Guyana still has the ability to produce notable cricketers

THE sports scene in Region Six has received a boost with the complete installation of floodlights at the Albion Community Centre Ground, which is one of the most notable facilities with an accomplished history in cricket development in Guyana.

The ground, which is managed by GuySuCo, has been the venue for First Class matches, and it was the venue for the first ever One Day International (ODI) in the West Indies, which was played between the West Indies and Pakistan in March 1977, a game the home team won by four wickets.

A total of five ODIs were played between 1977 and 1985. The ground hosted an ODI for the last time in April 1985, a match played between the West Indies and New Zealand; and once again, the West Indies won the match by 130 runs, with Desmond Haynes scoring 145, the highest individual innings by any player at the ground.

The West Indies was most successful at the ground, winning four out of five ODIs. The most recent first class cricket match at the ground was played between Guyana and Barbados in February 2010 -Barbados won the match by 58 runs.

All these successes positioned Albion to be the first community ground to receive an upgrade in the form of six towering floodlights, similar to those at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence, on the East Bank.

The lights, totaling close to $110M, were officially commissioned on Monday last by Head of State, President Donald Ramotar, with assistance from Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony, Regional Chairman David Armogan, Minister of Agriculture Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, renowned Guyanese cricketer, Clive Lloyd, and Permanent Secretary, Alfred King.

In his remarks, President Ramotar recognized the changes that have occurred in cricket over the years.

“Cricket is changing in its nature, and therefore, if Berbice is to continue playing an important role and making an important contribution to Guyana and West Indies cricket, we need to put the infrastructure in place to deal with the changing nature of the game itself, and thus these lights are extremely important in that regard,” he said.

He emphasized that Guyana still has the ability to produce notable cricketers like the John Trims, Rohan Kanhais, Kallicharrans, Lloyds and Fredericks. “Berbice has always produced a rich crop of cricketers for us,” he noted.

President Ramotar commended the sugar industry for the contributions it has made towards the development of cricket in Guyana, in that not only has it aided the game, but the country’s economy as well. With this in mind, the government has decided to pipe some $6M into the industry so as to encourage its continued growth.

The Head of State expressed the hope that from the creation of healthy recreational facilities that that the sport will be modernized. Further, it is anticipated that the availability of these facilities will deter youths from negative influences.

He also called for a link between academics and sports, especially since the world is moving towards a knowledge-based economy.

While addressing the gathering, Minister Anthony acknowledged the Berbicians’ passion for cricket. “From the history of Berbice, we know that you are passionate about cricket…” he said.

Even though the Region has waited for a long time for the lights, the Minister emphasized that it is a good investment in the young cricketers as the facility will boost training. He expressed his hope that the facility will be used more by the residents and other sports disciplines.

Lloyd highlighted his satisfaction regarding the installation of the lights that now illuminate the popular cricket ground. “This is a stepping stone to greater things in Guyana, and I hope with the lights here, in the not too distant future we would have more Test matches here; more CPL here for Guyana,” he said.

Albion Estate Manager, Devindra Kumar and President of the Berbice Chamber of Commerce, Mark Roopnarine both committed to giving support to the further development of the ground and other sports facilities in Region 6.

The installation of the lights was done by Musco Sports Lighting of Oskaloosa, Iowa, USA; the same company that had installed the lights at the Providence National Stadium. Each tower is outfitted with seventeen luminaries, totaling 102 -1500 watts bulbs being powered by Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Inc.

(‘Berbice has always produced a rich crop of cricketers for us’- President Donald Ramotar )