TWO weeks ago, a delegation from the Berbice Cricket Board met representatives of several clubs in West Berbice and committed the Board’s responsibility to host a one-day cricket academy and several coaching sessions for youth cricketers in that area. That commitment was fulfilled last Saturday, when the BCB held a highly successful one-day cricket academy at the Bush Lot cricket ground for 42 youth cricketers.
The Board has also organised two coaching sessions for Under-15 cricketers over the last two weeks at the Blairmont Cricket Club, where a combined total of 52 cricketers attended the sessions which were conducted by senior coach Julian Moore.
The one-day academy was conducted by Moore, Michael Hyles Franco and Winston Smith and attracted players from clubs in West Berbice such as Blairmont, Shieldstown, D’Edward, Bath, Cotton Tree, Rainbow Generation, Bush Lot and Hopetown.
The coaches placed special emphasis on batting, bowling, fielding and physical fitness. The young cricketers were also lectured on mental fitness, rules of cricket, field placement and the importance of discipline.
Moore, who is the head of the BCB’s coaching department, expressed his pleasure at the success of the academy and disclosed that the coaches were able to identify several promising and exciting talent for further coaching and selection to the junior elite training programme which would be launched shortly.
Chairman of the BCB’s Special Events Committee, Hilbert Foster, hailed the West Berbice clubs for making the academy a total success.
He expressed his gratitude to the Bush Lot Cricket Club, Mr Rabindranauth Saywack of Bush Lot and Mr Shabeer Baksh of Blairmont Community Centre for their cooperation to organise the event and make it a success.
The BCB would do another follow-up one-day academy in the near future for Under-19 players in the West Berbice area at the D’Edward Ground and during the month of March, would also be hosting one-day academies for youths in the New Amsterdam/Canje and Upper Corentyne areas.