THE drive to promote cricket at the junior level in Berbice received a major boost with the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) joining hands with Sueria Manufacturing Ltd of Eccles for the Inter-Secondary School cricket competition.

Twenty-nine secondary schools in Regions Five and Six would participate in the 30 overs knock-out tournament.

President of the BCB, Hilbert Foster, at the launching ceremony indicated that the board remains committed towards the development of cricket at all levels in the ancient county.
“Every promise made to the stakeholders of Berbice Cricket would be kept because the current leadership of the BCB is passionate about the work we do. We committed ourselves to organise cricket at all levels. We have already fulfilled that promise in just over two months,” Foster said.

Foster, who is spearheading a massive restoration programme in Berbice Cricket, disclosed that apart from the GCB, no other cricket board organises Inter-Secondary School Cricket, and noted that the tournament has been absent for a while.

He noted that the main objectives of the tournament are to identify cricketing talents in the school system; to encourage schools to invest in the game; to assist cricket clubs to attract new members and to encourage more youths to play the game at the competitive levels.

Cricket, Foster stated, has been at a standstill in Berbice over the last three years due to poor leadership and the lust for power by individuals who have personal agenda.

Since his election as president, the board has launched cricket tournaments at the Under-15, Under-17, Under-19, Under-21, Female, Zone, Second Division and First Division levels, while numerous developmental programmes have been launched.

The tournament will involve the following schools – Upper Corentyne Technical Institute, Line Path Secondary, Skeldon High, Tagore Memorial, Central Corentyne, Black Bush Polder, Winifred Gaskin Memorial, Lower Corentyne Secondary, Manchester Secondary, Port Mourant Secondary, J.C. Chandisingh Secondary, New Amsterdam Technical Institute, Canje Secondary, Berbice High School, Vryman’s Erven Secondary, New Amsterdam Secondary, Berbice Educational Institute and Tutorial Academy in Region Six.

The schools in Region Five are Rosignol Secondary, No.8 Secondary, Ash Educational Institute, Woodley Park Secondary, Fraser Educational Institute, Fort Wellington Secondary, Bush Lot Secondary, Novar Secondary and Mahaicony Secondary.

The top two schools in both Regions would advance to the semifinals before the grand final which would be played at the Albion Cricket Ground. All matches start at 11.00hrs while a maximum of two players would be allowed out of the 30-yard circle for the first five overs while five would be allowed out for the rest of the innings.

Foster expressed gratitude to Sueria Manufacturing CEO, Frank Sanichara, for his confidence in the board. He assured Sanichara that the tournament would commence soon after the inclement weather eases.

Sanichara, in brief remarks praised the BCB for the work it was doing to transform cricket in Berbice.