CRICKET development in Berbice got another generous boost from the corporate community when the Diamond Fire and General Insurance Company, Berbice Under- 19 Inter-Zone Tournament was launched yesterday. The company has invested some $349,000 into the tournament and according to the company’s Manager Ms.Tara Chandra, who said his company “is conscious of the role cricket has played in the evolution of our society and we (the company) are happy to be a part of the development of this great game”.

Chandra also stated that the Diamond Fire and Life Company made the alliance with the Berbice Cricket Board of Control (BCBC) because of the progress the BCBC has been making to develop the sport in the Ancient County from the Under-13 level to first division.

She explained: In addition to that, we are also well aware of the contribution that Berbice has made over the years in producing quality cricketers for Guyana and West Indies. Names like John Trim, Ivan Madray, Rohan Kanhai, Basil Butcher, Joe Solomon, Alvin Kallicharan and Roy Fredricks readily come to mind.”

Marketing Consultant for the BCBC Bishwa Panday hands over trophies to the BCBC third vice-president Ricardo Bachan for the board’s award ceremony while David Black looks on.

The company that has two branches in the Berbice, according to Chandra, hopes that with the sponsorship, the company will be able to give back to the community of Berbice as it strives to work in partnership for development not only in business but also for cricket.

Also speaking at the launching were first vice-president of the BCBC David Black and Public Relations Officer Hilbert Foster and they echoed sentiments of “profound gratitude” and that the board is pleased with the support of the company.

However, Foster further explained that for the last 70 years the board has been responsible for the development of the game and the nurturing of its cricketers.

Foster in his speech, stated that the board wants to see its cricketers playing as much cricket at all levels including Under-13, 15, 17, 19, 23, female, first and second divisions not only at the club level but also at the Inter Zone level.

However, the BCBC would use these tournament as trial matches to select the Berbice team at each level because the current system of trial matches have proven “less than adequate” because senior players tend to just go through the motion without much effort.

One of the club tournaments will be bowling off on Saturday and the board will be using this competition as a criterion for selection to the Berbice Under-19 team until Diamond Fire and Life Inter Zone tournament bowls off sometime in mid-March which will be another criterion for selection to the Berbice Under-19 team that will play the Inter County Under-19 tournament.

Meanwhile, the Marketing Consultant of the BCBC and former Secretary of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Bishwa Panday stated that he will continue to support cricket and that he was pleased with the work that the BCBC is doing for cricket development.

He also donated four trophies to the BCBC and the Rose Hall Town Youth Sports Club (RHTYSC) for their second and eighteenth annual award ceremony on March 13 and 29 respectively to honour persons who have done well in 2008.

“It was always my thinking that if persons are performing well we must always reward them”, an ecstatic Panday stated.

The four-team tournament which will consist of West Berbice/Berbice River, New Amsterdam/Canje, Lower Corentyne/Black Bush Polder and Central Corentyne is scheduled to begin sometime in mid March and will last for two days.

The victors will pocket $35,000 and a trophy whilst the first, second and third runners up will receive $25,000, $20,000 and $15,000 respectively.