AS PART of its effort to continue the development of female cricket in the Ancient County of Berbice, the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) recently launched the Universal DVD/Universal Solutions 40 overs tournament for female teams. Universal DVD/Universal Solutions sponsored the tournament which would be played next month to the tune of $158 200.
Chairman of the BCB’s Special Events Committee, Hilbert Foster, noted that female cricket in Berbice is at the top of its game with the county producing four West Indies players in the last four years, with three of them currently representing the Caribbean against Sri Lanka.
Erva Giddings, Shemaine Campbelle, Tremayne Smartt and Sabrina Munroe are all products of the Berbice Cricketing Developmental Programme, which invests in the development of new talents, while Natasha Gangoo, Jacqueline Singh, Melanie Henry, Trishanie Cort, Phaffiana Millington and Nikita Toney have also represented Guyana at the distaff level.
The tournament would involve Rose Hall Town Metro, New Amsterdam/Canje, Skeldon and No.51 and Blairmont playing one another on a home and away basis and at the end of it, an Elite squad of 16 players would be selected for preparation for the upcoming Inter-county tournament.
Treasurer of the BCB, Anil Beharry, and president Keith Foster both hailed the continued investment of Universal DVD/Universal Solutions into Berbice cricket as the company has already sponsored 20/20 Inter-club and Inter-zone Tournaments and also co-sponsors the Berbice Cricket Board Awards Ceremony and Annual Review Magazine.
President Foster praised CEO Vickram Seubarran for the role he played to ensure that Berbice cricket continues to remain the best in Guyana and he issued a challenge to the female cricketers to play the tournament in the best spirit of the game.
Beharry noted that along with the four West Indies female players, Narsingh Deonarine, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Assad Fudadin, Veerasammy Permaul, Royston Crandon, Jonathan Foo, Brandon Bess and Devendra Bishoo have all played for the West Indies at different levels and this indicated the strength of Berbice cricket.
Seubarran disclosed that he was excited to be associated with the most dynamic cricket body in the Caribbean and was confident that his investment in women’s cricket in Berbice would result in more West Indies players in the future.
The tournament is expected to be closely contested and among other players expected to play are: Katana Mentore, Nermala Sewdat, Shenella McBean, Cindy Alexander, Tessa Park and Ceylon Daniels. Interested female cricketers can contact the different clubs for more information.