessions. These include the #73, Port Mourant, RHTY&SC, RH Canje, Achievers, Mt. Sinai and Edinburgh. The BCB, with support from the RHTY&SC, also invested heavily in the development of players, with more than 200 youths benefiting from donations of gear, uniforms, bicycles and educational materials under a wide range of programmes, including the Basil Butcher Trust Fund, Dr. Tulsi Dyal/ Puran Singh Fund, RHTY&SC Patrons Fund, BCB Patrons Fund and Brian Ramphal Trust Fund. More than 60 clubs benefited from the donations of cricket balls, with sponsorship coming from former Minister of Health Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, the Basil Butcher Trust Fund, and the RHTY&SC. Clubs also benefited from donations of scorebooks, Laws of Cricket books, face masks, educational materials and stumps.
The BCB and the RHTY&SC also invested in the publication of 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 each received a financial stipend of $10,000.
Former West Indies player Ramnaresh Sarwan also donated a $100,000 coaching kit to the BCB to aid in the development of youth players. Jerry Karim of Blairmont received the Brian Ramphal Father of the Year award while Veronica Cecil was recipient of the Brian Ramphal Mother of the Year award. The vibrant Upper Corentyne Cricket Association received 28 sets of coloured uniforms for its members from the popular businessman entity Price is Right Supermarket.
Former BCB President Anil Beharry also raised funds to obtain cricket pitch covers worth $320,000, which are currently being stored at the Albion Ground.
An additional 9 new cricket clubs were formed in 2020, while the BCB also co-organised a children’s Mash Parade on Mash Day to promote the Message, Say Yes to Education, Sports and No to Drugs, Crime. The board also worked with the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, MS in a Covid-19 response programme which saw the distribution of over 6000 food hampers, 2000 lbs of chicken products, face masks, cleaning detergents and sanitizers.
On the cricket field, Berbice Cricket had a lot to celebrate as Shemaine Campbelle became the fourth West Indian to play one hundred 20/20 matches, Gudakesh Motie reached his one hundred first class wickets in his 28th game, Shabika Gajnabi scored the first female double-century at the inter-county female level, and Veersammy Permaul earned a welcome recall to the West Indies team. Kevin Sinclair and Nial Smith made their first-class debut for Guyana, while Shemaine Campbelle, Sheneta Grimmond and Kevlon Anderson represented the West Indies at World Cup tournaments in Australia and South Africa.
Other Berbicians to either represent the Guyana team, the Amazon Warriors or the West Indies in 2020 were Devindra Bishoo, Anthony Bramble, Kevin Sinclair, Nial Smith, Shimron Hetmyer, Shabika Gajnabi, Motie, Permaul and Romario Shepherd. Shepherd became the latest Berbician to score a first-class century when he blasted 133 for West Indies ‘A’ vs New Zealand ‘A’. Other highlights for 2020 included the induction of Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, as the board’s first Honorary Patron, the launching of Mortimer George’s book, “Know Your Heroes”, hosting of the Brian Ramphal Special Awards Ceremony, and meetings with several key Government Ministers, including Attorney General Anil Nandlal, Minister of Sports Charles Ramson Jnr, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha and Labour Minister Joseph Hamilton.
The proactive BCB 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 gear and uniforms from former West Indies Opener Clayton Lambert.
The BCB also played a major role in the funeral arrangement for the legendary Basil Butcher by hosting a Night of Reflection at the Port Mourant Ground and co-organising his funeral service.
2020 also saw Berbice Cricket mourning the death of umpire Ganga Persaud Shivdyal and players Jerome Andrews and Sherwin Murray.
Foster hailed the cooperation of his executives, the Berbice Umpires Association, the Regional Democratic Council and sponsors of Berbice Cricket. Special mention has been made of 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, Trophy Stall, Ramnaresh Sarwan, 4R Bearings, Mike’s Pharmacy, Lewison General Store, Office of the Prime Minister, Busta, Raffik Construction, Chandradat Chintamani, Clayton Lambert, and 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.