Berbice female team’s victory the result of early preparation and investment – Foster

Over the past weekend, the female cricket teams from Berbice completed a feat which has now become a norm for them, winning the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Inter-County 50-Over and 20/20 championship titles.
Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) President Hilbert Foster has hailed the successes of the Berbice female team in the just-concluded Inter-County championship as a just reward for the hard work of the Board, players and team management.
Foster noted that both titles were the result of the BCB being the only county Board in Guyana to invest heavily in players. The support of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC), Foster stated, was also crucial as it has the

The triumphant Berbice female team

only established female team in the county. Berbice has benefited from the RHTY&SC investment in players like Sheneta Grimmond, Erva Giddings, Melanie Henry, Plaffiana Millington, Shemaine Campbelle, Shabika Gajnabi, Marian Samaroo, Dian Prahalad, Uma Matadin and Sherica Campbelle, among others emerging from the well-structured programme. Foster also hailed the contributions of Tucber Park and Rose Hall Canje Clubs who are now trying to establish female teams.
An example of the Board’s advances was the Nand Persaud Co Ltd 30-Over Tournament between Rose Hall Town Metro Female Team, West Berbice and New Amsterdam/Canje, hosted back in December.
Immediately after the Tournament ended, the BCB began the preparation of its Under-19 and Senior teams under the guidance of Level III Coach Winston Smith and Manager Sylvia Autar. For over two months, the Berbice female cricketers trained on a daily basis and as such, were fully prepared for the tournament, both physically and mentally.
Foster was full of praise for Coach Smith and Manager Autar, who, on a voluntary basis, made themselves available daily to be with the team. Smith, he explained, is a great motivator/coach and is a huge asset to the development of Berbice cricket. The BCB President stated that as long as he remained head of Berbice cricket, every inter-county team would be selected early and be properly prepared as he strongly believes that early preparation is the key to success. The Berbice Under-15 team since early January were involved in coaching sessions with Coach Leslie Solomon and played three trial matches as part of their intense preparation.
National player Isaiah Thorne has been appointed Captain while Rampersaud Rampertab will serve as his deputy. The team will be involved in three-hour batting clinics before their departure on February 24, 2019 for Georgetown. The BCB, Foster stated, will shortly begin preparation for the Under-17 and Under-19 Inter-County Tournaments as the Board strives to win each title this year.
According to the BCB, unlike its counterparts in Essequibo and Demerara, it does not enjoy the luxury of a GCB-built hostel and does not receive financial support from the National Board. Berbice cricket depends entirely on its management’s ability to raise funds for every aspect of operations, including office rental, salaries, cricket tournaments, developmental programmes, transportation, umpiring costs, stationery, trial matches, and inter-county caps. Other claims suggest that the GCB has not provided the BCB with a stipend since 2009 when Foster’s elder brother, Keith, was elected President.