… Funds directed towards U-15, 1st Division tournaments

CRICKET in the Ancient County of Berbice continues to attract investments and sponsorship as the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) continues to work hard ahead of a possible restart to its season, later in the year or early next year.

BCB yesterday successfully completed discussions with the management of overseas-based company Tenelec Inc. of the United States of America for a million-dollar sponsorship of two major cricket tournaments for the 2022 season.

BCB president Hilbert Foster who has over the last three and half years spearheaded a comprehensive marketing drive for the board, successfully completed the discussions with co-owners of the company, Bobby Deonarine and Tom Gruentzel for the sponsorship.

The sponsorship is expected to cover the cost of an Under-15 and senior first-division 50-overs tournament. Foster stated that the U-15 tournament would be for players born on or after September 1, 2007.

Twenty-three teams are expected to play in the tournament which would be used to select the Berbice inter-county team and to identify promising players for the future.

These players would then be part of the BCB coaching programme. which would be expanded in the new year. Among the teams expected to play are Paradise, Bush Lot United, Achievers, Cotton Tree, Bath, Blairmont, Tucber Park, Rose Hall Canje, Kendall Union, Edinburgh, Mt Sinai, Albion, RHT Farfan and Mendes, Port Mourant, No. 73, Cut and Load and Rana Krishna.

The first-division tournament would be one of at least four to be organised by the BCB in 2022.
Foster disclosed that the Tenelec Inc. 50 overs tournament would be played using the 50-overs knockout format among the eleven first division teams.

The teams that would participate in the tournament are West Berbice, Blairmont, Police, Tucber Park, Rose Hall Canje, Yound Warrior, Albion, RHT Namilco Thunderbolt Flour, Port Mourant, Skeldon and Upper Corentyne.

Foster explained that the overseas-based company had sponsored the tournaments for over a decade up to 2016 but left in frustration in 2017.
Deonarine, who is the uncle of former West Indies Test player Narsingh Deonarine, expressed confidence in the current administration and stated that he was delighted to be on board again.

The Tenelec tournaments have a rich tradition in the history of Berbice Cricket and played a great part in the development of players like Deonarine, Devendra Bishoo, Veersammy Permaul, Assad Fudadin, Royston Crandon, Romario Shepherd, Nial Smith, Kelvon Anderson, Kevin Sinclair and Sewnarine Chattergoon and others.