SINCE 1948, when John Trim of the Port Mourant Cricket Club (PMCC) became the first Berbician to play Test cricket, Berbice has produced numerous players who have represented the Caribbean at the Under-15, Under-19, A Team, B Team, ODI, 20/20, Test and Female levels.

The rich tradition continued during September 2019, where Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club (RHTY&SC) MS duo of Sheneta Grimmond and Shabika Gajnabi made their International Debut against Australia at the One Day and 20/20 levels.

The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) surprised the duo during its 80th anniversary celebration by honouring them for being the sixth and seventh Berbician female players to play International cricket.

Nineteen-year- old Gajnabi has been playing for close to a decade after learning the game at a very young age, with her brother at the Chesney ground, which is located in front of her home. She later joined the only female cricket team in Guyana at the RHTY&SC and developed her skills under the guidance of senior players Shemaine Campbelle and Erva Giddings.

Gajnabi bowls right-hand medium pace and is a solid middle-order batsman. She has captained Berbice and Guyana at the Under-19 level.

Grimmond, who bowls off-spin and is a hard-hitting batter played for her school, Central Corentyne Secondary, before joining RHTY&SC.

Like Gajnabi, she learnt her playing with her male counterparts at RHTY&SC and benefitted from the vast experience of Campbelle and Giddings.

BCB president Hilbert Foster congratulated the pair on making their international debut, noting that the entire county was very proud of them.

Foster, who is also the Secretary/CEO of the RHTY&SC, stated that the county’s investment in female cricket was a huge success. Candacy Atkins was the first female to play for the West Indies while Shemaine Campbelle, Tremayne Smartt, Erva Giddings, Subrina Munroe, Gajnabi and Giddings have followed in her footsteps.

Foster urged the players to remain focussed, humble and to work harder every day to further improve their skills. He warned them that sometimes making the team was easy but keeping your place in the team was more difficult as performance was what counts.

He committed the BCB to assisting every female cricketer in fulfilling her full potential on and off the cricket field. Earlier in the proceedings, the BCB had handed over cricket gear to two Under-13 female players, Tricia Hardat and Darshie Subramanie.

The debutants received a framed certificate, trophies, medals, souvenir anniversary cups and prizes.