By Colin Bynoe

BLAIRMONT Centre Cricket Club (BCCC) hails its recognition from the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) for being the Most Improved Club at recent BCB Awards ceremony.

The club was resuscitated on May 26, 2010 with elections being held. Under Shabeer Baksh’s astute leadership the BCCC has grown from strength to strength with its main focus on youths, community and sports development.

President of BCB, Hilbert Foster, noted that the BCCC performed well during the period the board was implementing such an award, “Blairmont Cricket Club is being ranked among the best clubs in Berbice with Albion, Rose Hall Young and Sports Club (RHTYSC) and Young Warriors all producing numerous numbers of players for Berbice and Guyana,” Foster declared.

Speaking to Chronicle Sport, Baksh shared, “From 2015-2017, the club went beyond the call of duty to ensure its members continue to play cricket although there was a struggle in Berbice cricket.

“The only Board game the club had played within this period was one 1st Division match when we defeated West Berbice, and four (4) second division games with the club being the winners of the Zone A in West Berbice,” he noted.

Baksh also mentioned that BCCC organised matches with a number of other clubs namely: Cold Fusion (Zeelugt), Port Mourant, Young Warriors, Albion, Bush Lot United, Lusigiuan, Rose Hall Youth and Sports, Skeldon, Kendell’s Union, D Edward, Tucber Park, Shieldstown, Cotton Tree, Jai Hind, and Chesney at all level to ensure its members keep active.

In addition, the BCCC boasts 10 active teams, Under-13, Under-15 A and B, Under-17, Under-19, Under-21, 2nd Division A and B, 1st Division and an Over-40 team.
On top of that, Blairmont Centre Cricket Club also partnered with the Guyana Umpires Association in a fundraiser that assisted umpires to attend a seminar in Jamaica last July.

Additionally the club held cricket clinics during the Easter break, summer break and Christmas period. An Award Ceremony was also held to inspire cricketers.

Recognition was given to individuals who served in cricket and education while the works of the club extended to supporting community members who are less fortunate.
At the BCB Awards ceremony, Javed Karim, Guyana Under-19 opening batsman, and BCCC member, was named Junior Role Model Cricketer-of-the-Year while National Under-15 captain Marvan Prashad was named most outstanding Under-15 Player-of-the-Year.

The BCCC would like to show some appreciation to its sponsors such as Banks DIH, Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company, Republic Bank, Hand-in-Hand, New Building Society, Berbice Bridge Company, Baksh Travel Service, Green’s Massive, Big B’s Restaurant and Region 5 Chamber of Commerce and others.