… BCB assists clubs with face masks as part of COVID-19 response.

DOZENS of youth cricketers in the Ancient County would shortly be benefitting from over $1.5M worth of cricket gear as the Hilbert Foster-led Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) continues its aggressive campaign to develop the game at the junior level.

The donation is to be done under the joint BCB/Clayton Lambert Gear Project and over 60 youths are expected to benefit in the largest ever distribution of gear to be done by a county board in Guyana to youth cricketers.

BCB president Hilbert Foster, who since his election in 2018 has spearheaded an effort to assist less fortunate and promising cricketers to fulfil their potential on and off the cricket field, stated that the items are expected in the country by December 10 and the distribution would start soon after.

Among the gear to be shared are junior bats, senior bats, batting pads, wicket-keeping gloves, wicket-keeping pads, helmets, thigh pads, forehand guard and bat rubber.

A special donation would be made to the Berbice River Cricket Association as the BCB strives to develop the game in the remote area.

Foster stated that in 2021 at least two cricket tournaments at the T20 and 40 overs will be held for the four teams in the area. A combined riverine team would also participate in the BCB historic semi-professional league fixed for middle next year.

In an effort to distribute the gear in a transparent way, the board would be very grateful if the following clubs who have junior teams submit names of players who should benefit.

Edinburgh, East Bank Blazers and Guymine have to submit four names while two names are expected from Paradise, Bush Lot United, Bush Lot Rising Star, Bath, Achievers, Blairmont, Tucber Park, Mt Sinai, Rose Hall Canje, Young Warriors, Kendall Union. Albion, RHTYSC, Port Mourant, No 73, Rama Krishna and Scottsburg.

BCB would also select some youths based on the recommendation of senior coach Winston Smith who has been conducting coaching sessions across the county.

The board has set guidelines for the submission of the players to benefit. Players have to be between the Under-13 and Under-17 levels, must be disciplined, must have a good attendance grade in school, be from a less fortunate background and must not have received assistance during the year.

Deadline for the submissions of names is the December 7. At the end of the project, the BCB would have assisted close to 300 youths with cricket gear or bicycles over the last 30 months.

Lambert ,who played five Test matches for the West Indies, stated that he was delighted to work along with his county board as he was very impressed with the progress being made under Foster’s leadership and that this was just the first of several shipment of gear that would be sent to Berbice.

He recalled that he did not have his own bat until he scored his first regional century against Leeward Islands at Albion in 1984. He scored it using a bat lent to him by team mate Clyde Butts and Lambert stated that he wanted to assist others to fulfil their dream to play at the highest level.

Meanwhile BCB recently handed out close to 1 000 face masks to several clubs during a special meeting at Albion ground as part of its COVID-19 response programme.

Among the clubs that received the face masks were Albion, PortMourant, Chesney, Police, Edinburgh, Rose Hall Canje, Ramnarine Memorial, Kendall Union, Tucber Park, Achievers, No 73, No 69 Vikings and the University of Guyana Tain Campus.

The masks were donated by cricketer Ishwar Singh of Ishwar Guybiz Est.

BCB, over the nine months, has shared out thousands of food hampers and distributed hundreds of educational posters as part of its COVID-19 response.