OVER the last three years, one of Berbice premier cricket clubs, the Rose Hall Community Centre Cricket Club (RHCCCC), based in Canje, New Amsterdam, has been unable to play any type of cricket due to problems at the ground. The Canje ground has been badly damaged due to a rain-affected Berbice Expo Fair and most of the players left for other clubs after being unable to practise and play at the venue.
The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) Special Events Committee has been spearheading the effort to have the premier cricket club returned to the first division level and on Tuesday last, in conjunction with the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTYSC), handed over $100 000 worth of cricket equipment to the club.
The items included two sets of stumps, one helmet, two bats, two batting pads, batting gloves, a pair of wicket-keeping gloves, a box of balls, one score book and one pair of wicket-keeping pads.
Secretary/CEO of RHTYSC and chairman of the BCB’s Special Events Committee Hilbert Foster expressed pleasure at being able to assist a Mecca of Berbice Cricket and noted that the Welfare Centre was the first Berbice venue to host a first class match.
He urged the members of the reform club to work hard to regain lost grounds, to be disciplined at all times and to always strive for excellence, while noting that the BCB and RHTYSC would be willing to assist in the future once they see progress on and off the cricket field.
Treasurer of the BCB, Anil Beharry, noted that the donation was being given at the request of the General Manager of the Rose Hall Estate who was determined to start playing cricket again at the junior and senior level.
Beharry welcomed back into the fold, the Rose Hall Community Cricket Team and wished them a successful future, noting also that over 40 cricket clubs in Berbice have so far received over $6M in material assistance from the BCB for this year, while many more would receive in the future.
Assistant Human Resource Manager of the Albion Sugar Estate, Joel Khellawan, in receiving the donation expressed gratitude to the RHTYSC and BCB and reassured the gathering that the RHCCCC would be back stronger than before on the cricket field while contributing to the success of Berbice Cricket.
All interested cricketers in the Canje area can contact the Welfare Centre and register as members from the Under-13 to senior levels as soon as possible.