Future Warriors Tapeball: Hard work, preparation bring reward for West Ruimveldt Primary

There is a distinct, raw beauty in grassroots tapeball cricket, where the margins are razor-thin, and the emotions run unchecked.
On Sunday at the National Stadium in Providence, those emotions spilt over into tears of jubilation as West Ruimveldt Primary clinched the Demerara zone title in the Future Warriors Tapeball tournament, powered by ExxonMobil Guyana.
For West Ruimveldt, this was not just a weekend tournament victory; it was a redemption arc.
Having reached the final four in the previous editions only to fall agonisingly short of lifting the trophy, the team returned this year with a meticulous blueprint for success.

“We have put in extensive preparation into this year’s campaign,” Andre Webber, a teacher attached to the school’s cricket team, reflected proudly after the final.
The heartbreak of the past served as the fuel for their current triumph, though the sheer weight of the achievement caught the young squad by surprise when the final wicket fell. “Let me be honest with you, [looking at them now] they are crying. It came out successfully.”
The final pitted West Ruimveldt against Chateau Margot Primary, an East Coast Demerara outfit that had rightfully earned a reputation as the tournament’s preeminent “chase masters”. Armed with data and discipline, West Ruimveldt chose to bat first and immediately threw a wrench into Chateau Margot’s plans by posting a formidable 66 for four – the highest total of the entire competition.
The foundational bricks of that championship-winning total were laid by Bryan Hunter, who smashed a brisk, 12-ball 23, punctuated by three boundaries and a solitary, towering six.
Skipper Steven Orie provided the perfect foil with a crucial, stabilising 18, ensuring the run rate never dipped despite a probing, high-quality spell from Chateau Margot’s Mahendra Chunilall, who picked up two for 10.
Chateau Margot’s pursuit, usually so calculated, never found its rhythm against a relentless and hostile West Ruimveldt attack.
Rohit Shama top-scored with just five as Vincent Farley (two for five) and the ubiquitous Orie (two for eight) triggered a steady procession of wickets.
The clinical bowling display choked Chateau Margot to 40 for seven, sealing a comprehensive victory.
Orie capped off a sensational individual campaign as the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 49 runs, alongside a crucial three-wicket haul across the tournament that rightfully earned him the Most Valuable Player award. Farley finished as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with five scalps.
West Ruimveldt’s passage to the final was forged on defensive bowling excellence. In their semi-final clash, a combined bowling effort from Farley (two for three), Hunter (two for seven), and Zyron Austin (two for 12) restricted Rama Krishna Primary to 36 for eight. Orie’s steady, unbeaten 10 then steered them safely across the line.
Chateau Margot’s route to the final was far more dramatic and true to their moniker. They pulled off yet another signature, ice-cool chase against former champions Stella Maris, hunting down a target of 52 with five wickets and seven balls to spare.
Ezekiel Thomas’ unbeaten 18 and Clevon Jacobs’ 16 had originally lifted Stella Maris to a competitive 51 for two, but Wazim Khan’s nerveless, five-ball cameo of 10* sealed an emphatic win for Chateau Margot.
Stella Maris eventually found consolation in the third-place playoff, bossing a 51-run chase against Rama Krishna to win by seven wickets inside just 5.3 overs. Jeremiah Scott’s blistering 24 off 13 balls and Joshua Horatio’s cameo of 14 off seven rendered Michail Nelson’s earlier, valiant 12 for Rama Krishna obsolete.
The highly competitive Demerara leg featured 16 schools, showcasing the deep well of schoolboys’ talent across the region, with the likes of Grove Primary, Supply Primary, La Grange Primary, Meten-Meer-Zorg Primary, St Pius Primary, Winfer Gardens Primary, Enterprise Primary, Comenius Primary, Redeemer Primary, Camille’s Primary, ISA Islamic School, and School of the Nations all testing their mettle.
In a massive boost for grassroots development, all four top schools received a bag of cricket equipment, an electronic tablet for digital scoring, and specialised agility kits to support their continued development in the sport, alongside their hard-earned medals and trophies.
While West Ruimveldt celebrates, the grassroots caravan shows no signs of slowing down.
The tournament now shifts to the Berbice zone at the Albion Sports Complex on June 13-14, followed by the Essequibo zone at the Anna Regina National Stadium on June 20-21.
The three regional champions will ultimately collide in the “Champion of Champions” tournament slated for August/September, where West Ruimveldt will look to translate their Demerara dominance into national glory.