FIRST there was the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) Tenelec Incorporated first division competition, followed by the Ramcharitar Construction Services-sponsored first division knockout limited overs competition.

Last Friday at a simple presentation ceremony held in the boardroom of the National Communications Network (NCN), first division clubs attached to the BCB had more reasons to smile when their governing body secured sponsorship for another first division 50-over tournament from the Berbice Bridge Company Incorporated (BBCI) worth $282 000.
BBCI Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Omadat Samaroo handed over the sponsorship package to secretary of the BCB, Angela Haniff, in the presence of the BCB’s hardworking Public Relations Officer (PRO) Hilbert Foster and acting CEO of NCN, Michael Gordon.
Prior to making the presentation to Haniff, Samaroo said the BBCI was delighted to be involved with cricket for the first time.
“We have been associated with a lot of events in terms of football, cycling, horse racing and educational activities, but Berbice is known for producing some fine Test players over the years and on such basis we have decided to start with Berbice.
“This donation would not only help in terms of cost and expenses but in terms of building the young minds with the aim that the participants in this tournament can progress in representing their county, country and further the West Indies,” Samaroo said.
Foster in his brief remarks expressed his gratitude to the BBCI while reaffirming the BCB’s commitment to the development of cricket not only in Berbice but nationally.
“The Berbice Cricket Board welcomes the new sponsor on board and wishes to assure them that every effort would be made to ensure that the tournament would be highly successful.
“We would like to urge other stakeholders to stop fighting for power and to use their energies to develop cricket like we do in Berbice. All cricket administrators should try to be remembered as developers and visionary leaders and not destroyers,” stated Foster.
Foster said the BCB expects the tournament, which will have 12 teams battling for supremacy when it bowls off sometime next month, and is being played on a knockout basis, to be played at a high standard in comparison to all of their other tournaments, since players of the calibre of Assad Fudadin, Veerasammy Permaul, Devendra Bishoo, Sewnarine Chattergoon and Brandon Bess, will be participating.
The burly PRO said the BCB welcomes the BBCI on board as one of its sponsors adding that the sponsor would also be assisting the BCB with trophies for its Annual Awards ceremony which is scheduled to be held on March 16 at a venue to be named.
The 12 teams who will be participating in the tournament are West Berbice, Bush Lot United, Blairmont, Police, Bermine, Universal DVD Young Warriors, Edinburgh, Albion, Rose Hall Town Gizmos and Gadgets, Port Mourant, Upper Corentyne and Skeldon.