Romario Shepherd sponsors Under-13 tournaments for BCB

– BCB launches another Mortimer George book on Berbice cricket

“You are a gem of Berbice Cricket, a positive role model, and it is a good feeling for all of us at the Berbice Cricket Board when our players who we have invested so much in pays it forwards”.
Those were the words of BCB President Hilbert Foster to West Indies all-rounder Romario Shepherd, who last Sunday came on board as an official sponsor of Berbice Cricket. The Tucber Park all-rounder joins his fellow West Indies team mate Shimron Hetmyer as sponsors of a Berbice Cricket tournament. Hetmyer sponsors the Berbice Intermediate tournament, while Shepherd would now sponsor an Under 13 tournament.

Foster had approached the tall medium pacer for the sponsorship during the West Indies tour to New Zealand, and the player readily agreed to the request. The tournament, which would start in the first quarter of 2021, is expected to attract about twelve teams with the players’ cut-off date of birth being 2008-09-01. The players have to be attending school, and teams would be expected to provide proof of their players’ dates of birth when required. Only Berbicians would be allowed to play in the tournament.
Clubs have until the end of February to inform the BCB Competition Committee about their participation, BCB Competition Committee Chairman Leslie Solomon disclosed that teams which play overage players would be disqualified from the tournament and face a stiff financial penalty.
All players are expected to be uniformed in white. Teams would be divided into two zones, with the top two in each zone advancing to the semi-final. Foster stated that the BCB intends to host a minimum of thirty cricket tournaments in 2021 at the different levels: Under 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, Female, Second Division, Internal Zone, Intermediate and First Division.
The BCB has already secured sponsorship for some of the tournaments, including an Under 13, Under 15, Female and a two-day first division. The BCB President has expressed confidence that the Marketing Committee which he headself would raise funds for all of the projected tournaments and development programmes for 2021. He reassured Shepherd, who recently scored his 1st first class century against New Zealand “A”, that the tournament would be well organised and would achieve all of its objectives.
Shepherd, in brief remarks, said he is pleased at the state of Berbice Cricket and is delighted to invest in the development of youths. He committed himself to assisting in the future.
Former West Indies opener Clayton Lambert received the sponsorship from Shepherd, and congratulated him on remembering his roots.
Meanwhile, the proactive BCB on Sunday also launched another publication by its former Secretary, Mortimer George. The 169-page magazine has been published under the title “Know your Heroes- Berbice Cricket”.
George, who was Secretary from 1975 to 1983, is a prolific writer on Berbice Cricket, and has published several books and magazines, including special ones for the BCB 75th and 80th anniversaries in 2014 and 2019. President Foster hailed the publication of the magazine as another red-letter day in the rapid development of Berbice Cricket, and said he expects it to play a major role in educating youth cricketers on the history of Berbice Cricket and its heroes.
Chapters in the magazine are titled: The Magnificent Ten, Rising Stars, List of Windies Cricketers, Hall of Fame Inductees, West Indies female cricketers from Berbice, Life Members, Berbice Test Cricketers, and there are featured articles on Rohan Kanhai, Basil Butcher, Joe Solomon, Leslie Amsterdam, Lennox Phillips, Ancel Hazel, John Trim, Alvin Kallicharran and Duncan Stuart.
The BCB President expressed gratitude to George for his investment in Berbice Cricket, and urged him to continue doing so, as it is important that the history of the game in Berbice be recorded for future generations.